The LGBTQ community is livid over YouTuber Trisha Paytas’s coming-out as transgender. 

On Oct. 7, Paytas released the video that started the controversy, titled “I AM TRANSGENDER (FEMALE TO MALE).” In the 15 minute long video, Paytas explained that she identifies both as a gay man and as a drag queen. Paytas also said that she is attracted to gay men, which is somewhat contradictory of her dating history. The biggest thing that made her believe she was transgender is that she experiences “penis envy,” where she wishes she had a penis so her body could align with her masculine energy.

Paytas recounted the event that started this revelation, which is when she once wore a “male” (short-haired) wig during a music video where she played Zac Efron and felt “free and happy.” Even though she still had her female body parts, Paytas “felt like a thick boy and loves being a thick boy.” Paytas makes a plethora of points during the video, eventually concluding that she identifies as both a man and a woman. “Do I think I’m transgender? Yes, a thousand percent. Do I identify with my natural-born gender? A thousand percent.” 

Since the release of the video, most of Paytas’s fans, especially LGBTQ community members, are confused. Here are some of the comments from the video:

• [@EowynYoung]  “Summary: ‘I’m not like other girls.’” (608 likes) 
• [@AudreyShipman] “Nobody:       Trisha: I feel like a thick boy.”(1.9k likes)
• [@EmilyGabriel] “She’s out here trying to collect the letters of lgbtq like they’re Pokemon.” (166 likes) 
• [@SandravendeVen] “I think she just identifies as a mental breakdown.” (18k likes) 

The video was hilarious, and I think that the people who don’t find the video funny simply don’t understand Paytas’s content. I don’t believe Paytas is actually transgender- I think she’s playing a role. Paytas is an amazing actress, and she’s not afraid to offend people for the sake of entertainment. Trisha Paytas is nothing if not controversial, and people who have been subscribed for a long time know that she’s an internet troll. Urban Dictionary defines “internet troll” as “someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community.” In other words, Paytas is a living meme; she is an entertainer in all aspects of the word. 

I have been subscribed to Paytas for years, and I love her content. Her videos are entertaining, and it takes a certain type of humor to appreciate her videos. What some people might not know is that Paytas has come out before as lesbian, nonbinary, and even a chicken nugget. Yes, Paytas has said in the past that she sexually identifies as a chicken nugget. Having seen her past videos, I wasn’t surprised when she came out as transgender. 

This is why people watch Paytas: she’s interesting. Paytas has revealed everything about her past, including working as a stripper, getting liposuction, dating Quentin Tarantino, etc. Paytas’s channel is still alive because her life is endlessly entertaining. Paytas makes a wide variety of videos: music videos, vlogs, mukbangs, ASMR, videos of her crying on her kitchen floor, and more. No one can be bored while watching her captivating trials with relationships, her own mental health and her friends. Paytas was also recently hospitalized for doing meth, which eclipses this scandal. 

Paytas’s videos are resemblant of Dadaism, the art movement that started during World War I as an absurdist reaction to the horrors of war. Dada art is ridiculous and sometimes nihilistic, promoting a feeling of “nothing matters, we all die in the end anyways.” This is what Paytas’s videos are–a reaction to the absurdity of life. 

One of my favorite Ted Talks is called “On Laughter,” given by Anthony McCarten. In the Ted Talk, McCarten said, “Those who lose the power to laugh, lose the power to think.” His thesis was that humor is the only rational reaction to life. Life is cruel, random, and unpredictable, and there is no solution to that, which people should realize. There is no solution, no “answer,” and in a way, our own mortality and the futility of our short, short lives is humorous. People who have experienced many different sides of life will inevitably come to this conclusion, as I feel Paytas has. 

As McCarten said, “The smartest people I know in the world are the funniest.” Paytas has realized some ultimate truth, which is that nothing matters, and while she’s on this Earth she might as well do whatever she wants and get some laughs out of it. Paytas’s life is a comedy, and I agree with McCarten in that “Seriousness is not the correct response to the absurdity of life.”

On Oct. 8, transgender YouTuber Gigi Gorgeous posted a reaction video titled “Trisha: My Thoughts,” voicing her support for Paytas and the importance of honoring people’s sexual orientation. I am a fan and long-time subscriber of her as well. Gorgeous and Paytas have been friends for years, and although Gorgeous was shocked by Paytas’s coming out, she believes it’s always important to honor how people identify themselves. 

Sexuality and gender can be fluid; it can change throughout a person’s life. It’s important to validate others’ sexual orientations, although it really shouldn’t matter beyond who you choose to sleep with. I do not believe Paytas is actually transgender, as most of her “reasons” for being transgender centered around things like “having more guy than girl friends” and “being called Trisha-the-man-Paytas” when she was younger.

However, I’m happy to even be able to debate this topic. The LGBTQ community has come a long way. I’m always happy to broaden my perspective and explore different lifestyles, and Paytas is doing that too, just to an extreme. It’s important to live and let live. I’m okay with living in a world where people can come out as chicken nuggets; I feel lucky to exist on this planet during the same time as the icon that is Trisha Paytas. Her content, as misleading as it may be, is not seriously hurting anyone. 

In any case, the backlash hasn’t affected Paytas’s ability to make content. Since her coming out video, Paytas has released many different videos including an apology, a morning routine, a video where she talks about borderline personality disorder, and an “I was Zac Efron for 24 hours!” video. 

Paytas’s indelicacy with sensitive topics could be seen as offensive, but at the end of the day, you have to pay the girl some respect. Paytas is an entrepreneur, author, singer, dancer, model, business owner, and actress. Her net worth is $4 million. Let that sink in. We may ridicule Paytas for her constant mental breakdowns and lack of coherent content, but if she’s managed to profit from her pain, learned to laugh at herself, and turn her human experiences into something entertaining for the world to enjoy, is that really such a bad thing? 

Do I think Trisha Paytas is actually transgender? A thousand percent no. Will I continue to watch her videos? A thousand percent yes.