Indian-Canadian Member of Parliament Jagmeet Singh tweets in favor of Trans streamer Keffals after she got swatted last week

Jagmeet Singh tweets supporting trans streamer Keffals after she got swatted (Image via Toronto Star, Global News)
Jagmeet Singh tweets supporting trans streamer Keffals after she got swatted (Image via Toronto Star, Global News)

The swatting of Clara "Keffals" last week has been making headlines all over the internet. The trans activist and streamer was arrested at gunpoint on August 5 after an email alleging criminal activity was shared with authorities. The news has drawn reactions from prominent personalities in and around Canada.

The most notable of them is the recent tweet by Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh, who came out in support of Keffals and called out the prevalent transphobia in and outside the online space. In his post, he lent his support to the streamer, stating:

"Support trans activists – support @keffals"

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"It means a lot": Keffals thanks Singh, commends the high-profile politican for taking a stand

In a YouTube video from two days ago titled "My life is in danger. I need your help," the streamer spoke about being swatted after an email pretending to be from her was sent to the city authorities of London, Ontario at 6:00 am. The email alleged that she had murdered her mother and would commit a mass shooting at the council hall.

As a trans streamer known for her political commentaries, she has been subject to constant ridicule and trolling by transphobic elements. For the first time, however, she truly felt threatened for her life as swatting can bring forth fatal consequences.

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Following widespread uproar with many media outlets reporting the incident, Jagmeet Singh, a Member of the Canadian Parliament and leader of the New Democratic Party, came out in support of the streamer. In his post on Twitter, he condemned the anti-trans hate propagated by bigots both on social media and in real life:

"Trans folk, and especially trans activists, deserve the freedom to make themselves heard. Not to be doxxed and SWATed, arrested at gunpoint, and deadnamed repeatedly. No one deserves this."

In his address, he mentioned some key points of the case, where Keffals was doxxed and subsequently swatted by the police. According to news sources and her personal account in the video, she was arrested at gunpoint on the night of August 5.

Singh even brought up an important talking point in the trans discourse: The use of one's "deadname" to insult and denigrate them. Deadnaming is the act of referring to a transgender person by their birth name, disregarding the transition of their gender and therefore invalidating their trans identity.

Not only did the trolls use Keffal's deadname in the mail utilized for swatting, the police also used it while handling the case after her arrest. The media backlash against the transphobic actions led the police chief of London, Ontario to come out and address the issue:

"It has come to my attention that Ms. Sorrenti was referred to during her time in London police custody by an incorrect name and gender. We acknowledge the distress this has caused Ms. Sorrenti and we will be reviewing the occurence to understand how it might have happened."

Keffals heralded Jagmeet Singh's post in support of trans rights as a ray of hope in an otherwise apathetic world:

"The fact one of the leaders of the parties currently governing Canada is talking about me and showing support makes me hopeful."

A major problem streamers face which can easily turn into a life-threatening situation is the danger of swatting. Last week alone, two major streaming personalities, Adin Ross on Twitch and IShowSpeed on YouTube, were swatted while they were streaming on their respective channels.


Fans and well-wishers react

Fans of the streamer and other well-wishers reacted after the high-profile politician tweeted. Many praised the move, while others pointed out that it took such a tragic story for Singh to come out in support of trans rights:

The Indian-origin politician has, at the very least, put a spotlight on Keffals' plight, as she struggles to raise enough money to move to a new property and hopefully avoid further harm.

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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul
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