frican American Policy Forum,
After two British teens were charged with the murder of transgender TikTok star Brianna Ghey, the slain internet guru’s name began trending across social media with the hashtag “Say Her Name.” But some social media users weren’t too pleased with the popular term being used to commemorate Ghey’s untimely passing.
On Wednesday, the 15-year-old boy and girl responsible for Ghey’s fatal stabbing appeared before a district judge and were formally charged, according to officials from the Cheshire constabulary, the New York Post reported. The ruling came just days after the 16-year-old was found stabbed to death at Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire Feb. 11.
Before her untimely passing, Ghey had garnered thousands of followers on TikTok with her viral lip-sync videos and heartwarming content.
After news of her death made headlines, fans flocked to Twitter using the hashtag “Say Her Name” to pay their respects to the young social media star.
But as the phrase began to spark traction, a few users of color expressed frustration over people using the term to shed light on Ghey’s death, due to it’s significance with Black female victims of police brutality.
What does “Say Her Name” mean?
The popular phrase has been used as a call to action and rallying cry in the fight against police brutality and systemic racism, specifically with regard to Black women who have been killed by police. Following the death of Sandra Bland in 2015, “Say Her Name” soared as community activists used the phrase to demand accountability for her death.
In the years since, the popular term has been used to amplify and commemorate thousands of other Black women failed by the justice system including Breonna Taylor and Atatiana Jefferson.
A Twitter user named @disruptthehuman was the first to sound off about the issue.
“Say Her Name is trending because people are using it for Brianna Ghey, who is white, and i need y’all to understand that that phrase/hashtag was created for Black women who are victims of police violence,” they wrote.
The post went viral on Twitter, prompting several other users to come forward with their objections.
“It’s not the usage of #SayHerName for NB ppl that is upsetting me. But rather, the experience of Black ppl is yet again watered down,” a second user argued. “Those # were created to bring awareness to the violence against them, and how we don’t remember the names of Black women (& trans) victims.”
While a third person chimed in:
“Same type of energy when they started that “all lives matter”… it’s like the moment Black ppl create something for awareness Yt ppl wanna take it and paint it white to silence us. What happened to Brianna Ghey is sad and terrible. Say Her Name is not the appropriate hashtag.”
Some internet users defended the term being used for Brianna Ghey’s heartbreaking story
On the other hand, a few users didn’t see the harm in using the hashtag to shed light on Ghey’s tragedy.
“As a black person, I’m giving everyone blanket permission to use “Say Her Name” in regards to Brianna Ghey,” wrote one user. “This is an absolutely /stupid/ line in the sand to draw. Our trans siblings deserve better than this.”
While another social media goer added:
“Is there any solidarity between oppressed people? Or do we have to divide everything? Serious question. Idk who started the “Say Her Name” for Brianna Ghey but maybe they didn’t know it’s exclusively for Black women?”
Social media bickering aside, Ghey’s story is saddening and the young teen deserves justice. According to the NY Post report, authorities in Cheshire believe the attack was “targeted” but they have found no evidence to suggest that it was a hate crime related to her trans identity.
The names of the suspects responsible for Ghey’s death have not been released due to their age.
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