Sound Off: Trying to Profit off of Trans Creators Isn’t “Very Demure, Very Mindful”
Jools and many other trans and LGBTQ+ influencers are often the last to profit from their work.
Published Aug. 26 2024, 7:01 p.m. ET
If you or someone you know is a member of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning community and need support, the LGBT National Help Center provides free and confidential resources.
In the summer of 2024, the internet adopted a "very demure, very mindful," and "very cutesy" vibe, thanks to LGBTQ+ TikTok influencer Jools Lebron. A video of her using the phrase struck a chord with TikTok's algorithm, leading many influencers, brands, and celebrities to use it.
Jools, a transgender woman, gained internet fame and hoped to use it to finance her transition. However, she shared in a since-deleted video that someone named Jefferson Bates applied the trademark to her phrase before she could.
While Bates’s trademark application doesn’t mean Jools can’t profit from the phrase (according to a few legal experts on TikTok), the controversy is reminiscent of how other LGBTQ+ creators, namely those of color, are the last to receive the financial gains from making a trend — even a word from the dictionary — go mainstream.
Let’s explore this Sound Off further.
Jools Lebron and many other LGBTQ+ creators have had their ideas stolen from them.
Many commenters have noted that Jools did not invent the word "demure," despite its recent popularity. The term has been in English for generations and means "affectedly modest or shy, especially playfully or provocatively." However, TikTok has played a significant role in amplifying its usage and influence.
TikTok has the power to bring niche terms to the mainstream. When our terms go viral, this affects many members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly people of color. LGBTQ+ people have often seen mainstream media appropriating words and phrases that hold significance within our communities.
For instance, "shade" and "reading" originated from the 1990 Ballroom dance film Paris Is Burning. In the film, Dorian Corey explained the differences between these terms. Unfortunately, the original cast members did not trademark these phrases. They are commonly used on reality shows and other mainstream media without proper recognition or use of the words. I guess Jools has something to be worried about, don’t you think?
Imitation isn’t flattering when you’re struggling.
In her TikTok video about her phrase being trademarked, Jools shared that she “didn’t have the resources” to protect the trademark legally sooner. She also wanted to help her family with the money she would’ve made from the merchandise and has already been able to rent out her room to help a friend in need.
While many people want to be successful in caring for their families, some transgender people have a more difficult time doing so than others. According to a 2024 survey from the CDC, 9 percent of 1,566 trans women reported 1–29 nights unhoused, and 31 percent reported 30–365 nights unhoused during the past 12 months.
And if they can afford housing, many trans and other people in the LGBTQ+ community are highly underpaid. A 2022 U.S. Trans Survey study by TransEquality showed that more than a third of trans people said they were experiencing poverty, 18 percent were unemployed, and 11 percent said they’d lost a job because of their gender identity or expression.
Due to the ongoing rates of impoverished trans people, growing on the internet with something like “very demure, very mindful” is a stepping stone to a life of ease that few LGBTQ+ people of color are afforded. People like Bates should remember this the next time they chase internet clout.
