In 2023 Mr. Beast is a household name, but the name Chris Tyson may not ring a bell.
Tyson works alongside his childhood friend, Jimmy Donaldson, on his popular YouTube channel Mr. Beast. As a result, Tyson has been a staple on the channel and has been seen in hundreds of videos over the years.
With that said, it came as a shock to many when Tyson revealed this week that he has been taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT is a medication used to replace estrogen in the female body, and is commonly associated with treating menopause symptoms.
In recent years, the drug has been popularized as a treatment for transgender individuals, many of whom begin taking cross-sex hormones to appear as the sex with which they identify.
In a series of tweets, Tyson announced that he had been taking HRT for the past 2 months and that he would be going by “any pronouns” from this point forward.
Tyson responded to a tweet that displayed two photos of him side-by-side. One image was Chris appearing more “masculine”, while the other is Chris’s current appearance from a recent Mr. Beast video. He appears more feminine with a short bob.
HRT, and it’s only been 2 months 😱 https://t.co/uAWOw59eMm
— Chris (@chris) April 6, 2023
Earlier that same morning, Tyson quote tweeted a different Twitter user saying, “Informed consent HRT saved my and many others’ lives. The hurdles gnc people have to jump through to get life-saving gender-affirming healthcare in a 1st world country is wild to me. Just let people make informed decisions about their own bodies.”
Informed consent HRT saved my and many others' lives. The hurdles gnc people have to jump through to get life-saving gender-affirming healthcare in a 1st world country is wild to me. Just let people make informed decisions about their own bodies https://t.co/xvQjjx7cIB
— Chris Tyson (@Christhealtgod) April 6, 2023
It’s not just about making a personal decision when your fan base is made up of 141 million impressionable young children, teens and young adults.
Yes, you read that right.
The Mr. Beast YouTube channel is ranked as the #2 YouTube channel in the world in both country ranking and #2 in the entertainment category according to SocialBlade. The channel is ranked #5 in the world for subscriber count.
The news of Tyson’s recent changes came as a huge surprise to Mr. Beast’s viewers, with very mixed reactions.
One Twitter user told Tyson that he looked fabulous. He replied giving thanks, saying that the “the amount of body positivity I’ve gotten in just 2 months is insane.”
THANK YOU! The ironic thing is every photo of me people are using is pre hrt, my hairline and facial shape has already started to change so the photo that’s being used for articles doesn’t even look the same. The amount of body positivity I’ve gotten in just 2 months is insane
— Chris Tyson (@Christhealtgod) April 6, 2023
Other users were very blunt about Chris’s decision.
“I hate to say it bro. But I don’t know what you’re going through but seek help. You have a child, and a wife. No matter how much your wife claims to love you you’ll only end up sad, divorced, and alone by the time you’re 40. You’re a man be a role model for your child.”
I hate to say it bro. But I don’t know what you’re going through but seek help. You have a child, and a wife. No matter how much your wife claims to love you you’ll only end up sad, divorced, and alone by the time you’re 40. You’re a man be a role model for your child.
— Jack (@Jack83095595) April 7, 2023
Many users made comments telling Tyson that those who are replying with complements are straight out lying to him.
Tyson apparently had been dropping hints from time to time about his sexual preference on Twitter and other social media sites.
On April 1st, he tweeted, “I was reading my instagram comments, and unless I missed something new in my own life, I’m 99.9% sure I still like both genders lol I’ll see you next time I come out as bi for the 483905 time.”
I was reading my instagram comments, and unless I missed something new in my own life, I’m 99.9% sure I still like both genders lol
I’ll see you next time I come out as bi for the 483905 time 👍🏻
— Chris Tyson (@Christhealtgod) April 2, 2023
For something so personal, I’m not sure why people feel the need to announce their sexual preferences to the world, then demand you affirm their decision. Most people don’t need constant reassurance about who they are, or what gender they are.
Chris was asked by one Twitter user if he thought he would still be wanting to transition had he never had access to the internet.
Tyson replied that it is ironic considering he’d go to his friend Jimmy’s house for Internet access.
“It was me seeing the clothes in my sisters closet at 5 and knowing I enjoyed wearing those clothes. The next 21 years was for learning about gender dysphoria,” he said.
Tyson also retweeted several posts after the Tennessee Covenant shooter was identified as being transgender, in support of the trans community. This would be just a few days prior to him publicly announcing he was taking HRT.
Whether or not Tyson’s decision will hurt the Mr. Beast brand is yet to be seen, but with the social contagion of trans-identifying individuals overwhelming media in the past several years, there’s a good chance there will be little to no backlash.
Instead, he will be affirmed and celebrated by society rather than seeking his underlying issues that ultimately caused him to have these feelings of inadequacy as an adult human male.
In our current social climate, you’re a doctor’s visit away from starting an irreversible, life-altering decision.
