Why is boycott Etsy trending? Detransitioning merchandise controversy explained

On Thursday, July 27, #boycott Etsy began trending on Twitter. This happened right after the famous e-commerce website, Etsy, was accused by many of banning merchandise having slogans supporting detransitioners.

Detransitioners refer to people who have halted or reversed their gender transition.

It all started after a Twitter user with the username @FunkGodArtist shared an email on the platform she allegedly received from Etsy. It warned her from further selling merchandise with slogans including “Believe Detransitioners – First Do No Harm” and “De-Trans Awareness” on it, or else she would be banned.

The tweet also mentioned how the company banned the user’s “Funky Human Female” t-shirts last month. The user further accused the e-commerce major of disfavouring free speech, women, and medical trauma survivors” and requested fellow Twitteratti to “share and boost” her post as much as possible.

Since then, many have joined her cause, and #boycottEtsy has been trending on Twitter.

---

All you need to know about Etsy’s detransitioning merchandise controversy

As soon as @FunkGodArtist’s tweet became viral, many users came in support of her as #boytcottEtsy started trending on the social media platform.

For instance, another user pointed out that the e-commerce website still sold anti-TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) merchandise, meaning it favors people who object to the inclusion of transgender people in women’s spaces and was allegedly inciting violence against the trans community.

Twitteratti also shared images of merchandise being sold on the site such as t-shirts carrying slogans including “Respect pronouns or I will identify as a problem,” “No TERFS on your Turf,” and “TERF puncher.”

Another user named @Jennifer Gingrich (whose post now has limited viewership) took to Twitter to remind everyone that this is not the first time the e-commerce giant is doing something like this.

In fact, she mentioned how the brand sells products that allegedly advocate violence against feminists, but bans any item that reads “adult human female” and tags it as “hate speech.” While agreeing with the latest trend, she also said in her post how the e-commerce website "hates women."

A netizen points out how the site sells anti-women merchandise. (Image via Twitter/Hellcat the Hater #23040)

Interestingly, there were others who were in praise of the e-commerce site and its decision to ban detransitioning merchandise and said that even though there were enough reasons to #boycottEtsy, this wasn’t one of them.

A netizen thinks this is not a good enough reason to boycott the e-commerce site. (Image via Twitter/PRIDE with Collide = A Celebration Collection)

Etsy is an American e-commerce website operating since 2005 and enables local sellers to sell mass-manufactured items, mostly focused on handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. The platform promotes sales of a wide range of items from clothing to jewelry to bags, toys, and home decor among others.

Over the past few months, trans rights have faced severe backlash with not just the current controversy but when beer brand Bud Light was boycotted for featuring trans-TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney in its campaign in April.