Erika Kirk Targeted by Growing Wave of Transgender Conspiracy Theories

Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA cofounder Charlie Kirk, has become the latest focus of an increasingly visible and transphobic online conspiracy movement known as 'transvestigation.'

The conspiracy, which has been circulating on the fringes of social media for nearly a decade, falsely claims that numerous public figures, from politicians to actors to fashion models, are secretly transgender.

Reports from Them.us describes how the movement relies on pseudoscientific tactics such as overlaying skeletal charts onto photographs, analysing posture and 'shoulder-to-hip ratios,' and invoking outdated phrenology to justify its conclusions.

The theory has long been entangled with wider far-right conspiracies, including QAnon and Pizzagate, and has gained momentum through large Facebook groups and X accounts dedicated to identifying supposed 'inverts.'

Kirk became the subject of these groups shortly after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in Utah in mid-September. Within days, conspiracists on Facebook and X began sharing posts claiming that Erika was an 'invert,' a derogatory term they use for someone they believe is secretly transgender. Some began referring to her as 'Erik,' circulating old images from her Miss Arizona pageant participation as alleged proof.

A Facebook group called "Transvestigation Disclosure NOW," which has more than 53,000 members, has circulated multiple posts about Kirk. One user, writing under the name Karen Starbucs, posted several pageant photos and declared: 'that is a man. as most pageant winners are,' pointing to her jawline, collarbone and thigh gap.

Comments on the post ranged from conspiratorial to openly abusive, with some calling her a 'Luciferian' and others insisting that childhood anecdotes of being a tomboy were proof she had been "assigned male at birth."

Conspiracists Extend Attacks to the Late Charlie Kirk

The speculation has increasingly expanded to the late Charlie Kirk himself. One social media commenter claimed: 'that's why Charlie Kirk seemed so feminine and emasculated because she was a transgender handler. That's why he was so pretty.'

Such statements reflect a core belief within the 'transvestigator' community: that transgender 'inverts' are paired with 'handlers' who supposedly guide them on behalf of shadowy elites.

This narrative frequently morphs into full-blown antisemitism, with some conspiracists alleging — without evidence — that such networks are coordinated by Jewish organisations or intelligence agencies.

Since becoming CEO of Turning Point USA, Erika Kirk has been swept into wider far-right conspiracies as well. Disinformation platform The People's Voice has amplified baseless claims that she is tied to an international trafficking ring orchestrated by Mossad.

Others insist Charlie Kirk's death was either an assassination or a staged disappearance. No credible evidence supports any of these claims.

These conspiracies are not new. High-profile women, regardless of political alignment, have long been targets of transphobic speculation. Michelle Obama, French First Lady Brigitte Macron, actor Erin Darke, singer Taylor Swift, and even celebrities such as Serena Williams and Meghan Markle have been subjected to 'transvestigation' by fringe corners of the internet.

In 2023, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld appeared to insinuate that actor John Krasinski was transgender on-air. Meanwhile, Candace Owens has repeatedly repeated claims that Brigitte Macron is secretly trans, prompting a defamation lawsuit reported by Le Monde and The Guardian.

Why 'Transvestigation' Persists

According to analysts from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the movement thrives because it offers conspiracy-minded communities a simplified worldview: one in which gender nonconformity becomes evidence of hidden elites trying to 'deceive' the public.

In a 2024 bulletin, the ADL warned that such narratives 'weaponise ignorance about transgender people to fuel broader extremist themes,' often blending transphobia, misogyny and antisemitism into a single package.

The sudden targeting of Erika Kirk comes at a moment of personal crisis for her, but experts say the pattern is predictable. Once 'transvestigators' fixate on a new figure, the harassment can last months or even years. And in a digital environment where misinformation spreads quickly and face-saving retractions rarely occur, even the most straightforward personal histories become fodder for manufactured doubt.

For now, Kirk joins a long list of women who have become unexpected collateral in an expanding conspiracy movement, one that shows few signs of slowing down.