Caution: political content ahead.
It’s our policy to steer clear of any material that can be controversial or divisive. On this blog, we answer common questions about TikTok and other social media platforms, and the services we offer are designed to help TikTok users and those on other apps boost their account presence and importance.
However, a political group uses the name “Libs of TikTok” in an overtly political way — and since many people ask what the name means, we’ll try to provide that information without getting overly political ourselves.
What is “Libs of TikTok?”
In November 2020, a Twitter account with the handle “Libs of TikTok” was created.
Ostensibly, its purpose was to post TikTok content created by LGBTQ and liberal TikTok users, along with nasty commentary that often contained baseless personal attacks against the creators. Over time, the Twitter account was used less to repost TikTok content and more to vociferously promote the group’s political stands and opinions while attacking opponents.
Some conservative and many right-wing users regularly reposted the Libs of TikTok content; over time, the Libs of TikTok account on Twitter (and on other apps) became a lightning rod, attracting MAGA leaders and supporters as well as conspiracy theorists. (The group’s accounts on TikTok and some other platforms were quickly banned.)
The group has focused on many controversial issues, including gender identity and affirming care, drag shows, and alleged “grooming” by LGBTQ teachers, librarians, and medical personnel. Libs of TikTok has also circulated many discredited conspiracy theories involving COVID-19, the 2020 election, and the supposed presence of litter boxes in school classrooms.
The founder of Libs of TikTok, Chaya Raichik, and many of her followers, have escalated their personal attacks against political figures ranging from Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg to prominent LBGTQ figures and doctors. They have been accused of harassment; doxxing; and launching, triggering, or encouraging bomb threats against schools, hospitals, and libraries.
Donald Trump has hosted Raichik at Mar-A-Lago, and MAGA figures like Donald Trump Jr., Ben Shapiro, and Tucker Carlson have publicly supported the group’s work. Meanwhile, other influence groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and GLAAD, plus many disinformation experts, describe Libs of TikTok as a hate group and right-wing propaganda arm.
As you can tell, the group has largely abandoned its focus on TikTok posts to assume a larger role as right-wing provocateurs and (at least in some peoples’ minds) MAGA “thought leaders” on topics like gender identity and LGBTQ rights. The “TikTok” in the name “Libs of TikTok” is, at this point, almost an afterthought.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.