We Need to Talk About Lilly Contino (and the bigger picture)
There’s a disturbing trend happening right now — one that’s hurting us, the trans community, from the inside out. Over and over I’m seeing the same playbook: Certain individuals (some authentic, some who look authentic but whose actions are highly suspect) are positioned — intentionally or not — to act out in controversial ways, be picked up by the media, and used as ammunition against trans people as a whole.
Take Lilly Contino for example. I don’t know every detail of her background (nor do we necessarily need to), but what I do know is that her public persona is becoming a lightning rod. Every provocation, every dramatic statement or action — it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It gets amplified. It feeds outrage. It fuels the narrative that “look, trans people are problematic, unpredictable, dangerous, attention-seeking.” And that narrative is exactly what certain political and media forces want.
Think of it this way: it’s not just about Lilly. It’s about what Lilly’s presence enables. Once she’s out there doing her thing, the reaction is swift. Headlines. Clips. Social-media storms. Then, piped in: “See? This is what happens.” Then, bam — general suspicion, fear, hatred directed at our entire community. And who benefits? Those who already want to restrict, marginalise, degrade trans lives.
So yes — I’m saying what many feel but few speak: I believe some of this is orchestrated. Or at least facilitated. It’s not a conspiracy theory — it’s a pattern. First you destabilise what “transgender” means in the public mind. Then you insert the extreme example. Then you generalise. And suddenly, the majority of trans people, who are just trying to live, become collateral damage.
Here’s what I want to make clear:
Most of us are not Lilly Contino-type. We’re ordinary. We’re quiet. We don’t hang around cameras looking for drama.
We are real. We are human. We deserve integrity, support, respect.
We see what’s being done. The playbook is visible. And the impact is real.
We do not deserve to pay the price for someone else’s spectacle.
We must reclaim the narrative. We must be the story of authenticity, dignity, creativity, resilience — not the story of chaos, shock-value and media hunger.
So to everyone reading this: don’t buy the bait. Don’t let one loud example define a whole movement. And to my sisters and brothers in the trans community — keep living your truth. Keep being your creative, authentic selves. The haters will pick up anything they can. But that doesn’t mean we’re the problem. They are the problem.
If we unite around what we really are (and I believe we will), we shift the story. And yeah… maybe we’ll get to a point where Lilly Contino is just one name among many — not the symbol of everything we allegedly represent.
Stay strong. Stay visible. And above all — stay you.
— Zohra
#lilytino #transcontroversy #transgender #transrights #transgenderrights
Disclaimer: Image is AI generated. AI makes mistakes sometimes
We Need to Talk About Lilly Contino (and the bigger picture)
There’s a disturbing trend happening right now — one that’s hurting us, the trans community, from the inside out. Over and over I’m seeing the same playbook: Certain individuals (some authentic, some who look authentic but whose actions are highly suspect) are positioned — intentionally or not — to act out in controversial ways, be picked up by the media, and used as ammunition against trans people as a whole.
Take Lilly Contino for example. I don’t know every detail of her background (nor do we necessarily need to), but what I do know is that her public persona is becoming a lightning rod. Every provocation, every dramatic statement or action — it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It gets amplified. It feeds outrage. It fuels the narrative that “look, trans people are problematic, unpredictable, dangerous, attention-seeking.” And that narrative is exactly what certain political and media forces want.
Think of it this way: it’s not just about Lilly. It’s about what Lilly’s presence enables. Once she’s out there doing her thing, the reaction is swift. Headlines. Clips. Social-media storms. Then, piped in: “See? This is what happens.” Then, bam — general suspicion, fear, hatred directed at our entire community. And who benefits? Those who already want to restrict, marginalise, degrade trans lives.
So yes — I’m saying what many feel but few speak: I believe some of this is orchestrated. Or at least facilitated. It’s not a conspiracy theory — it’s a pattern. First you destabilise what “transgender” means in the public mind. Then you insert the extreme example. Then you generalise. And suddenly, the majority of trans people, who are just trying to live, become collateral damage.
Here’s what I want to make clear:
Most of us are not Lilly Contino-type. We’re ordinary. We’re quiet. We don’t hang around cameras looking for drama.
We are real. We are human. We deserve integrity, support, respect.
We see what’s being done. The playbook is visible. And the impact is real.
We do not deserve to pay the price for someone else’s spectacle.
We must reclaim the narrative. We must be the story of authenticity, dignity, creativity, resilience — not the story of chaos, shock-value and media hunger.
So to everyone reading this: don’t buy the bait. Don’t let one loud example define a whole movement. And to my sisters and brothers in the trans community — keep living your truth. Keep being your creative, authentic selves. The haters will pick up anything they can. But that doesn’t mean we’re the problem. They are the problem.
If we unite around what we really are (and I believe we will), we shift the story. And yeah… maybe we’ll get to a point where Lilly Contino is just one name among many — not the symbol of everything we allegedly represent.
Stay strong. Stay visible. And above all — stay you.
— Zohra
#lilytino #transcontroversy #transgender #transrights #transgenderrights
Disclaimer: Image is AI generated. AI makes mistakes sometimes
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