Industry
VidCon Apologizes for Miles McKenna Deadnaming Incident
Published
3 years agoon

- YouTuber Miles McKenna was misgendered and deadnamed at VidCon by someone moderating a panel about LGBT activism and awareness.
- Deadnaming is referring to a person by their birth name or the name they went by before transitioning or changing their name.
- McKenna criticized VidCon on Twitter for choosing a moderator to lead an LGBT panel who did not better understand trans issues.
- VidCon, Hank Green, and the moderator, Stevie Wynne Levine, have apologized for the incident and said they hope issues like this can serve as a learning lesson for those who are unfamiliar with how to properly address their trans and nonbinary friends when referring to times that came before their transitions or name changes.
Miles McKenna Calls Out VidCon
VidCon has apologized after YouTuber Miles McKenna was misgendered and deadnamed during a panel about activism in the LGBT community.
On Sunday, the YouTuber tweeted that a panel moderator used female pronouns and deadnamed him when speaking about him. To “deadname” someone means to refer to a person by their birth name, or the name they went by before transitioning or changing their name.
Yesterday I was called she/her and deadnamed on a panel by the moderator who after I corrected that you don’t call trans ppl by their old name said “I didn’t know” Who allowed someone that doesn’t know how to address trans people moderate an LGBT panel @VidCon ?
— MILES (@TheMilesMcKenna) July 14, 2019
The panel he is referring to was also hosted in partnership with The Trevor Project, an organization that benefits LGBTQ youth. According to McKenna, The Trevor Project was the only group to immediately reach out and apologize.
No formal apologies have been sent to me except for @TrevorProject who immediately messaged me , came to talk to me in person and followed up later in the day with how in shock they were that it happened. I’m very confused.
— MILES (@TheMilesMcKenna) July 14, 2019
He then explained that his main frustration was that VidCon should be finding moderators who know how to discuss the panel’s topics properly.
The panel I was on was titled “LGBT Activism and Awareness” so here’s me doing my part in activism and awareness. Hire people that know LGBT to head an LGBT panel. Ive worked in this space for years and this has never happened to me. @VidCon
— MILES (@TheMilesMcKenna) July 14, 2019
My issue is less with someone’s ignorance and more with how was that person allowed to head a panel that partly focuses on trans topics. Who allowed me to be on the same stage, as well as allow me to invite my young trans audience saying it’s a safe space.
— MILES (@TheMilesMcKenna) July 14, 2019
Support For McKenna
Many people responded to the issue with online support for McKenna, including The Trevor Project. The organization issued a public apology, noting that what happened to McKenna is both “hurtful and invalidating” to transgender and non-binary people.
Thank you to everyone who called this out — we’re continuing to work with Vidcon to make sure our panels, moderators, and topics are educational, safe, inclusive, and respectful. (3/3)
— The Trevor Project (@TrevorProject) July 15, 2019
Other creators also chimed in to reach out, like Thomas Sanders and Damon Fizzy.
I am incredibly sorry that happened, Miles
— Thomas Sanders (@ThomasSanders) July 15, 2019
that’s horrible. i’m sorry that happened to you! 🙁
— Damon Fizzy. (@deefizzy) July 15, 2019
Other Twitter users expressed frustration that this happened to McKenna. Many wondered how he was deadnamed in the first place, seeing as his name is on all of his social media platforms. Others asked for VidCon to issue an apology.
miles mckenna was deadnamed and misgendered on an lgbtq panel at vidcon. how were they allowed to do that to him? i'm so mad. @vidcon you need to sort this out. this is the last thing anyone would've expected during a panel.
— 》georgia misses cameron《 (@worriedkilljoy) July 14, 2019
@hankgreen @TheMilesMcKenna This seems really weird though. It seems like a difficult mistake to make? It’s not like Miles’s deadname is the name everyone commonly comes across when looking up Miles McKenna? It’s clearly a “Dead”name. Don’t use that. Use the name you tweeted out.
— Reinier Miles (@ReinierDays) July 14, 2019
VidCon Apologizes
VidCon tweeted an apology, saying they would reach out to McKenna privately.
A mistake was made yesterday that left @TheMilesMcKenna hurt. We have reached out to him directly to discuss it. We are committed to trying to eliminate instances like this moving forward and are so sorry that this happened.
— VidCon (@VidCon) July 15, 2019
McKenna posted on his Instagram story confirming plans to speak with VidCon.
Hank Green, who is one of VidCon’s founders, also responded to McKenna’s tweet saying that he would DM him. He later tweeted a thread about the situation. Green acknowledged that as a cisgender and heterosexual man, he still has room to grow when it comes to LGBTQ issues.
