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Eli Erlick, a trans activist, has recently become the center of a debate after she tweeted about supplying “life-saving” hormone blockers to minors in Mississippi, despite the state banning access to gender-affirming medical therapy for transgender minors.
In the U.S., nearly 100 laws have been passed by 27 states to restrict minors from accessing hormone blockers and other medications for gender-affirmation related procedures, as reported by DailyMail.
On March 7, Eli took to social media to talk about her drug distribution network. She called herself a "proud criminal in Mississippi for aiding and abetting lifesaving medicine for trans youth."
Eli added that she knew the risks of making one such post, but deemed it more important to encourage others to distribute lifesaving medications as well, rather than ensure one’s own safety.
However, netizens criticized the activist for the move. User @BrainwashFree on Twitter wrote that Eli "should be arrested for corruption of minors, child abuse and drug pedaling." The user also called Eli "one of the most dangerous types of predators."
Eli Erlick's hormonal drugs sharing tweet sparks debate among netizens
In a recent tweet, the 27-year-old trans activist admitted to ordering testosterone and estrogen blockers four times more than the required amount, and then distributing the leftover pills to minors who did not have legal access to the drugs.
Eli Erlick wrote in her tweet that the trans community would provide care for themselves - a jab at the way several states have banned medicines for trans minors. She declared that the trans community would provide care for their youth if they could not access formal medicine approved by law.
Given that the accompanying image with the tweet had a knife, Eli replied to the same tweet and responded to concerns regarding the same. She said that she put the oversized knife and the cutting board in the frame for aesthetic purposes, adding that she has a pill splitter.
Eli also mentioned that the pills in the image were her personal medicines and that she would never send anyone pills that have already been used or broken.
Many people who came across Eli’s tweets have shared their opinions regarding the activist’s sale of illegal hormone blockers. Some even dismissed Eli Erlick's preferred pronouns and addressed her as "him."
A lot of people called Eli out for openly admitting to committing a crime by handing out Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) drugs to minors.
User @bru_fanny criticized Eli for encouraging children to share drugs, when they ran the risk of causing serious damage such as taking too much drug and overdosing.
One person wrote that they were okay with people distributing drugs to others, as long as they were not children.
Support for Eli
A few netizens supported Eli Erlick and appreciated her for looking out for her fellow community members.
User @NickySimpson98 wrote that DIY HRT with assistance from the trans community is "safer" since they know quite a lot about these things. The user added that "most trans people know more about HRT" than doctors who prescribe the medications.
Another person, @Neko_Bandage said that Eli Erlick would not have taken this step if formal trans medical care was still legal. The user mentioned that hormone blockers saved their life after they had been suicidal for a long time. They added that they would not have made it to 18 otherwise, and also noted that they never had any abnormal side effects from the medications.
About Eli Erlick
Erlick is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Feminist Studies. She researches political theory and social movements. Eli received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in 2016, from Pitzer College.
Eli is the co-founder and director of the group, Trans Student Educational Resources, which works to advance transgender youth’s welfare.
She also fired back at Florida’s most recent trans legislation, calling it the "scariest yet" and pointing out that the bill "lets the state not only kidnap trans children but also cis children with trans siblings or parents."
