Chaya Raichik, a user on TikTok, has been included in the database of extremists.
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The SPLC has recently included Chaya Raichik, a prominent figure in promoting anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice, on its public list of extremist individuals, organizations, and beliefs. Raichik, known for her popular TikTok account Libs of TikTok, has been linked to reviving the harmful “groomer” label in right-wing propaganda. This label falsely suggests that all LGBTQ+ people are pedophiles, and Raichik has used it to spread baseless theories about the LGBTQ+ community infiltrating social institutions with the goal of sexualizing children.
According to the SPLC, Raichik has actively participated in a disinformation campaign against the LGBTQ+ community, which has encouraged violent attacks by right-wing extremist groups on LGBTQ+ individuals, events, and spaces, as well as on doctors, hospitals, librarians, libraries, teachers, and schools. With over three million followers on her account, Raichik has gained a significant online presence. However, her posts have been linked to actual threats made towards various institutions, events, and individuals she has targeted.
Media Matters has documented 42 cases of harassment and threats of violence towards institutions, events, and individuals following Raichik’s posts. In certain instances, her online attacks have resulted in the resignation of educators who were subjected to harassment because of her actions. The SPLC’s profile of Raichik highlights six examples where children’s hospitals and specific doctors were targeted with harassment and threats of violence due to her false or misleading posts about providing gender-affirming care.
Despite claiming to be advocating for the protection of children, Raichik’s actions have put children’s hospitals and other places that serve children at risk of bomb threats, gun violence, and exposure to hateful anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. There are concerns among Twitter employees about the potential consequences of Raichik’s posts, with some fearing that it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt as a result.
In a newsletter published in October 2023, investigative journalist Michael Edison Hayden referred to Libs of TikTok as a “time bomb,” highlighting the dangerous impact of Raichik’s fear-mongering tactics on vulnerable communities. Although Raichik herself has not explicitly made bomb threats, Hayden pointed out that she continues to incite hatred and intolerance among her audience, putting LGBTQIA individuals and their allies in harm’s way.
Hayden expressed worry that Raichik’s actions could eventually lead to a severe act of violence aimed at the places she targets in her posts. Despite the potential consequences of her actions, Raichik has shown no indication of changing her ways or acknowledging the harm she is causing through her online platform.
Overall, Raichik’s presence on social media has become a source of division and danger for LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies. As she continues to spread false information and promote hate, the SPLC’s decision to include her on its list highlights the pressing need to address the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ extremism online.
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Chaya Raichik
