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Content warning: This article mentions transphobia and LGBTQIA+ discrimination. No, this is not a joke. All DXM podcasts will stop using Twitter as a platform to promote our content due to its failure to protect the communities we engage with. Why? Well, Twitter removed parts of its hateful conduct policy that prevents users from misgendering or deadnaming transgender individuals. It also removed a detailed list of groups who are often disproportionately subjected to online abuse and other forms of discrimination as examples of inappropriate content.  DXM has always used social media to engage with an audience beyond its listenership base. Whether it is listeners who do not know about our podcasts or people who are experiencing these fandoms and topics for the first time, we want to be the place where everyone can engage with our content and community. This includes members of the LGBTQIA+ community and especially trans people. Since The Restricted Section was started back in early 2020, we have made our stance clear; DXM and its creators do not endorse or tolerate transphobia in any form, especially promoting hate against members of the community. Whether it is That Bitch (you know the one we’re talking about) or any other creator or institution, if you want to spread hate, we rescind our support for them. This extends to the platforms we engage on. If we cannot guarantee that our fans and listeners will be safe, we can no longer be active on the platform. When the DXM creators discussed this issue together, we all agreed that Twitter had to go. We had been discussing it for months ever since the platform had new management and hateful content spiked. Back then we decided to stay on, citing the broad engagement we had and the supportive communities we had developed. However, this latest development was the last straw. The way we see it, Twitter has changed its rules without telling anyone and is now facilitating hateful content through its removal of these lines from its policy. Alex, host of My Cabbages, astutely pointed out, “It’s not just the trans or LGBTQIA+ communities that will be impacted; they also removed language about women, people of color, and historically underrepresented/marginalized communities who disproportionately experience hate or discrimination online.” On May 1, 2023, all DXM podcasts will formally leave Twitter. From now on, you will be able to find all DXM podcasts on the Deus Ex Media website as well as other social media channels. We don’t claim to be perfect, but there is no excuse for promoting hateful content in our communities and subjecting vulnerable and marginalised people to such abuse. This is just not ok, and we can no longer be active on this platform.
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