What is transvestigation, the new conspiracy obsession aimed at Brigitte Macron? Trans activist Victoriae explains the phenomenon to us, and why it has made social media a dangerous place

Last July, it was not a time for holidays and cocktails sipped on a deckchair for Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, who instead began a long battle by filing a defamation complaint against American podcaster Candace Owens, accused of being the source of an allegation claiming that Brigitte Macron was actually a man. More than just a rumor, this claim would supposedly be the very foundation of the entire career of the far-right content creator, who even declared she wanted to bet “her entire professional career on the fact that Brigitte Macron is a man.” A project she is materializing by launching her video and podcast series titled Becoming Brigitte, in which she attempts to prove, with arguments “A + B,” that Brigitte Macron was not born Brigitte Macron. But she is not the only one dedicating such commitment—more accurately, relentless harassment—to this non-cause.

Already in 2022, after the presidential elections won by her husband, the “journalist” Natacha Rey had accused Brigitte Macron of being born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux (the name of the First Lady’s brother), and therefore of having been born male. Accusations that neither amuse nor provoke thought, but instead fall into the category of Transvestigation, a phenomenon that emerged on social media aimed at uncovering a supposed secret transgender identity of cisgender public figures. To better understand this phenomenon—but above all to highlight its problematic nature—we spoke with Victoriae, a colorful personality, sometimes activist, sometimes D(J)rag, always trans.

“I didn’t know the phenomenon had a name, but I’ve known it for a few years. It is a phenomenon that has grown online, yes, but its roots lie in the daily realities of transgender people. Realities that sometimes force us to not look trans in order to exist. Being visibly trans leads to daily discrimination, barriers to accessing healthcare, housing, employment; it is legitimate to want to ‘look cisgender,’ what we call passing, to avoid facing these forms of transphobia.” Victoriae explains. “The phenomenon of transvestigation fits into the transmisogynistic fantasy of the ‘deceptive trans woman.’ This archetype of representation, which I learned about through Julia Serrano in her book ‘Whipping Girl,’ describes one of the negative ways trans women have been portrayed in the media. The ‘deceptive trans woman’ is depicted as a (sexual) predator hiding her trans identity to achieve her aims, especially with men.” she continues.

A representational archetype, heavy with meaning, that could be considered the root cause of the transvestigation phenomenon. “In other words: if trans women are supposedly trying to infiltrate us secretly, then we must stop them. Even if the connection sounds harsh, it is generally unconscious, as harmful representations have fed a collective imaginary full of fantasies about trans women.” According to Victoriae, the consequence is quite clear, since it makes cisgender women suffer transmisogynistic discrimination. “The women most targeted by this phenomenon are female politicians and female athletes. In all cases, they are generally women in the media spotlight. Brigitte Macron is a notable example of ‘transvestigation,’ as is Imane Khelif, the Olympic boxing champion whom people attempted to disqualify for having a body deemed too masculine during the 2024 Olympics. These two significant examples illustrate society’s widespread obsession with bodies that deviate from norms. If transvestigation was once limited to online forums, it now activates anytime a woman who does not fit cisgender standards of femininity is put forward by the media. The standards are simple: one must be neither too feminine nor too masculine, otherwise ‘something is suspicious.’”

As for the origin of transvestigation itself, Victoriae does not think it is directly tied to TERF groups, “these pseudo-feminists who desperately try to silence trans people, being rather obsessed with trans feminists. The practice of ‘transvestigation’ seems instead to arise from manosphere circles and generally targets cisgender women. However, I believe that TERF discourse, along with that of their far-right/right-wing radical allies, has contributed to the phenomenon’s spread.” She adds: “The variety of transphobic rhetoric expressed by public and/or political figures has opened the door to the normalization of transphobia. The book ‘Transmania’ is a clear manifestation of this. In that book, written by Dora Moutot and Marguerite Stern, emblematic figures of the TERF movement in France, trans identities are framed as an ideology that must be fought, completely disconnected from the daily realities of trans people. Since the book presents itself as an investigation, its language parallels directly that of ‘transvestigation.’”

But what can be done to curb this phenomenon that seems to be taking over social media and the minds of the most hardened conspiracy theorists? “I believe it is important to promote testimonies of trans people. The mechanism of transvestigation is dehumanization, so one of the tools to fight it is, in my view, the rehumanization of our stories. This is also how we can counter TERF rhetoric and harmful representations of trans women in the media. With education and better representation, I believe we can shift mentalities. But above all, we must denounce and combat this rhetoric as much as possible, to prevent the spread and normalization of transphobia that even ends up harming cisgender women.”