The Disturbing Rise of 'Transvestigation' Conspiracies Targeting Women
Across certain paranoid corners of the internet, a toxic phenomenon has gained traction: the so-called "transvestigation." This conspiracy theory falsely claims that numerous female celebrities and public figures are secretly transgender, using manipulated photos, debunked pseudoscience, and gender stereotypes to "prove" their assertions.
From Michelle Obama to Conservative Figures: No Woman Is Safe
For years, conspiracy theorists have circulated manipulated images of former First Lady Michelle Obama, attempting to make her features appear more masculine and dubbing her "Big Mike." Algerian boxer Imane Khelif endured a global smear campaign falsely accusing her of being transgender after winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling amplifying these claims through her transphobic online posts.
Now, in a stark development, the right appears to be turning this toxic tactic against its own. In recent months, both Erika Kirk, widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and actress Sydney Sweeney, previously celebrated as "MAGA Barbie" by conservative circles, have become subjects of transvestigation.
The Kirk controversy reignited last week when right-wing influencer Candace Owens launched a video series titled "Bride of Charlie," sharing elementary school photos of Kirk with short-cropped hair. While Owens didn't directly claim Kirk was born male, her followers eagerly launched their own investigations.
"Candace found Erika's actual yearbook photos from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade at this school, and in one of them, Erika is dressed as a boy," wrote conspiracy account Project Constitution on X. "Full boy's outfit. Short hair. Posing like one of the guys."
The Pseudoscience Behind Transvestigations
Transvestigators typically operate from far-right perspectives and employ debunked phrenological tropes to support their claims. They use skeletal and cranial overlays to identify what they allege are masculine physical characteristics in photos and videos of famous women they believe were born male. Body language and posture also become "evidence" in their pseudoscientific analyses.
"Transvestigation is premised on stereotypes of trans women as freakish, deceptive and untrustworthy," explained Jay Daniel Thompson, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Australia, who researches conspiracy theories and digital hostility. "These conspiracies target women in the public eye, seeking to demean those women and diminish their credibility. This suggests that transvestigations are not just transphobic; they're also deeply misogynistic."
Armchair transvestigators frequently draw on phrenology, a racist pseudoscience, which explains why they have historically attacked Black women like Michelle Obama and brown women such as Imane Khelif.
Why Conservative Women Are Now Targets
The targeting of both Sweeney and Kirk demonstrates how mainstream and almost apolitical transphobia has become online. In 2026, any woman with a public profile could become a target, regardless of her political affiliations.
"Nobody is safe from this kind of conspiratorial discourse, including those on the right who operate in so-called 'gender critical' spaces as thought leaders on how to be transphobic," said Lexi Webster, an associate professor specializing in gender, queer and trans studies at the University of Southampton in England.
Webster noted that if even the right has been "infiltrated by 'gender inverts'"—a term conspiracists use to describe trans people—the implication is that "nobody is safe from the trans community. We are all in significant danger, and something should be done about it."
The Broader Context of Conspiratorial Thinking
The mainstreaming of transvestigating reflects the broader rise of conspiratorial thinking over the past decade, Thompson explained. In the age of social media, everyone sees themselves as a digital sleuth in their free time.
"Conspiratorialism is not new, but the fact that it's become so ubiquitous these last 10 years reflects a combination of social upheaval and an increasingly interactive internet where information travels faster and wider than before," he said.
Conspiracists tend to blame already marginalized groups for social ills, which is evident in the transvestigation phenomenon as trans people continue to face increased levels of violence and discrimination.
Distinguishing Trolling from Genuine Belief
In some cases, people are simply trolling rather than genuinely committed to their beliefs. "Often, you can't distinguish 'authentic' transvestigations from those that are intended to stoke a fire through trolling or muddying the waters," Webster noted.
The negative connotations the far right attaches to trans identities explain why we don't see as much transvestigating on the left, or among people who are more neutral or supportive toward trans people, according to Samantha Lux, a trans activist and content creator.
"If you don't view being trans as a bad thing, then what need would you have to 'expose' someone's identity?" she asked.
The Painful Impact on Trans Communities
These theories send a painful message to actual trans women, Lux emphasized. "Transvestigations further the narrative that being transgender is, in itself, deceptive. It perpetuates the notion that underneath our transness, we're really men in disguise—and who uses disguises? People with ulterior motives. Being transgender is who we are, at the deepest level; our only motive is to live authentically."
Specific Cases: Sweeney and Kirk
The viral tweet questioning Sweeney's gender, which has garnered over 5.6 million views, happened not long after she gained 30 pounds and underwent intense physical training for "Christy," a biographical sports drama about 1990s boxer Christy Martin. Some Sweeney fans were put off by her transformation, which may have inspired some of the "she's a man" insults.
Claims about Erika Kirk being an "invert" began almost as soon as her husband was killed last September. Conspiracists pointed to a video Kirk filmed more than a decade ago, in which she described herself as a tomboy during childhood, as evidence that she was born male. Some even used the moment to posthumously "transvestigate" Charlie Kirk himself.
The Role of Influencers and Financial Incentives
While Owens hasn't directly joined the "Erik Kirk" bandwagon, she likely knew how sharing childhood photos of Kirk would rile up her fanbase. The right-wing influencer is no stranger to transvestigations—in July, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, hit Owens with a defamation lawsuit over her false claims that Brigitte Macron was born male.
"I find it telling that Candace Owens' YouTube series 'Becoming Brigitte'—which repeats the rumor that France's first lady Brigitte Macron is secretly trans—has thus far received 5.1 million views," Thompson observed. "I suspect that for some folk, personal prejudices trump—no pun intended!—political affiliations and feelings of solidarity. It's for the pursuit of clicks and revenue."
Undermining Women in Power
At its core, transvestigation serves as a tool to strip credibility from women perceived as threatening to the status quo. Some on the right may argue Erika Kirk is doing exactly that now that she's the CEO of Turning Point USA. In life, Charlie Kirk often espoused that wives should stay at home while men provide. Given that, some followers may not be happy that his widow is taking on such a front-facing leadership role.
"The far right explicitly wants women to pursue submissive lifestyles," Lux explained. "It doesn't matter how 'pro-far-right' a woman is; if she is in a position of power or success, she is not fulfilling the role they've prescribed her."
As the queer website Pride.com noted months ago, no one is "safe from the absurdity" of transvestigations these days. The Facebook group "Transvestigation Disclosure NOW 2.0" serves as a source for many spurious claims about Charlie and Erika Kirk, as well as Sweeney, since at least 2024. Currently, members are debating whether Lara Trump, wife of Donald Trump's son Eric and a Fox News host, is transgender based on a photo of her at a triathlon.
This disturbing trend reveals how conspiracy theories can transcend political boundaries, targeting women regardless of their affiliations while perpetuating harmful stereotypes and discrimination against already marginalized communities.
