Chaya Raichik won’t be ‘silenced’ despite ‘Libs of TikTok’ outing
The Brooklyn woman behind the popular “Libs of TikTok” Twitter account who was publicly identified in a Washington Post report this week has vowed that attempts to intimidate her will not work because she “will never be silenced.”
Chaya Raichik was revealed to be the person behind the account that has attracted more than 845,000 followers — including podcaster Joe Rogan and former “The View” co-host Meghan McCain — by posting TikTok videos to expose extreme examples of “wokeness.”
The story, written by former New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz, drew immediate backlash from conservatives who questioned the newsworthiness of naming Raichik publicly and slammed Lorenz over her attempts to contact the woman’s family and friends.
Responding to the article Tuesday evening, Raichik urged her followers to subscribe to her newsletter on Substack, calling it “the best way to lend support and stay connected if I get banned from social media. I will never be silenced!”
In a Tuesday interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, Raichik claimed the Washington Post report was meant to intimidate her into deleting the account.
“I think that what I’m doing is very effective,” she said. “And I think that a lot of people wanted to shut me down. They wanted to intimidate me into silence. And unfortunately for them, that’s just never going to happen.”
Carlson asked Raichik about being publicly named by Lorenz, who has previously complained of being targeted by online harassment, leading her to allegedly experience “severe PTSD” and even consider suicide.
“I thought that was really humorous. It added a really nice, nice layer of humor on top of the whole story,” Raichik said.
“And I think that the fact that it was Taylor Lorenz, who is a known hypocrite, who is known to doxx people,” she continued. “The fact that it was her that was doing all this, I think it just helps people rally support for me.”
Raichik went on to describe the last few days as “chaotic and overwhelming,” and pointed out that she had to alter her travel plans after the report surfaced.
“I’m now in a location where I don’t think anyone would find me. I’m not in any of the locations that Taylor Lorenz leaked [in the report] or that anyone can find, but it’s been a little bit tough, but I’m not going to let this get me down,” Raichik told Carlson.
Lorenz defended the story and her reporting methods.
“Rather than debate ’doxxing’ I hope people can read this story and see the striking escalation of attacks against gay and trans people, and the crucial role this account has played in the right wing media ecosystem,” Lorenz wrote on her Twitter page.
Lorenz went on to claim that Raichik isn’t an “average woman” operating a social media account, but a “powerful influencer operating a massively impactful right wing media shaping discourse around LGBTQ+ rights.”
In an interview with The Post in February, Raichik, who at that time was still anonymous, described her motivation behind launching the account in April 2021.
“I don’t do this for money or fame. I’m not some politician or blue-check journalist. And people feel like they have someone they can talk to when they have no one else to ask to help them spread it,” she told The Post, noting that she gets dozens of direct messages a day from parents and regular people who want their story out.
“With me, they have a place to reach out to to get the message out,” she said. “I feel like there are so many small stories that are so important that aren’t getting out — and that’s what I’m here for. It sometimes feels like a mini-Project Veritas.”
