Right-Wing Figures Attack Journalist Taylor Lorenz For Revealing Creator Of ‘Libs Of TikTok’

Topline

A host of right-wing figures—including Fox News personality Tucker Carlson—took aim at Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz on Tuesday after the reporter uncovered the creator of “Libs of TikTok,” a Twitter account with more than half a million followers that shares anti-LGBTQ+ content and has become influential in conservative media.

The TikTok app is displayed on an iPhone.

Getty Images

Key Facts

Lorenz published a story Tuesday morning that revealed New York real estate salesperson Chaya Raichik created Libs of TikTok, a social media account that has been promoted by a host of right-wing figures like podcast host Joe Rogan and frequent Fox News guest and journalist Glenn Greenwald.

The account—which operates on Twitter and other social networks—often shares videos posted on various platforms by LGBTQ+ people and mocks them in the captions, including several videos of teachers reposted to Twitter, and one video of a young trans child reposted to YouTube with a caption calling the situation “child abuse.”

Libs of TikTok frequently promotes the narrative that young Americans are being “groomed” into homosexuality and transgenderism, and Lorenz—whose beat includes covering online culture—noted the account has called on followers to complain to schools, run for seats on school boards and advocate for policy changes.

The content has been amplified by TV personalities like Carlson and Laura Ingraham, and has also found fans among conservatives such as Christina Pushaw and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary, who Lorenz wrote in her story once claimed Libs of TikTok offered inspiration for a new Florida law that limits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity—which critics have dubbed the Don’t Say Gay law.

Content shared by the account has made its way into the political arena on other occasions as well, including when a lawmaker in Nebraska repeated a false claim once pushed by Libs of TikTok that a school in Michigan was installing litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats.

After her story was published, Lorenz was targeted by right-wing figures like Carlson, who said on his show Tuesday night Lorenz was working “for the deep state” and leading an “intimidation campaign designed to shut down a highly effective Twitter feed.”

Some conservatives also accused Lorenz of harassment for knocking on Raichik’s door, as well as “doxxing,” a form of cyberbullying in which people maliciously publish sensitive or identifying information about someone—though journalists pointed out knocking on doors is a standard part of the reporting process, and the Libs of TikTok account was originally registered publicly in Chaya Raichik’s name.

Pushaw tweeted on Tuesday the Post was being used to “intimidate & dox private citizens who try to protect kids from left-wing degenerates,” and Donald Trump Jr.—the son of the former president—called Lorenz a “psycho” in a tweet.

Lorenz and Libs of TikTok did not immediately return requests for comment.

Contra

Washington Post Senior Managing Editor Cameron Barr defended Lorenz’s reporting in a statement, calling the journalist “accomplished and diligent” and saying her methods “comport entirely with The Washington Post’s professional standards.” Libs of TikTok, meanwhile, called Barr’s statement “LIES,” claiming the story included a “link with personal information” about Raichik that was removed “because they knew what they were doing was abhorrent.”

Crucial Quote

“Rather than debate ‘doxxing’ I hope people can read this story and see the striking escalation of attacks against gay and trans people, and the crucial role this account has played in the right wing media ecosystem,” Lorenz said in a tweet after the story was published.

Key Background

Though Libs of TikTok has been temporarily suspended from Twitter and TikTok for violating community guidelines, the account has garnered more than a half a million followers on Twitter, as well as thousands on Instagram, YouTube and right-wing apps such as GETTR. Raichik—who reportedly posted election fraud conspiracy theories on a previous Twitter account and suggested she attended the Stop the Steal rally on January 6, 2021—has claimed in the past several teachers have been fired after being shown on the account, Lorenz reported. The account’s popularity comes as GOP-led state legislatures across the country have sought to pass bills curtailing discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, and as conservative pundits like Ingraham claim public schools are serving as “grooming centers.”

Tangent

Greenwald also lashed out at Lorenz on Twitter after her story was published Tuesday, claiming she “badgered” Raichik’s relatives by coming to their home to confirm Raichik’s identity. Lorenz wrote in her story that a woman at an address linked to Raichik’s name in Los Angeles did not identify herself, and said a tweet from Greenwald claiming she visited Raichik’s family’s home allowed her to confirm she had the correct house. Greenwald called this a “stupid viral lie,” claiming Raichik asked Greenwald to publicize the fact that Lorenz was going to Raichik’s relatives’ homes in order to “deter Taylor from stalking more people.”