This article began after reading a post shared in a local LGBTQ+ group. The warning described a person who regularly appears in public spaces holding signs with anti-trans messages. According to community members, this individual is affiliated with a group known as Midwest Audit. Their strategy is simple and disturbing: provoke LGBTQ+ people or allies, film the reactions, and upload the footage online to profit from views and harassment.
The post explained that even minor or brief interactions can be edited and turned into viral content. One person who spoke out in frustration during a Pride event found their image shared online. Others in the area reported being targeted or doxxed after engaging with similar provocateurs. The post urged readers not to speak to them, not to react, and not to engage under any circumstances.
That advice is sound. In fact, it is the most effective tool we have against this new wave of performative hate.
The New Business Model of Bigotry
Modern anti-LGBTQ+ protestors are not engaging in free speech. They are building a brand. This is not about debate or changing minds. It is about manufacturing content designed to fuel online outrage and make money.
Here is how it works:
- Select a public location that attracts LGBTQ+ people. This could be a Pride festival, drag event, or library story time.
- Display a sign with an inflammatory message, such as “There’s No Such Thing as a Trans Child” or “Trans Women Are Men.”
- Film the entire interaction, often using body cameras or phones.
- Wait for a reaction. One person shouting or getting upset is all it takes.
- Edit the footage to remove context and portray the protestor as calm while the LGBTQ+ person appears irrational or aggressive.
- Upload the video with a clickbait title and watch it circulate on anti-trans platforms.
This content earns money through ad revenue, donation links, and increased traffic from extremist audiences. It is not an accidental byproduct. It is the goal.
Sidewalk Steve: A Case Study in Rage-Bait Content
One of the most visible examples of this strategy is a man known online as Sidewalk Steve. He regularly appears at Pride events and LGBTQ+ gatherings with a simple sign and a camera. His favorite phrase, printed in bold black letters, reads, “There’s No Such Thing as a Trans Child.”
Steve does not yell or shout. He stands silently, often near entrances or areas with families. He watches and records, waiting for someone to respond. That is when he captures the footage he came for.
The final videos are always edited. They show Steve looking composed while LGBTQ+ individuals are framed as angry, confrontational, or dangerous. The clips are then uploaded to YouTube and shared widely on far-right social media. Each one is used to build the false narrative that trans people are unstable or violent.
Steve is not seeking conversation. He is seeking content. Every person who yells at him or tries to block his sign becomes part of his performance. He turns human emotion into profit.
An Old Strategy in a New Format
This tactic is not new. The Westboro Baptist Church operated in a similar way for decades. Their members held cruel and inflammatory signs at funerals, Pride parades, and public events. They were not trying to convert anyone. They were hoping to trigger outrage, sue for damages, and get media coverage.
Eventually, people stopped engaging. News outlets stopped giving them attention. Protestors turned their backs or held silent counter-demonstrations. And when Westboro lost its audience, it lost its power.
Today, protestors like Sidewalk Steve have adapted this model for the internet. Instead of lawsuits, they seek clicks. Instead of TV cameras, they use YouTube. But the principle is the same. They thrive on attention.
Why You Should Not Engage
Reacting may feel righteous. Speaking up may feel necessary. It’s human to want to defend yourself, your community, or someone you love when confronted with hate. But with protestors like Sidewalk Steve and groups that operate using similar tactics, engaging almost always backfires. These individuals are not looking for a discussion; they are setting a trap.
Here are the key reasons why ignoring them is the best and safest response:
They control the footage
Once you appear on their camera, they control the narrative. It does not matter how reasonable, calm, or articulate your response may be in real time. They can cut your words mid-sentence. They can zoom in on your face at its most emotional. They can add captions, music, or misleading context. The final video is edited to serve their agenda, not yours.
These protestors are not bound by ethics or journalistic standards. Their goal is not to show the truth but to create a visual story that makes LGBTQ+ people look aggressive, unstable, or dangerous. You are not just arguing with someone holding a sign. You are participating, unintentionally, in a piece of content designed to harm you and your community.
