Disabled U of M student speaks out after anti-trans commentators blast his video
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A University of Minnesota student is speaking out after several right-wing commentators criticized his videos on social media related to a gender-affirming operation, drawing hateful attention and leading Meta to shut down his accounts on Instagram and Facebook.
At the heart of the issue: misinformation around his disability and controversy around young people’s rights to access gender-affirming care.
“I am publicly sharing my experience as a disabled adult and as a transgender man with cerebral palsy, because I want people to know that it is possible to be disabled and be trans,” said Micah Leroy, who went by the handle “Disabled Trans Boy” on Instagram.
Leroy, 19, is a freshman at the U of M Twin Cities campus designing his own major in disability studies, LGBTQ+ studies and political science with the hopes of one day holding office in the Minnesota Legislature or Congress.
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He previously participated in YMCA’s Minnesota Youth in Government, a program simulating government processes for students in grades 8 through 12, and worked on the political campaign for state Rep. Huldah Hiltsley, DFL-Brooklyn Park.
Leroy uses a wheelchair to get around and has a speech impediment, so he said he depends on others for certain tasks. Leroy was diagnosed at age two with cerebral palsy, a group of neurological disorders affecting movement and muscle coordination, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. It is caused by damage to or abnormalities in a developing brain, most often before birth, and represents the most common lifelong physical disability.
“It is important to note that nowhere in this definition does it imply that cerebral palsy negatively impacts an individual's ability to comprehend the world, make autonomous decisions or understand the concepts of gender and sex,” said Leroy.
He spoke with MPR News in part with a communication device called an Eyegaze, which he used to prepare a statement in advance that the device read out loud. For the remainder of the interview, he spoke with his voice — which he prefers for faster communication — with interpretation help primarily from Ruben Gomez, who has been part of Leroy’s care staff for over three years, as well as another personal care assistant, Ollie.
Leroy had long been posting to social media, slowly growing and finding his niche community online. But he said he hadn’t gotten much attention until his most recent videos about his gender transition.
In December through mid-January, he documented his double mastectomy, called top surgery in a gender-affirming context, and post-operation recovery in a series of Instagram Reels. In one video, he spoke to the camera from bed, smiling with sheets pulled up to his chin. In another, he talked from his wheelchair, shirtless to show the scars on his chest.
He said his last video “blew up” on Jan. 15. He turned to Gomez for a guess at its reach then: more than 400,000 views overnight.
Around this time, several vocal opponents of transgender people and gender-affirming care had begun reposting Leroy’s videos across social media platforms with false and politicized commentary.
On social platform X, a user called Billboard Chris, whose bio vows “to stop child transition one conversation at a time,” got over 4 million views on a video of Leroy captioned “This is gender ideology.” It was re-posted by Riley Gaines, a conservative podcaster opposed to trans women in women’s sports, who added the claim that Leroy is “non-verbal” and suggested doctors performed surgery without consent. Her post was echoed by many others, including British content creator Oli London, known for alleging he had 32 surgeries to appear like a Korean celebrity and saying he was briefly a trans woman before becoming an anti-trans voice, as well as Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Greene shared London’s post writing “This is criminal! What doctor did this?” Others questioned if Leroy is controlled or misrepresented by caregivers.
“I am my own legal guardian,” responded Leroy. “No one made me do anything.”
Leroy said many people followed him as result of his videos going viral. He said his content was also reported several times and his Instagram account then permanently disabled His Facebook account was subsequently also suspended.
A notice from Meta states the decision was made because his Instagram account doesn’t follow their “Community Standards on child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity.”
“But I am the one who is posting and I’m over 18,” said Leroy. “None of that is true, but they don't care.”
He said he was mad that Meta closed his accounts but did not address the hateful comments on his videos. He submitted an appeal to Meta that was later denied.
Leroy said it’s “confusing” that people would be hateful and bigoted about his autonomous choices. He said he independently made the decision to come out publicly about five years ago. He also took initiative to schedule gender care appointments, start hormone treatment, undergo top surgery, legally change his name and sex, and assist others in adapting to his new name and pronouns.
“I am embracing and loving my body in a way I am fully capable of controlling,” he said.
Leroy said since losing his Instagram he is thinking about posting more about his life and transition on YouTube, where he currently only posts about improv – he's part of the improv duo “Mr. Mr.” He warned that people should expect more improv content this summer because he is planning a road trip to an improv festival.
“Even with all the hate this has stirred up, I do believe that any publicity is good publicity in furthering my goals,” said Leroy. “This experience has only made me want to speak out more about disabled and trans issues as the negative responses I got have shown a side of the world that is intolerant and discriminatory based on what they perceive others can and cannot do.”