I have lots of trans / non-binary friends who have changed names and / or pronouns in the time I've known them, and I never really knew what to do when referring to the times when I knew them before they transitioned.
— Hank Green @ VidCon 10! (@hankgreen) July 15, 2019
He then explained that in no situation should a person deadname someone, regardless of the time of their life you are referring to.
A couple real-life examples:
— Hank Green @ VidCon 10! (@hankgreen) July 15, 2019
When Jackson and I wrestled at LeakyCon 2011, I was surprised by his strength and agility.
or
When Valerie designed Pizza John, they had no idea what a damn monster they had created.
He closed by saying that everyone “is learning all the time” and said that by talking about these issues on big platforms, we have opportunities to educate one another.
Everyone is learning all the time, and thank you to the people who patiently explain things that maybe should be obvious. If we talk about it more, hopefully we can make it so people have to do that less in the future.
— Hank Green @ VidCon 10! (@hankgreen) July 15, 2019
The moderator of the panel, Stevie Wynne Levine also apologized. She said she was sorry to have hurt McKenna and is heartbroken over the situation.
“I have been an out and proud member and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community for over a decade- spreading messages of love and support for those in my community,” she wrote.
She also explained that this was an unintentional mistake and provided context on how she deadnamed and misgendered McKenna.
@TheMilesMcKenna I'm so sorry. pic.twitter.com/cmpkmoPEPh
— Stevie Wynne Levine (@StevieWLevine) July 14, 2019
“I took my role seriously, worked hard to research the best way to communicate the issues facing our queer community, as well as the participants that were on the panel,” Levine said.
“I understood from our conversation prior to the panel that telling the story of when we spoke back in 2014, about casting you in a female-led series, was OK. I regret not specifically asking you if I could reference your deadname in relation to the story, but the truth is- I really, really didn’t know.”
See what others are saying: (Metro)
Industry
Schools Across the U.S. Cancel Classes Friday Over Unverified TikTok Threat
Published
6 months agoon
December 17, 2021By
Cory Ray
Officials in multiple states said they haven’t found any credible threats but are taking additional precautions out of an abundance of safety.
School Cancelled
Schools in no fewer than 10 states either canceled classes or increased their police presence on Friday after a series of TikToks warned of imminent shooting and bombs threats.
Despite that, officials said they found little evidence to suggest the threats are credible. It’s possible no real threat was actually ever made as it’s unclear if the supposed threats originated on TikTok, another social media platform, or elsewhere.
“We handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness, which is why we’re working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok,” TikTok’s Communications team tweeted Thursday afternoon.
We handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness, which is why we're working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok.
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) December 16, 2021
(2/3) Law enforcement agencies have investigated this threat and determined that it originated in Arizona and is not credible. We want to continue to encourage members of Team BCPS to report suspicious or threatening activities or postings.
— Baltimore County Public Schools (@BaltCoPS) December 16, 2021
While there are no known specific threats against New Jersey schools, the safety of our children is our highest priority and we will work closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation and remain prepared.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) December 16, 2021
Still, given the uptick of school shootings in the U.S. in recent years, many school districts across the country decided to respond to the rumors. According to The Verge, some districts in California, Minnesota, Missouri, and Texas shut down Friday.
“Based on law enforcement interviews, Little Falls Community Schools was specifically identified in a TikTok post related to this threat,” one school district in Minnesota said in a letter Thursday. “In conversations with local law enforcement, the origins of this threat remain unknown. Therefore, school throughout the district is canceled tomorrow, Friday, December 17.”
In Gilroy, California, one high school that closed its doors Friday said it would reschedule final exams that were expected to take place the same day to January.
According to the Associated Press, several other districts in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania stationed more police officers at their schools Friday.
Viral Misinformation or Legitimate Warnings?
As The Verge notes, “The reports of threats on TikTok may be self-perpetuating.”
For example, many of the videos online may have been created in response to initial warnings as more people hopped onto the trend. Amid school cancellations, videos have continued to sprout up — many awash with both rumors and factual information.
“I’m scared off my ass, what do I do???” one TikTok user said in a now-deleted video, according to People.
“The post is vague and not directed at a specific school, and is circulating around school districts across the country,” Chicago Public Schools said in a letter, though it did not identify any specific post. “Please do not re-share any suspicious or concerning posts on social media.”
According to Dr. Amy Klinger, the director of programs for the nonprofit Educator’s School Safety Network, “This is not 2021 phenomenon.”
Instead, she told The Today Show that her network has been tracking school shooting threats since 2013, and she noted that in recent years, they’ve become more prominent on social media.
“It’s not just somebody in a classroom of 15 people hearing someone make a threat,” she said. “It’s 15,000 people on social media, because it gets passed around and it becomes larger and larger and larger.”
