Transvestigation

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Transvestigation (a portmanteau of transgender and investigation ) is a conspiracy theory that asserts that many celebrities and other prominent individuals are transgender (or, conversely, that some openly transgender celebrities are cisgender). [1] Proponents claim to be able to determine the assigned sex of individuals, primarily through photographic and video evidence. The methodology used by "transvestigators" adhering to this theory is subject to pareidolia and often suffers from confirmation bias. [2] [3]

Contents

Prominent celebrities claimed to be transgender include Amanda Lear, [4] Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Margot Robbie, Michelle Obama, Jacinda Ardern, Jennifer Lopez, and the Kardashians. [5] [2] [6] Prominent athletes claimed to be trans include Serena Williams and Katie Ledecky. [7] [1] [8] Brigitte Macron, the spouse of the president of France, filed lawsuits against allegations that she was born male. [9] [10]

In the aftermath of the boxing controversy at the 2024 Olympic Games, the term gained renewed attention in light of accusations against Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting. [11] [12] [13]

Conspiracy theories

The basis for transvestigation ranges from the belief that some celebrities' gender identity simply differs from their birth-assigned sex, to the belief that their transgender identity is part of an initiation ritual known as "elite gender inversion", conducted by Hollywood and music industry elites or secret organizations such as the New World Order and Illuminati. [14] [15] GLAAD considers the movement to be an expression of transphobia. [1] The theories have gained considerable popularity on the social media platform X, [16] especially after Elon Musk's participation in the harassment of Imane Khelif and his own transgender daughter. [17] [18] [19]

France

Brigitte Macron, the spouse of the president of France, has sought legal action against the allegation that she was born male. [9] The conspiracy theory, which suggests that she was previously known as Jean-Michel Trogneux, has been traced to a far-right author in France, and has trended on social media. [9] In September 2024, two women named Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy were found guilty of slander and ordered to pay damages but the Paris Appeals Court overturned this conviction on July 10, 2025, arguing that the defendants had made the mistake in "good faith". [20]

On July 23, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron sued Candace Owens and her limited liability company for numerous counts of defamation and false light in Delaware state court. Owens had endorsed the conspiracy theory that Brigitte Macron was secretly transgender. [21]

United States

A number of prominent celebrities have been claimed to be secretly transgender, including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Margot Robbie. [5] [2] Athletes accused of being trans include Serena Williams and Katie Ledecky. [7] [1] [8] Kyle Rittenhouse has been accused of being a trans man, with the claim partly motivated by his criticism of Donald Trump. [22] [23] Former First Lady Michelle Obama has frequently been accused of being a trans woman, which Noah Berlatsky of the Pacific Standard considers unsurprising, stating that "just as trans women are stereotypically caricatured as faking femininity, Black women are caricatured as innately non-feminine" within the United States. [24]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Transvestigation: Definition, Meaning, and Origin in Anti-LGBTQ Hate". GLAAD . November 2, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Lenton, Patrick (February 8, 2024). "A Wild Investigation of Transvestigators, the People Who Think Celebs Are All Trans". Vice. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  3. ↑ Klee, Miles (July 18, 2022). "Unhinged 'Transvestigators' Think They're the Only Cis People Left". MEL Magazine.
  4. ↑ "French Singer Amanda Lear Denies Trans Rumors in the Fascinating, Uncomfortable HBO Documentary 'Enigma'". Decider. June 25, 2025. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Karleby, Peter (October 4, 2023). "Conservatives Roasted After Claiming Taylor Swift Is Secretly 'Trans' With Bizarre Conspiracy". Comic Sands. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Two women go on trial for claiming French first lady is transgender". Le Monde. June 20, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  7. 1 2 LaMagdeleine, Izz Scott (July 27, 2023). "No Proof For Rumors That Katie Ledecky Had 'Come Out' as Trans". Snopes.
  8. 1 2 Dawson, Alan (May 31, 2018). "How Serena Williams responds to accusations that she 'was born a guy'". Business Insider. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 "Brigitte Macron to sue over false claims she was born male". BBC News. December 22, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  10. ↑ Pelham, Lipika (September 12, 2024). "Two women guilty of slandering Brigitte Macron". BBC News. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  11. ↑ López, Quispe (August 14, 2024). "How "Transvestigation," An Anti-Trans Conspiracy Theory, Made Its Way Into Mainstream Politics". Them. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  12. ↑ Radin, Sara (August 9, 2024). "What Is a 'Transvestigation?' Misogyny Gets a Rebrand at the Paris Olympics". Glamour. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Transvestigating (with Contrapoints)". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  14. ↑ Thomason, Kristen (June 22, 2023). "Transvestigation: The new eugenics". Baptist News Global . Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  15. ↑ Vernon, Hayden; Moreno, Natalie (September 21, 2023). "The Conspiracy Theorists Who Think All Celebrities Are Secretly Trans". Vice. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  16. ↑ Hsu, Tiffany; Thompson, Stuart A.; Myers, Steven Lee (July 30, 2024). "Kamala Harris Faces a Faster, Uglier Version of the Internet". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  17. ↑ Ritman, Elsa Keslassy,Alex (August 13, 2024). "J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk Named in Cyberbullying Lawsuit Filed by Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif After Olympic Win (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 8, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ López, Quispe (August 14, 2024). "How "Transvestigation," An Anti-Trans Conspiracy Theory, Made Its Way Into Mainstream Politics". Them. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  19. ↑ Yurman, Ella (March 20, 2025). "Vivian Wilson on Being Elon Musk's Estranged Daughter, Going Viral, and Protecting Trans Youth". Teen Vogue. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Court overturns libel convictions of two women who said French first lady was a man". Le Monde. July 10, 2025. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  21. ↑ Leingang, Rachel. "French president and wife sue rightwing US commentator Candace Owens for defamation". theguardian.com. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  22. ↑ Klee, Miles (August 2, 2024). "MAGA Trolls Bully Kyle Rittenhouse Into Sticking With Trump". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  23. ↑ Thalen, Mikael (August 4, 2024). "QAnon launches transvestigation into Kyle Rittenhouse after he wavered on Trump". The Daily Dot.
  24. ↑ Berlatsky, Noah (October 14, 2014). "Michelle Obama Trans-Truthers Reveal Persisting Prejudices". The Pacific Standard. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
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