Anti-trans trolls freak out after library tweets about a fish that can change its sex

Transphobes had a meltdown after the British Library celebrated Pride Month by tweeting about a fish that can change its sex, and the backlash became so intense that the library deleted the entire thread.

“This #Pride month, let us tell you about the Māori wrasse (also known as the humphead wrasse) But its wondrous forehead isn’t the most magnificent thing about this fish – they are protogynous hermaphrodites, which means the females can later change sex to become males.”

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The account explained that around the age of nine, “females can change sex and become ‘supermales’ = an even more prominent hump and even brighter colour blue and green. Which makes them super attractive to females. Ooh la la.”

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The thread also pointed out that in general, sex and reproduction among fish is extremely varied: “Clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites (M→F)/Coral gobies change sex repeatedly/Freshwater mangrove killifish reproduce by self-fertilisation/All-female Amazon mollies mate with males of other species but completely disregard their sperm.”

The post made it clear that variations in sex and gender is a natural part of our world, but anti-trans trolls couldn’t handle it. One person mocked, “Pride month is also a celebration of hermaphroditic fish.”

Another wrote, “When people can actually generate vagina, uterus, ovaries, and the endocrine system to support pregnancy, WITHOUT MEDICAL INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT, get back to us. Un til [sic] then, ponder how your example didn’t make the point you think it did.”

“Are you saying gay men are actually women because fish,” someone else posited.

The library’s decision to delete the tweet comes at a time when companies’ true values are being challenged more than ever.

As anti-LGBTQ+ vitriol from right-wing extremists continues to reach new heights, brands like Target and Anheuser Busch have been criticized by activists for failing to stand by the LGBTQ+ people they have claimed to support.

Despite removing the fish post, the library’s June 1 post wishing followers a happy Pride Month remains up, though it also received a torrent of anti-LGBTQ+ replies.