Lilly Tino, a self proclaimed trans advocate and TikTokker, is currently in hot water — again — with many calling for her permanent removal and expulsion  from TikTok and all Disney properties. 

Despite 27 year old Tino’s original mission to guide the trans community and its allies, she quickly became notorious for her poor representation of the trans community and performative outrage. Instead of positively teaching about the LGBTQ+ community as a trans woman, Tino has proudly displayed unjustified harassment towards service employees and a deep sense of self-righteousness since 2022. Countless examples of her misguided “advocacy” can be found on her TikTok account, where she seems to revel in the attention, whether positive or not (usually it isn’t).

Since Tino’s platform and fame ultimately depend on controversy, she is no stranger to the discourse surrounding her misbehavior. In the past, she has done things as ethically questionable as knowingly accepting a donation from an 11 year old. This time, however, she crossed the line when she photographed non consenting families in women’s restrooms at Disney World in Orlando.

The Mother of All Messes

Last month, on June 2, Tino posted a TikTok ranking the “trans inclusivity” of 10 women’s bathrooms on Disney property, which she accessed with her annual pass. In the post, she poses for selfies in bathroom mirrors, which reflect women’s feet under bathroom stalls, unaware bystanders and sometimes children.

The Aftermath

Since the TikTok was posted, it has attracted around 17 million views and over 174,000 comments. These numbers do not include the interactions on other posts about the matter. Of the millions of views, one cannot be certain how many people have “hate watched,” but the comments are certain: people are unanimously angry. In the comment section of the post, one user said, “I verbally gasped. What does he think he’s doing?” while another said, “YOU feel safe there. Other real women don’t feel safe there.” While transphobic speech may not be necessary, that is not the main issue at hand. The two sentiments denote the same important message: photography does not belong in spaces people believe to be private, especially if the subject matter is non consenting individuals.

Charges Associated With Tino’s Behavior

Recently, the post’s fame wafted to the people in the backgrounds of the photos and Florida officials, with both parties expressing strong disapproval. In the past month, the individuals have opened civil lawsuits against Tino for violations against their privacy and “emotional distress.” Meanwhile, this month, the State of Florida has opened an active investigation of the matter for her violation of Florida Statute 810.145 and the Facility Requirements Based on Sex Act. The former denotes rhetoric against voyeurism, while the latter mandates the use of the restroom corresponding with your sex assigned at birth and assumes that private spaces shall remain private.

While they may not acquit her on a breach of the Facility Requirements Based on Sex Act due to Disney’s private property protection, the charges are still severe. Tino is faced with third degree felony video voyeurism, which is counted per picture. She could potentially face a sentence of a whopping $50,000 fine and 50 years in prison. Furthermore, popular online petitions have gathered thousands of signatures to ban Tino from both TikTok and all Disney properties. It would not be surprising if the petitions succeeded.

A Message To Tino’s Remaining Supporters

Despite this chain of events being a clear violation of privacy, many individuals are having difficulty understanding the importance of this issue. It can be easy for an uninformed viewer to ignorantly paint this as a case of pure transphobia, but evidence suggests that it is deeper than that.

In Tino’s TikToks, she repeatedly underlines her understanding of the issue’s severity while defending her behavior at Disney. In the caption of a post addressing the event, she wrote, “Even if it wasn’t allowed, who cares!” Tino went on to victimize herself by bringing up the point that she is being scrutinized despite the popularity of bathroom selfies on celebrities’ social media. The difference is stark, though: celebrities don’t include the faces of nonconsenting and random families at a theme park dominated by impressionable children.

Additionally, at the end of the bathroom video, she wrote, “Overall I felt very safe! Would recommend to any trans person,” insinuating that she was rating the bathrooms based on the reaction of the people in them, and not the actual bathrooms themselves. The point of the video was always to exploit and showcase nonconsenting individuals and their demeanors, not to respectfully promote trans individuals, as she claims. She forfeited the unspoken agreement of mutual respect while using the women’s restroom when she turned a private space into a spectacle.

What Say You, Walt Disney Company?

Even though the Walt Disney Company is generally considered to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, they have a responsibility to protect their guests by punishing Tino with a fine or issuing a trespass notice. Regarding her need for restroom safety, Disney does offer “Companion Restrooms” across their properties to individuals needing privacy. She easily could have avoided the drama altogether, but, let’s be honest, that is never her goal.

The Trans Community Responds

Ironically, the trans community rejected Tino’s influence as a trans woman long before this video was posted. Many acknowledge the inappropriate nature of Tino’s videos that discuss her sexual anatomy while she uses various objects and foods in demonstrations. A couple of videos were filmed at Disney parks in the presence of children and sparked outrage, even before she creeped in the bathroom.

One TikTokker called “JerseyBoyDrew” stated to Tino, “As the trans man that I am, for you to talk about your genitalia using Disney snacks around children is insane.” Another trans TikTokker called Myriah Mae, who interviewed Tino after the incident, went on to say, “Dear Disney, on behalf of millions of Americans, the trans community, and for all the parents in this country, we are insisting that Lilly Tino, who may possibly be identified as “Nick Contino,” be permanently banned from entering your theme parks.” The full interview is still online on her account, and many individuals are even speculating that Tino is a plant placed by the Right to paint the trans community in a bad light.

What Comes Next?

In the aftermath, Tino still has yet to apologize or seem remorseful in the slightest. Before logging off of TikTok at the beginning of this month, she took an opportunity to shame the public for holding her accountable and said, “I am deeply hurt because of the amount of hate that I’ve gotten.” The videos remain on her account, and she has not addressed the opposition to her actions.

Regardless of if Tino feels remorseful or is finally charged for her crime, the concern lies in the long term influence of her platform and actions. It is reassuring to know that the majority of people across the political spectrum agree that Tino’s breach of privacy is wrong, but her digital footprint still remains to influence others who do not know any better, like children and less informed individuals. Her content’s existence is also counterproductive in its original mission and serves as a repellant for respectful discourse surrounding the trans community.

Only time will tell if her influence will fade into online irrelevance. For now, it seems Democrats and Republicans alike can hold hands over the rotting corpse of Tino’s career.

Acknowledgment: The ideas expressed are those of the individual author.