"Felt uncomfortable and very unnecessary": Transformers Earthspark pronouns controversy explained as viral clip sparks backlash

Nightshade, a character from the animated series Transformers: Earthspark has recently sparked controversy. The alien robot, who identifies as non-binary in the series, was first introduced in 2022 when the show premiered on Paramount+. However, a short clip from the show which has Nighshade telling Sam about their pronouns has gone viral on social media.

The clip was shared by the right-wing Twitter account Libs of TikTok on Thursday, May 11, 2023. The Twitter user expressed their anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and captioned the clip claiming:

"They're after your kids."

The account has a massive anti-LGBTQ+ following who criticized the show and its writers. One user Markus Andrew wrote that the use of inclusive pronouns in the show felt very unnecessary and uncomfortable to him. He added that he has no issues with the use of pronouns, but he felt that to have a spotlight on the usage of pronouns was, in this case, weird and disjointed.

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Transformers: Earthspark receives backlash from conservatives

Nightshade’s non-binary gender identity in the Transformers animated TV series has sent right-wing conservatives into a spin. Though the show has been airing since November 2022, its theme of inclusion was recently discovered by conservatives. This led to many people calling the show out and making jabs at it on social media.

Many argued that the introduction of different gender identities in the show has made it inappropriate for children to watch. Several people called it “scary” and “disturbing”.

Journalist Megyn Kelly also slammed the non-binary character from the show and called it “disgusting”. She quote-tweeted Libs of TikTok's tweet on Friday, May 12, 2023, and expressed her opinion on the matter, claiming that it was "Disgusting."

Kelly has recently made negative remarks about trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney and her partnership with Nike and other brands which led to a major controversy last month.

Kelly also slammed the US Navy for hiring an active-duty drag queen “Harpy Daniels” as the military branch’s “digital ambassador”. The journalist said that whoever approved of this idea had lost their mind and added that a drag queen was not somebody whom anyone would want in a foxhole with them.

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Others' reactions to non-binary animated Transformers character

In the short clip from Transformers: Earthspark shared by Libs of TikTok, after Nightshade introduces themselves to Sam, she responds by declaring her pronouns which are "she/they".

She proceeds to tell Nightshade that the world can sometimes be a scary place and it's hard to know who is dangerous and who is not. However, she adds that she feels safe with her friends and others who identify as non-binary.

Nightshade seems to be unacquainted with the gender term, so Sam explains to them that non-binary people are those who aren't male or female. Then she also apologizes to the robot for assuming their gender identity. However, Nightshade responds positively and says:

"I always knew my pronouns felt right, but what a wonderful word for a wonderful experience."

The majority of people spoke against the show for including characters from the LGBTQ+ community who use different pronouns than what is considered normal. However, some people had an issue with a separate thing. They argued that gender pronouns aside, the idea that non-binary people or people who use pronouns make the world safer, was dangerous.

Meanwhile, non-binary viewers of Transformers: Earthspark has said that they felt represented by the character’s debut. They said that having a character within their favorite franchise, who exists freely and vocally as non-binary, has genuinely touched their hearts. They argued that representation matters.

A few people also said that a robot is supposed to be neither male nor female. They said that a machine is not supposed to have a gender.