Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls LibsOfTikTok creator Chaya Raichik “super transphobic” in viral vid

A six-second video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) calling LibsofTikTok creator Chaya Raichik “super transphobic” to her face has gone viral, receiving over 3.5 million views on Twitter in fewer than 24 hours.

The context leading up to the video helps explain what occurs in it. This week, the anti-LGBTQ+ think tank Heritage Foundation asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate Ocasio-Cortez for “intentionally defaming” Raichik and “falsely accusing her of lying and disseminating disinformation” during a February 8 hearing of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

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The creator of the anti-LGBTQ+ social media account was recently banned by Slack.

In the hearing, Ocasio-Cortez asked Yoel Roth, Twitter’s former head of trust and safety, about 13 tweets Raichik posted in early August 2022. The tweets claimed that the Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts was conducting gender-affirming surgery on children as young as two or three years old and performing hysterectomies “for young girls” as part of their gender-affirming care program. 

The fact-checking site PolitiFact later debunked the claims, but physicians at the hospitals received so many death threats, harassing calls, and emails that the hospital had to hire extra security and give doctors new guidance on responding to threats. The misinformation campaign also led to multiple bomb threats.

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Ocasio-Cortez asked Roth if he was aware that Raichik’s tweets contained false information, led to real-life death threats, and yet remained active on Twitter. Roth answered, “Regrettably yes.”

The Heritage Foundation’s complaint to the ethics office said that, according to The Journal of Clinical Medicine, the hospital “performed 65 double-mastectomies on minors” and gender-affirming surgeries on patients as young as 15 before the hospital eventually changed its website to state that genital surgeries are only provided to patients age 18 and older, Fox News reported.

Raichik visited Ocasio-Cortez’s office this week to confront the congresswoman about the ethics complaint, but Ocasio-Cortez wasn’t there. However, Raichik ran into Ocasio-Cortez elsewhere in the Capitol building. The video begins after Ocasio-Cortez unwittingly posed for a picture with Raichik, not realizing who she was.

Raichik informed the congresswoman, “I just delivered an ethics complaint to your office because you lied about me in a committee hearing.”

Ocasio-Cortez responded, “Uh-huh. Oh hi! Yeah no, I actually didn’t.”

Raichik replied, “I never inspired a bomb threat.”

Ocasio-Cortez then told Raichik, “You’re actually super transphobic and I never want to share a space with you,” adding, “Thank you,” before quickly walking away.

Trans activist, lawyer, and Harvard Law School instructor Alejandra Caraballo posted the six-second video of the exchange on Twitter, writing, “@AOC told Chaya Raichik aka libs of tiktok that she’s transphobic straight to her face when she ran into her.”

Ocasio-Cortez reposted the video on Twitter, writing, “You bet I did. [New York City] doesn’t play with bigots and transphobes and neither do I. Have a great day!” and adding emojis of a smiling face, hearts, and the transgender pride flag.

Raichik has used her account to accuse teachers, parents, activists, and doctors of “sexualizing” kids through LGBTQ+ media content, drag queen performances, and gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. Her posts have made led to death threats against medical professionals and veterinarians, armed protesters at drag events, and the harassment and firing of LGBTQ+ allied teachers.