Everyone seems to be having a blast with Snapchat’s new gender-swap filter, which allows you to alter your appearance and see your gender-swapped alter ego.
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The filters give users either typically male features such as a square jawline and facial hair, or typically female features, such as long hair and a slimmer face.
It’s a lot of fun seeing what you and others might look like if you were born as the opposite sex, and has even resulted in some brilliant content from creative people on social media.
For example:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxfuFiIgRu8/
But as with anything people find joy in these days, someone just had to turn up and try to spoil what most people just see as harmless fun:
hey just wanna say all these ‘jokes’ with those ‘girl/boy’ snapchat filters i’ve been seeing are really shitty and transphobic!!! y’all think it’s so cute to play with gender roles rn meanwhile trans people are literally murdered for existing !!!!
— 😉 (@arrozconmeche) May 12, 2019
I think snapchat detected me as a girl (!!!!!) because it’s only giving me the filter that makes me look like a guy, but in my mind that just means snapchat is transphobic and against my transition >:(
snap ur cancelled— Lolo (@Lolo_bII7) May 10, 2019
Direct proof that the new Snapchat “gender switch” filter is transphobic— it being equated to people making fun of a trans woman for wanting her correct pronouns used. Let’s talk about it https://t.co/NMWi6xz17f
— Jayla (@jaylathepanda) May 12, 2019
Is that gender bending Snapchat filter transphobic or okay? I honestly don’t know and want to make sure I’m not enjoying something that makes others feel shitty
— Josh Watson (@josh_watson) May 11, 2019
impressed at how Snapchat invests in computer vision and augmented reality R&D so they can be transphobic, misogynistic and … kinda racist all at once.
(feels racist because it’s defining masculinity through European traits – it’s very subtle, but I can see it.) pic.twitter.com/hVRZ2JlvvF
— mochi (@madeofmochi) May 11, 2019
is it just me or does that new Snapchat filter about “swapping” your “gender” smell transphobic
— bri 🤧 (@bricheesebriplz) May 12, 2019
Some of the ‘woke’ media companies are even getting in on the action:
Is Snapchat’s new gender filter transphobic? pic.twitter.com/QgzngRJJHb
— AJ+ (@ajplus) May 14, 2019
Obviously any reasonable and sensible person has no problem with the trans community and similarly the majority of that community will not have a problem with Snapchat’s new gender swap filter, but you’re always going to get a loud minority of people losing their minds on the internet about anything that could be deemed offensive these days.
That’s not to say that there are not transphobic people out there who could use the app to mock LGBT people, but why should that spoil the fun for everyone else? Where’s the same outrage for Snapchat filters that make you look fat or give you goofy teeth and glasses?
Just seems a completely OTT reaction IMO. Like the time people accused ‘Friends’ of being sexist, transphobic and homophobic.
