Instagram Suspends Trans March Organiser’s Account Over Casting Call Controversy
Niko Storment, a key organiser for the San Francisco Trans March, had his Instagram account suspended by Meta over the weekend. According to the Daily Dot, Meta claimed Storment’s account was engaging in “human exploitation” due to his posts connecting trans and queer artists with job opportunities.
Storment Denies Allegations, Calls Suspension “Appalling”
As the executive director of Rosen Creative House, a trans-owned creative agency, Storment was shocked by the accusations. “I’m not a human trafficker,” he told the Daily Dot. “The only thing that I could think of that would be seen like that is the fact that we hire pretty much all queer and trans people.”
Screenshots shared with the Daily Dot show Storment had posted casting calls for trans and queer models, including one for queer, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) models. Another call was for a music video shoot featuring transmasculine individuals.
Mass Reporting Suspected as Cause for Suspension
Storment believes the suspensions might be the result of “mass reporting” by an anti-trans group. This tactic has been used before to target trans-led accounts, like a meme account with 26,000 followers that faced similar issues in 2021.
San Francisco Trans March Account Also Affected
The suspension also impacted the Instagram account of the San Francisco Trans March, which Storment manages. The march, held on June 28, had over 10,000 attendees and is one of the largest trans events globally.
Algorithmic Policing and Bias Criticised
Storment criticised Meta’s algorithmic content policing, which he believes is designed to silence queer and trans voices. This isn’t the first time Meta has faced accusations of bias, with reports of Instagram shadow-banning LGBTQIA+ accounts last year.
Storment also theorised that his account’s suspension might be linked to posts supporting Palestine. A post from the San Francisco Trans March account linked Palestinian and queer liberation, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