They want emotion
These individuals are not hoping for a quiet discussion. They are hoping for a breakdown. If you cry, yell, gesture, or even look distressed, that becomes the centerpiece of their video. They want the shot where someone screams or knocks over a sign. They want the clip where an ally rushes in to argue. These are the moments that go viral.
Even a single frustrated outburst, however justified, can be isolated and amplified to suggest that LGBTQ+ people cannot control themselves. This is not an accident. It is the goal. They want their viewers to walk away thinking, “See? They proved our point.”
Do not give them the reaction they came for. When you stay calm or walk away entirely, you deny them their most valuable footage.
They put you at risk
In many of these videos, faces are clearly visible. Voices are unaltered. Protestors and content creators do not blur identities or protect privacy. In fact, some go out of their way to highlight who you are.
People who engage, even briefly, have had their full names discovered, their workplaces contacted, and their homes harassed. This is not speculation. It has happened to community members, small business owners, teachers, and even parents of LGBTQ+ children. Once the video is online, it is out of your control, and the consequences can escalate quickly.
What seems like a 30-second confrontation in person can lead to weeks or even months of online harassment and real-world threats. It is not worth the risk.
They are not speaking to you
The person holding the sign does not care what you have to say. They already believe that trans people are dangerous, that drag performers are predators, and that queer families are corrupting children. You will not change their mind with reason, compassion, or anger.
Their real audience is their online following, people who tune in to see “liberals get destroyed” or “woke mobs exposed.” These viewers are not looking for truth. They are looking for justification. The more unhinged or emotional you seem, the more their biases are confirmed.
You are not part of a conversation. You are part of a production. Your words will not be heard. They will be edited and weaponized. No matter how thoughtful or brave your message, the only people listening are the ones waiting to mock or misuse it.
By not engaging, you take away their ability to manipulate your words, your image, and your identity. You protect yourself and others. You rob them of content, of money, and of reach. And most importantly, you keep the focus where it belongs, not on manufactured outrage, but on real community, real support, and real progress.
What You Can Do Instead
Choosing not to engage does not mean doing nothing. It means taking power away from those who want to harm us. Here are safer and more strategic alternatives:
- Walk away without responding. Do not speak to, look at, or acknowledge them.
- Calmly encourage others not to engage. Help redirect people who may feel triggered or tempted to respond.
- Notify event organizers or safety volunteers. Many LGBTQ+ events have designated security teams trained to handle these situations.
- Use signs, flags, or umbrellas to silently block hateful messages from view.
- Spend your energy building community. Share positive stories, support trans-led organizations, and create content that uplifts rather than reacts.
For Allies: Your Role Matters
Allies may feel a strong urge to defend and protect. That instinct is admirable. However, in these moments, stepping in with emotion often plays into the protestor’s plan.
Instead of confronting the person with the sign, stand beside the people they are targeting. Offer support and reassurance. Help prevent others from reacting in ways that could be recorded and distorted.
Be a buffer. Not a bullhorn.
Starve the Algorithm
The only way to shut down this kind of harassment is to remove the fuel. That fuel is attention. Every comment, every confrontation, every moment of viral outrage strengthens their platform.
We do not need to play their game. We win by refusing to be part of it. Let them record empty sidewalks. Let them stand alone. Let them have nothing worth posting.
They are not challenging our rights. They are chasing our reactions. We do not have to give them anything.
The Bottom Line
Protestors like Sidewalk Steve and content farms like Midwest Audit are not speaking truth. They are manufacturing hate for profit. Their signs are not meant to inspire thought. They are meant to wound and provoke.
But we are not powerless. We have the ability to take away their stage by refusing to perform. We protect our community not just by shouting back, but by walking on with dignity and care.
Let them leave with nothing. Let us keep building everything.
