The viral transphobic anthem, “Still 2 Genders,” performed by Christian rapper Tyson James and featuring his 11-year-old son Toby James, has ignited a storm of controversy on major music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The song, which gained initial notoriety on TikTok, opens with a young Toby rapping, “If you were a Susie, you can’t be a Scott,” and includes the use of an anti-trans slur.
Media watchdog organization GLAAD has criticized both Apple Music and Spotify for hosting the song, as well as for displaying its album cover art, which features Tyson James wearing a t-shirt bearing a burning Progress Pride flag. A GLAAD spokesperson emphasized that these platforms have hate speech policies in place to protect their users from toxic content. Failing to enforce these policies undermines the safety of the products and the best interests of the users, according to GLAAD.
While Spotify has removed the art associated with the single, the album artwork still accompanies the song on Apple Music and Amazon Music at the time of this report. GLAAD has raised awareness with the Spotify trust and safety team regarding the violation of their hate speech policy due to the song, album image, and video imagery. However, the song remains accessible on Spotify, despite its offensive content.
GLAAD also highlighted the real-world implications of such imagery, citing the murder of Laura Ann Carleton, a shop owner in San Bernardino, California, who was fatally shot in August by an individual who made derogatory remarks about the pride flag displayed outside her store.
Both Apple Music and Spotify have policies in place against hate speech. Apple Music’s terms of service for artists explicitly prohibit lyrics containing hate speech, while Spotify’s Dangerous Content policy bans content that incites violence or hatred towards individuals or groups based on various criteria, including gender identity or expression.
The continued presence of “Still 2 Genders” on these platforms raises questions about the enforcement of their content policies and their commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all users.
