[A trans member of the National Guard is speaking out after a wave of false claims on social media pointed to her as the pilot of a Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet, killing 67 people. Jo Ellis, a UH60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the Virginia Army National Guard, posted on Facebook to dispel the rumors, saying they were “insulting to the victims and families of those lost” and “they deserve better than this BS from the bots and trolls of the internet.”
Ellis’ post shared screenshots of two x-posts that linked her being trans to the catastrophic crash, with one user saying they “wouldn’t be surprised” if “the pilot was trans.” Ellis also stated that she had been making radicalized anti-Trump statements on social media, but this account has since deleted the post and published an apology.
A separate account with a blue checkmark and 13,600 followers shared a now-deleted post directly attacking Ellis and spreading the bogus conspiracy theory. The post received at least 195,000 views and 950 reshares before being deleted.
Far-right accounts on X have continued to spread misinformation and hate speech despite Ellis’ correction. This follows a trend of baseless DEI attacks becoming a key pillar of President Donald Trump’s MAGA platform. Trump has repeatedly taken aim at transgender people, saying on his inauguration speech that there are only two genders: male and female. He has also re-banned transgender Americans from serving in the military and has blamed diversity initiatives for the fatal air crash. The president and his allies have also linked recent disasters, such as wildfires in California, to diversity initiatives.
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