How the Fret Tried to Cancel Trans Santa

Every Trans person down in Smallville liked Trans Santa a lot,

But The Fret¹, who lived scrolling online, most certainly did NOT!

The Fret hated Trans Santa! Their entire giving season!

Now, please don't ask why, we all know the reason.

It wasn't that youth were in foster care's hold,

Or that some had no homes, left out in the winter's cold.

No, The Fret didn't care about those vital things,

Just what manufactured outrage the daily scrolling brings.

They watched from their screen as Trans Santa brought joy,

To every trans girl and to every trans boy,

To every trans youth who needed support,

While The Fret only typed up a mean "terms" report.

"They're sharing their stories!" they snarled with a sneer,

"Of needing warm clothes and some love and good cheer!

Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!"

Then they growled, with their Fret-fingers nervously drumming,

"I MUST find some way to stop Trans Santa from coming!"

For tomorrow, they knew, all the trans girls and trans boys

Would wake bright and early and rush to their joys!

And then! Oh, the joy! Oh, the joy! Joy! Joy! Joy!

That's one thing they hated! Trans euphoria, trans JOY!

Then the trans kids, both young and old, would sit down to open

The gifts that clearly told: "You're seen, you’re loved, you're not broken!”

And they will revel, and cheer, their hearts now unfrozen,

As they would find things they needed, each carefully chosen,

From warm winter coats to new books they could read,

From kind strangers worldwide who saw their great need.

And THEN they'd do something The Fret liked least of all!

Every Trans down in Smallville, the tall and the small,

Would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing,

They'd stand hand-in-hand. And they'd start simply... being!

They’d be, and they’d squee, and dance with great glee,

Being free to just simply be, being what only they could be!

And the more The Fret thought of this Trans-Christmas-Be,

The more that they thought, "I must stop this, you see!"

"Why, for far too long I've put up with it now!

I MUST stop Trans Santa from coming! But HOW?"

Then they got an idea! An awful idea!

THE FRET GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!

"I know just what to do!" The Fret laughed in their throat.

And they made a quick Substack and hastily wrote:

"There's danger!" they typed with performative care,

"Won't someone please think of the children out there!"

They clicked and they clacked about Terms of Service rules,

While missing the point: These were kids without Yules.

They trolled with concern about some privacy risks,

And irresponsible endorsements, why even some therapists!

But you know how this ends - their plan didn't work,

Trans Santa kept giving, despite this strange quirk.

'Cause you can't cancel kindness or stop mutual aid,

When communities care, that's how change is made.

And what happened then? Well, in Smallville they say,

That love kept on growing, growing stronger each day.

And the minute that love spread throughout their whole town,

The youth felt supported, no more feeling down.

And that's something The Fret just couldn't report away...

Trans Santa brought joy, and it's here now to stay!

---

How can you help make this story come true?
You can sign up, join Trans Santa’s merry crew!

Give the gift of great holiday cheer,
Inspire some hope and ease a trans kid’s fear,

That no matter how bleak or grim it seems,
This holiday season, a silver lining still gleams.

That somewhere in this world a person holds true,
That you matter, you're valued, and they believe in you too.

Do you want to brighten someone’s holiday this year?
Then consider donating to Trans Santa and give a gift of holiday cheer!

This satirical poetry parody piece was written in response to a December 12, 2024 article published on pittparents.com titled "Protecting Minors: Concerns About Trans Santa's Privacy Risks on Instagram." While the original article and the comments below it have attempted to weaponize platform rules and manufactured privacy concerns against a legitimate charitable initiative², the reality is that Trans Santa represents something far more important: hope, support, and community care for trans youth who need it most.

Trans Santa, founded in 2020 by Indya Moore, Kyle Lasky, and Chase Strangio, is a mutual aid project operating through Allies in Arts, a 501(c)3 non-profit. The project connects anonymous gift-givers with trans youth who are unhoused, in foster care, or otherwise lacking crucial support. Research shows that trans youth with supportive networks have a 52% decrease in suicidal thoughts - making initiatives like Trans Santa not just about holiday gifts, but about showing trans youth they have a worldwide family who believes in them.

Sometimes, the best way to respond to performative concern-trolling is with a dash of Seussian wit and a whole lot of heart. In face of the hate and bigotry on display this year, let’s thwart the efforts of hate groups like pittparents.com and their ilk by making wherever they aim their cross-hairs of intolerance some of the most successful efforts and programs we can! I can think of nothing better than to turn their hate into successful stories of love, acceptance, and support. After all, you can't cancel kindness.

Do you want to read about the impact Trans Santa has had?
Read about it here: https://www.them.us/story/transanta-recipients-impact-joy

1. The Fret - The original article starts with “As a concerned parent…” so I am playing on both fretting/worried and threat, and it just so happens to be terf backwards. ^.^

2. https://www.pittparents.com/p/protecting-minors-concerns-about