Pokimane responds to transphobia accusations after Discord DMs emerge
PokimanePokimane has been accused of being a trans-exclusionary radical feminist after a mod tried to blame her for discriminating against a trans girl, but she apologized and maintained her innocence.
Iman ‘Pokimane’ Anys is normally in the spotlight for the right reasons. However, she’s been caught up in drama lately after leaked documents about her relationship with Federico ‘Fedmyster’ Gaytan surfaced.
Pokimane denied the allegations, and it looked like smooth sailing from here on out. But now, another incident has surfaced. It’s a serious one that has thrown her into drama yet again.
Pokimane’s official Discord server has a role exclusive to girls, but users can’t get it unless they confirm their gender by speaking in voice chat. It’s supposed to be a failsafe way to stop male viewers from pretending to be females for trolling purposes.
However, a mod rejected a trans girl from the role. He claimed he was following orders and deflected the blame onto Pokimane. Apparently, the trans girl persisted, which ultimately lead to being banned from the server.
https://twitter.com/CultC0re/status/1332769848703774720?s=20
This sparked an uproar on social media. Some people even accused Pokimane of being a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF). Fortunately, she responded quickly and assured fans that everybody is welcome in her community.
“I’m looking into this with said mod/proof of the conversation that was held between them,” she said. [I] will [also] contact SHSLChris directly to resolve this and to assure she is welcomed properly.”
“Anyone in my community should be welcomed with open arms no matter what gender/sexuality,” she added. “I’m so sorry if anyone was made to feel otherwise, especially by a mod. That is not okay, and I’ll make sure it’s properly handled.”
so sorry if anyone was made to feel otherwise, especially by a mod. That is not okay and I’ll make sure it’s properly handled.
— pokimane (@pokimanelol) November 28, 2020
“Furthermore, I’ve unmodded the person in question,” she said, implying that he acted independently.
“Again, I’m so sorry for this interaction, as it is not something I reinforce/a rule of mine, and is far from representative of my personal opinions, as I truly support the trans community.”
furthermore, I’ve unmodded the person in question. Again, I’m so sorry for this interaction, as it is not something I reinforce / a rule of mine, and is far from representative of my personal opinions, as I truly support the trans community. 😞❤️
— pokimane (@pokimanelol) November 28, 2020
The key takeaway is the mod appears to have acted or interpreted the rules in his own way, and has since been unmodded.
Pokimane also maintained her innocence and claimed she is in full support of the trans community. Whether the affected user will accept her invite back into the Discord remains to be seen.