E-commerce platform Etsy is under fire after it cracked down on designs critical of gender ideology, including some made by a de-transitioner. The #BoycottEtsy campaign began after Laura Becker, who formerly identified as transgender, posted a copy of the warning she had received from Etsy threatening her for selling pro-woman and de-transitioner designs.
Becker, who describes herself as a “Based De-Trans Lady” and artist, has regularly been featured as a voice against the medical transitioning of minors. Last year, Becker was featured in “No Way Back,” a controversial documentary that was pulled from theaters which sought to expose the “dangerous side of transgender treatment.”
Becker’s Etsy store “Funk God” featured her designs on hats, t-shirts, and other items. While none of the designs were graphic or contained explicit words or images, Becker stated she had been experiencing obstacles on the platform since June.
On June 27, Becker shared that she had received hateful messages through Etsy’s message center, purportedly from trans activists, just before several of her listings on Etsy were forcibly deactivated.
Some of the disturbing messages she received included one which read “don’t blame doctor for your foolish choices,” and “de-transitioners are misguided fools. It’s their fault they ruined their bodies. Trans people have nothing to do with them… be better nazi scum.”
Becker received the hate mail one day before Etsy contacted her to inform her that some of her items were deactivated. The targeted products featured catchphrases such as “100% Groovy, 100% Woman,” and “Funky Human Female.”
Interestingly, Becker noted that her merchandise featuring the phrase “Funky Human Male” did not face the same penalization from Etsy.
“What is quite fascinating is that I have a similar design that did not get removed, in fact, it is the EXACT SAME design as Funky Human Female, but can you guess the difference? Funky Human MALE. This design did NOT get removed, although it is identical. I wonder why?”
On X (formerly Twitter), Becker said Etsy had sent her an automated message that she needed to review their Seller’s Policy and cancel any orders with the deactivated listings.
“When we remove a listing, it’s because we determined the listing doesn’t meet Etsy’s Seller Policy for what can be sold in our marketplace,” the notice sent to Becker said. “We often revisit our policies as industry standards, laws, and regulations are always evolving.”
On June 27, Becker provided an update on her “censorship situation” with Etsy.
While the user sending hateful messages was prevented from further contact with Becker, the removed merchandise was not addressed whatsoever.
The “Funk God” store owner wrote back asking for an explanation. “I see that per policy, Etsy will not restore deactivated listings, but I am still not clear why my listings were removed as they do not violate any rules. Can you please explain exactly what rules my designs broke…”
Last week on July 26, Becker shared that Etsy had issued her a “final warning,” and her designs reading “De-Trans Awareness” and “Believe De-Transitioners — First Do No Harm” were removed from the platform.
Becker uploaded a copy of the email to X, adding: “It is time to boycott Etsy. They do not support free speech, women, or medical trauma survivors. I’m not taking it. Share and boost. It’s a war now.”
Many X users then began using the hashtag #BoycottEtsy and called attention to the fact that other items featuring weapons and promoting violence against women critical of gender ideology were still allowed to be sold.
Becker also noted that a product showcasing the phrase “Death Before De-transition” was allowed, but “De-Trans Awareness” was not.
In another #BoycottEtsy post, one user said, “Just a little reminder this Etsy sells all of these products embracing violence against feminist women, gay men, & anyone that is even slightly critical these ideologies. They ban items that say ‘adult human female” as ‘hate speech.’ Etsy clearly has ZERO respect for women, gays & REALITY.”
After #BoycottEtsy began trending, Becker updated readers that her four “de-trans awareness” items were restored after an email from Etsy claimed they were “suspended in error,” but her other pro-woman designs remained banned.
Speaking to The Publica, Becker explained that she felt Etsy was demonstrating they were “anti-women,” despite their customer base being overwhelmingly female.
“There are dozens of anti-women and anti-detransition items for sale while innocuous designs like ‘Funky Human Female’ and ‘100% Groovy, 100% Woman’ are removed for ‘breaking policy.’”
Becker also notes that many of her designs are intended to fight back against what she feels is a “trans humanist agenda” being prompted by LGBTQ organizations.
“Designs like ‘Funky Human Female’ promote acceptance and embodiment in a natural female humanity. My agenda with these designs is to encourage radical acceptance of one’s unique body and natural gifts, and distrust body modifications that detach oneself from biological health and reality.”
This is not the first time Etsy’s apparent bias has come under fire.
Last year, pro-woman outlet Reduxx reported that multiple Etsy stores were selling “tucking underwear” marketed towards the parents of so-called “trans kids.” The extremely constrictive garments are intended “flatten” a male child’s genital area for the purposes of giving it a more “feminine” aesthetic under clothes.
One of the shops, FGCostumeDesign on Etsy, sold the underwear as small as a toddler size 3 according to a Facebook review.
In one review listed on the product’s page, a customer says they purchased a pair of underwear for a child who has just started potty training. According to the Mayo Clinic, children are usually ready to begin potty training between the ages of 18 to 24 months.
Etsy was also the subject of investigation by child safeguarding group Collective Shout, which revealed that multiple storefronts on the platform were producing child sex abuse dolls customized to look like actual children.
Despite hosting a trove of inappropriate, pedophilic, and violent merchandise, Etsy has repeatedly targeted sellers critical of gender ideology.
