Violent Transgender Rhetoric Is All Over Etsy

Several shops on the e-commerce site Etsy have been found to be selling violent merchandise aimed at people who disagree with gender ideology. These items include a flag with an AK-47 assault rifle that reads “Armed queers bash back,” a sweatshirt that reads “Respect my pronouns or yours will be was/were,” and a t-shirt that reads “Protect Trans Kids” along with an image of three daggers.

Some of these shops have made thousands of sales. Despite this, the rhetoric on other parts of the internet is far worse. For instance, a sticker that reads “Vore TERFS” is available on Etsy, which references a sexual fetish called “vore” that involves being aroused by swallowing something whole. This particular sticker depicts a wolf swallowing a Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF), a derogatory term for a feminist that does not acknowledge trans-identifying people’s gender identity. The seller adds a Disclaimer, advising buyers not to attempt feeding any TERFs to wolves.

Last week, a former student who identified as trans opened fire on six people at a Christian school in Nashville. While the shooter’s motive remains under investigation, one possibility is resentment. This is notable because proponents of gender ideology often view disagreement with them as a form of violence. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, one activist group canceled its “Trans Day of Vengeance” event due to safety threats and cited “genocide” as one of the steps in eliminating trans individuals. The mainstream media and companies like Etsy have yet to call for deescalation despite this disturbing trend.