Did The TV Show ‘Pretty Little Liars’ Post A Transphobic Tweet?

The hit television show, “Pretty Little Liars,” is receiving backlash for posting what some viewers believe is a transphobic post. Is the recent tease for the upcoming season actually transphobic, or is it a message that was taken out of context?

Last Monday, the official Twitter handle for ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” tweeted and then deleted a meme of Alison DiLaurentis, a character played by Sasha Pieterse. The meme, which seems to be a clue for the next season, shows Alison talking to her father with the caption, “He’s alive and he’s coming for us, isn’t he?” That seems to be innocent; however the caption, “He. She. It. Charlotte. #PrettyLittleLiars” caused an uproar with viewers.

***** WARNING! SPOILERS BELOW!*****

The “He. She. It.” is a reference to the character, “A” (aka Charlotte DiLaurentis, or CeCe Drake) a transgender character on the show.

Many people found the tweet to be extremely offensive.

Is there more to the story though? Viewers seem to be coming to the defense of the show, claiming that the line was actually said on the show before anyone knew the true identity of “A,” a mysterious figure wearing various disguises, but often wearing dark clothes and a black hood. Here are a few comments from an article on Seventeen discussing the controversy. 

 

The tweet was taken down and the creator of PLL, I. Marlene King, took to Instagram to help clear things up and condemn the post.

What do you think? Was the post transphobic or just a message taken out of context? Let us know in the comments section below.

 

Cover Image by JJ Duncan via Flickr and a CC license
Pretty Little Liars tweet screenshot via Twitter
I. Marlene King screenshot via Instagram