See what others are saying: (The Verge) (Associated Press) (People)
Industry
Jake Paul Says He “Can’t Get Cancelled” as a Boxer
Published
8 months agoon
November 1, 2021
The controversial YouTuber opened up about what it has been like to go from online fame to professional boxing.
The New Yorker Profiles Jake Paul
YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul talked about his career switch, reputation, and cancel culture in a profile published Monday in The New Yorker.
While Paul rose to fame as the Internet’s troublemaker, he now spends most of his time in the ring. He told the outlet that one difference between YouTube and boxing is that his often controversial reputation lends better to his new career.
“One thing that is great about being a fighter is, like, you can’t get cancelled,” Paul said. The profile noted that the sport often rewards and even encourages some degree of bad behavior.
“I’m not a saint,” Paul later continued. “I’m also not a bad guy, but I can very easily play the role.”
Paul also said the other difference between his time online and his time in boxing is the level of work. While he says he trains hard, he confessed that there was something more challenging about making regular YouTube content.
“Being an influencer was almost harder than being a boxer,” he told The New Yorker. “You wake up in the morning and you’re, like, Damn, I have to create fifteen minutes of amazing content, and I have twelve hours of sunlight.”
Jake Paul Vs. Tommy Fury
The New Yorker profile came just after it was announced over the weekend Paul will be fighting boxer Tommy Fury in an 8-round cruiserweight fight on Showtime in December.
“It’s time to kiss ur last name and ur family’s boxing legacy goodbye,” Paul tweeted. “DEC 18th I’m changing this wankers name to Tommy Fumbles and celebrating with Tom Brady.”
Pucker up Timmy, it’s time to kiss ur last name and ur family’s boxing legacy goodbye. DEC 18th Im changing this wankers name to Tommy Fumbles and celebrating with Tom Brady. Tickets on sale November 10th!#PaulFury One Will Fall. @MostVpromotions @showtimeboxing @amaliearena pic.twitter.com/IFStMpJul5
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 29, 2021
Both Paul and Fury are undefeated, according to ESPN. Like Paul, Fury has found fame outside of the sport. He has become a reality TV star in the U.K. after appearing on the hit show “Love Island.”
See what others are saying: (The New Yorker) (Dexerto) (ESPN)
Industry
Hackers Hit Twitch Again, This Time Replacing Backgrounds With Image of Jeff Bezos
Published
9 months agoon
October 8, 2021By
Cory Ray
The hack appears to be a form of trolling, though it’s possible that the infiltrators were able to uncover a security flaw while reviewing Twitch’s newly-leaked source code.
Bezos Prank
Hackers targeted Twitch for a second time this week, but rather than leaking sensitive information, the infiltrators chose to deface the platform on Friday by swapping multiple background images with a photo of former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
According to those who saw the replaced images firsthand, the hack appears to have mostly — and possibly only — affected game directory headers. Though the incident appears to be nothing more than a surface-level prank, as Amazon owns Twitch, it could potentially signal greater security flaws.
More Twitch shenanigans are afoot. All game directory header pictures on the Web version of Twitch are now showing a closeup picture of Jeff Bezos. It's been like this for the last 2 hours. pic.twitter.com/LcKP9jGMCC
— AnEternalEnigma (@AnEternalEnigma) October 8, 2021
For example, it’s possible the hackers could have used leaked internal security data from earlier this week to discover a network vulnerability and sneak into the platform.
The latest jab at the platforms came after Twitch assured its users it has seen “no indication” that their login credentials were stolen during the first hack. Still, concerns have remained regarding the potential for others to now spot cracks in Twitch’s security systems.
It’s also possible the Bezos hack resulted from what’s known as “cache poisoning,” which, in this case, would refer to a more limited form of hacking that allowed the infiltrators to manipulate similar images all at once. If true, the hackers likely would not have been able to access Twitch’s back end.
The photo changes only lasted several hours before being returned to their previous conditions.
First Twitch Hack
Despite suspicions and concerns, it’s unclear whether the Bezos hack is related to the major leak of Twitch’s internal data that was posted to 4chan on Wednesday.
That leak exposed Twitch’s full source code — including its security tools — as well as data on how much Twitch has individually paid every single streamer on the platform since August 2019.
It also revealed Amazon’s at least partially developed plans for a cloud-based gaming library, codenamed Vapor, which would directly compete with the massively popular library known as Steam.
Even though Twitch has said its login credentials appear to be secure, it announced Thursday that it has reset all stream keys “out of an abundance of caution.” Users are still being urged to change their passwords and update or implement two-factor authentication if they haven’t already.
See what others are saying: (The Verge) (Forbes) (CNET)

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