The popular Twitter account Libs of TikTok (LOTT) has been banned from the platform multiple times, and now the person who runs it is sharing leaked Slack conversations between Twitter employees explaining their motivations behind having her silenced.
Libs of TikTok has morphed from a silly spectacle into a public service exposing preschool teachers who are secretly telling students they can choose their own genders.
Most recently, the account was banned from Twitter for its “Mega Drag Thread,” which gathered a huge list of drag events promoted to children. The account was reinstated, but then an anonymous Twitter employee sent screenshots of an alleged internal conversation about how the person behind the account was actually a “domestic terrorist.” LOTT revealed the screenshots in its most recent Substack newsletter.
The employees began by reacting to a tweet claiming LOTT was “going to get somebody killed” by sharing an advertisement for Drag Queen Story Hour in Alachua County, Florida.
“Feels more likely that libsoftiktok will get a verified platform badge out of this than a platform ban, happy pride,” one employee shared sarcastically on the #social-watercooler channel.
“This has been escalating for months fwiw,” another person chimed in.
“But our expectations out of twitter are so low right now that the devil himself is having to squat to get to their level,” another comment reads.
“Like I don’t get how this account, which exists solely to generate targeted violence at marginalized people, continues to be allowed to post,” the next reaction says.
“But if we deplatform this account, we might erode trust in our platform from users who already think we’re irredeemably biased against conservatives,” the following comment says.
“I mean, we successfully deplatformed Trump – I don’t think deplatforming Libs of TikTok is going to cause a mass exodus but I guess it may not be in our “fiduciary” interest to enact a ban on a high profile account right now…” the next line says.
That person was admonished by the next poster.
“Trans people are being targeted for genocidal violence during pride month,” the reaction says.
The previous poster apologized.
“I apologize,” they wrote. “I was not speaking from my own perspective but applying a commentary on how leadership has behaved lately. I could have phrased that better and will be more conscious in future messages. I despise and despair the activity that is currently flourishing on our platform and empowering white supremacists/fascists to act with impunity in conducting harmful emotional and physical violence on trans folx and the broader LGBTQ+ community.”
As LOTT summed up in its Substack, “you don’t need leaked messages to know just how biased and agenda-driven these people are. It only confirms what we already see with our own eyes every day.”