From Journalism to Lawfare: Andreia Nobre's Fight for Free Speech
'Where Are the Feminists?': Censored, Erased, and Deplatformed for Defending Women's Rights
Brazilian feminist journalist Andreia Nobre is currently facing legal action simply for doing her job—reporting the facts. In January 2023, Andreia wrote an article about a disturbing incident from the previous year involving a trans-identified male, surname Carlos, who scheduled an appointment at a women-only waxing salon in São Paulo. Carlos failed to disclose his biological sex and reportedly became sexually aroused during the appointment, causing immediate distress to the female beautician.
When the salon owner upheld the business’s female-only policy and refused to perform the procedure, Carlos reacted aggressively. He recorded the altercation and later shared it on TikTok, framing the refusal as discrimination. Following the viral post, Carlos filed his first lawsuit against the salon in December 2022. After losing that case in June 2023, Carlos filed a second lawsuit in January 2024, this time expanding his legal action to include Andreia for her reporting and Medium, which subsequently suspended her account. Carlos accused Andreia of "transphobia" because she identified him as male in her article.
Her experience highlights the systematic efforts to silence women who dare to challenge gender ideology.
My Story: Silenced for Telling the Truth
In July of 2024, I wrote an article titled Unsafe Havens: The Consequences of Allowing Males Into Women’s Shelters. In it, I exposed how gender self-identification policies are putting vulnerable women at risk by allowing males into spaces meant to be safe havens for women and children fleeing violence. Just one day after publishing this piece on Medium, my entire account was removed and my membership fee refunded in full. Their reason? "Hateful conduct."
My article, republished here, detailed a horrifying incident in Upstate South Carolina where a man, claiming to be a woman, brutally attacked a female employee at a women’s shelter as he was being evicted. The assault was so violent that police reported the woman’s internal organs were exposed. This was a stark reminder of the dangers posed when women’s shelters—spaces originally created to protect women from male violence—accommodate males who identify as female.
If you’d like to support Kirby, the woman who was attacked, you can donate to her GoFundMe here.
I backed my claims with research from Women’s Declaration International (WDI USA), showing that 19 out of 23 shelters surveyed now allow males to share living spaces with women. These policies are often mandated by federal funding requirements, like those from HUD, which prioritize gender identity over biological sex. This leaves shelters with a choice: comply and risk women's safety, or resist and face financial and political consequences.
Rather than engaging with the facts or offering a platform for discussion, Medium chose censorship. Their email accused me of "misgendering," "hateful content," and "promoting intolerance." Apparently, accurately reporting that a man—with male anatomy—attacked a woman in a women’s shelter constitutes "hateful conduct." They didn't just delete the article; they removed my entire account, erasing my ability to publish, with no prior warning.
The Chilling Reality for Women Who Speak the Truth
This isn’t just about Andreia or me…it’s about the broader issue of silencing women who dare to speak out against policies that endanger us. Platforms like Medium claim to champion free expression and inclusivity, but their actions reveal a different story—one where the safety of women is secondary to ideological conformity.
Whether it's being de-platformed by tech giants like Medium, threatened with legal intimidation, or dragged into lawsuits, the message is unmistakable: stay silent or face the consequences.
Andreia has legal counsel but she needs our support. The best way to help is by purchasing some of her books on Amazon. By doing so, you not only support her financially but also stand in solidarity with women who refuse to be silenced.
The Fight Isn't Over
Censorship won't stop the truth from coming out. Women's safety and our right to speak out against harmful policies are non-negotiable. Platforms like Medium can try to erase our voices, but they can't erase the reality we live in. We must continue to expose these injustices, support each other, and demand that our rights as women are prioritized over ideological agendas.
To Andreia, and to every woman silenced for telling the truth—we see you, we support you, and we will not be silenced.