Actor Bella Ramsey, known for their role as Ellie in HBO’s The Last of Us and as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, recently announced their departure from the social media platform Twitter. Ramsey tweeted on April 21st, thanking their fans and signing off with a message of love. While it is unclear what specifically led to Ramsey’s decision, the move follows a series of controversial changes to Twitter’s platform, including the removal of verified status for many public figures, and the company’s decision to drop a longstanding policy protecting transgender individuals from targeted deadnaming and misgendering.
Many have speculated that Twitter’s recent actions have made the platform less safe for LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly trans and non-binary people. Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s decision to remove legacy blue ticks from users who do not pay for the Twitter Blue subscription service has also drawn criticism. While some notable figures, including Stephen King, William Shatner, and LeBron James, have retained their verified status without subscribing to Twitter Blue, others, including Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Justin Bieber, have lost their blue ticks. The move has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation and the potential for impersonation.
Ramsey’s departure from the platform highlights the ongoing concerns about LGBTQ+ safety on social media. While some verified users have embraced their blue tick-less status, others have vowed never to pay for the subscription service. It remains to be seen whether other celebrities and public figures will follow Ramsey’s lead and abandon Twitter over concerns about LGBTQ+ safety.