Jayne County, Transgender Icon, Allegedly Banned From Facebook For 'Transphobic Slurs'

Transgender Icon Claims She Was Banned From Facebook For Using 'Tranny' And 'Shemale'
NEW YORK - APRIL 25: Performer Jayne County attends the premiere of 'SqueezeBox!' during the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival on April 25, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
NEW YORK - APRIL 25: Performer Jayne County attends the premiere of 'SqueezeBox!' during the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival on April 25, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Following a week of controversy surrounding language and its use against and in the transgender and drag communities, transgender icon Jayne County claims to have found herself banned from Facebook for using words that some activists have stated are transphobic.

Jayne County, hailed as one of rock n' roll's first gender variant icons and a fixture in the Andy Warhol factory scene, posted a Facebook status on Tuesday that contained the words "shemale" and "tranny."

In response, Facebook reportedly banned the icon for 24 hours. County did not take the regulation of her word choice lightly.

Over the course of the past week, conversations surrounding the words "tranny" and "shemale" -- and if they should ever be used and if so, by whom -- have rocketed into the mainstream. This occurred after popular reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race" announced it would be removing a long-standing portion of their show that used the phrase "she-mail" when it came under fire from some transgender activists who claimed the word is derogatory. Several former "Drag Race" contestants who identify as trans also spoke out against the use of the words on the show.

However, as evidenced by County's statement and responses from other trans women, including singer-songwriter Our Lady J and musician and New York City nightlife icon Justin Vivian Bond, the transgender community has many differing opinions regarding the use and policing of these words.

(h/t Nerve)

Before You Go

1. Defining Transgenderism

15 Things To Know About Being Transgender By Nicholas M. Teich

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