Philosophy Tube Creator Abigail Thorn Comes Out As Trans
In case you're wondering why Abigail has been trending...
Popular British YouTuber and actress Abigail Thorn, whose Philosophy Tube channel and subsequent series of YouTube videos has garnered over 50 million views, has come out as a trans woman. In case you were wondering why ‘Abigail’ has been trending on social media all day…
I’m a trans woman! ✨👑 pic.twitter.com/OzHkeRpK8A
— Abigail Thorn (@PhilosophyTube) January 30, 2021
Abigail Thorn has been on YouTube since 2013 and has accumulated over 840,000 subscribers for her fantastically theatrical videos that explore current social issues through a philosophical lense. In her latest video, Thorn explained the personal philosophy of her journey to coming out as a trans woman.
Thorn also released a statement on social media, one written and one filmed, in which she introduces herself. “Hello friends!” she writes, “I’m delighted to say I’m a trans woman; my name is Abigail and you can refer to me with she/her.”
In her statement, Thorn also acknowledges that her country of residence, Britain, does not grant equal rights to trans people. She goes onto draw attention to the specific struggles UK trans folk experience, saying, “trans people, especially trans people of colour, are hit hardest by unemployment, homelessness, and domestic, sexual, and police violence, but the conversation always focuses on wealthy white cis women tweeting about toilets.”
Transphobia in the UK is an ongoing issue that has gained more and more attention in the past 12 months. Notable British public figures such as John Cleese and JK Rowling have been revealed as major transphobes via their social media.
Thorn speaks to the real fear of Britain’s transphobic culture she feels now that she has come out publicly. She writes, “It’s lovely to finally relax, to sleep well with sweet dreams and be at home in myself! But I’m also scared. Things are very, very bad for trans people in the UK and they’re getting worse.”
In her post, Thorn promises to continue to use her platform to advocate for legislated trans liberation and equity in the UK. “Everyone else in Britain gets their healthcare and gendered services that way,” she writes, “surely it’s only fair that we should too?”
One thing I've noticed with both Elliot Page's and now Abigail Thorn's coming out is they make reference to the transphobic violence and discrimination that exists within society, that while coming out is positive and freeing we can't escape the haunting reality of transphobia
— Ollie (@Comrade_Ollie) January 30, 2021
For fans of her channel who may be wondering, episodes of Philosophy Tube will not be stopping anytime soon. Abigail teases plenty of new videos to come at the end of her coming out video. As a massive fan of Abigail Thorn’s video essays, I can’t wait to see what she creates now she is feeling so much happier.
I wish Abigail Thorn a very pleasant and safe 2021. If you haven’t heard of Philosophy Tube and want a good place to start, her video essay on how capitalism will ruin the video game industry is one of my all-time favourite Youtube videos.
Merryana Salem is a proud Wonnarua and Lebanese–Australian writer, critic, teacher, researcher and podcaster on most social media as @akajustmerry. If you want, check out her podcast, GayV Club where she gushes about LGBT rep in media with her best friend. Either way, she hopes you ate something nice today.