The woman behind the popular “Libs of TikTok” Twitter account has been offered a position at the conservative satire website Babylon Bee.
Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon made the announcement Thursday after Chaya Raichik’s identity was revealed by a report published by The Washington Post.
“The exposure of [Libs of TikTok] isn’t journalism; it’s pure intimidation. They’re threatened by her effectiveness, so they hope to silence her by making her too afraid to continue. They want to raise the cost of doing her work so high that she has no choice but to quit,” Dillon wrote.
He added, “But I think they’ll be surprised by her resolve. She’s afraid, as anyone would be in these circumstances, but she’s also determined to not be bullied, threatened, or harassed into silence. That takes remarkable courage that few people possess.”
2/ But I think they'll be surprised by her resolve. She's afraid, as anyone would be in these circumstances, but she's also determined to not be bullied, threatened, or harassed into silence. That takes remarkable courage that few people possess.
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) April 19, 2022
Dillon continued, “I think they’ll also be surprised by the support she receives. I want them to know that she won’t be canceled from her job because this is her job now. I’ve worked out a deal with her that will turn her heroic, high-risk work into a career.”
He suggested “they’ll never stop her.”
4/ They may have exposed her, but they'll never stop her.
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) April 19, 2022
Long live @libsoftiktok.
Journalist Taylor Lorenz sparked backlash after revealing Raichik’s identity, as IJR reported.
“Libs of TikTok” tweeted a response to Lorenz’ reporting.
“Hi [Taylor Lorenz]! Which of my relatives did you enjoy harassing the most at their homes yesterday?” the tweet said.
The journalist later argued there has been “lots of convo about the ‘harm’ of covering a powerful online figure, but not much abt the harm done to the average LGBTQ+ ppl the acct seeks to drive out of schools and public life.”
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1516574577836576785
The Post defended her reporting.
“Taylor Lorenz is a diligent and accomplished journalist whose reporting methods comport entirely with the Washington Post’s professional standards,” Cameron Barr, senior managing editor at the Post, said.
He added the report “did not publish or link to any details about [the creator’s] personal life.”