1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to protect transgender constituents from coordinated online harassment campaigns that are destroying lives and livelihoods in your district. Trans women with any kind of online following are being targeted by organized mass-reporting campaigns that falsely label them as "pedophiles" with no evidence. These coordinated attacks result in social media platforms deleting their accounts, erasing decades of art, writing, music, friendships, and personal history. The consequences extend far beyond lost data. Victims are losing their employment, being cut off from family, and living in constant fear for their safety. The term "pedophile" is being weaponized as a political tool to silence dissent and marginalize vulnerable people. Many Americans don't realize they're being manipulated into participating in these witch hunts that serve an explicitly anti-trans political agenda. For trans individuals who face discrimination in physical spaces, online communities often represent their primary means of expression, connection, and survival. When their accounts are deleted without warning or opportunity to preserve their data, an entire life's work disappears. I am asking you to take three specific actions. First, investigate these coordinated harassment campaigns and work with law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable. Second, advocate for federal legislation requiring social media companies to provide users with a grace period to download their data before account deletion. Third, publicly condemn the use of false accusations as a political weapon against transgender people. Trans constituents in your district are living in fear, never knowing when they might lose their employment, housing, or family relationships due to these targeted attacks. They deserve the same protections and dignity as any other constituent. Your leadership on this issue would send a powerful message that harassment and coordinated smear campaigns have no place in our democracy.