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Shannon Loys and transgender people

Shannon Loys is an American graphic designer who has done work for several anti-transgender clients, including

Loys has done work for other controversial figures, like Christie Smythe, the person who fell in love with convicted “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli. 

Background

Shannon M. Erickson Loys was born in August 1987 and grew up in Columbia, Maryland. Loys earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Washington in 2009. Loys was featured in a 2015 New York Times piece about designers’ interpretations of works by Arthur Miller.

In 2018, Loys went viral for a flyer that shamed a bicycle thief into returning Andrew Loys’ stolen bike. Loys had reportedly customized the bike after being diagnosed with cancer three times.

Loys and spouse Andrew both grew up in Maryland. After living in Seattle (where they met anti-trans activist Katie Herzog), they moved to North Carolina. They have a social media presence about fixing up a house they bought with cash. They have two children.

Connection to anti-trans activists

Loys attended a diversity training by Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility. According to Bill Jordan:

Back in June of 2020, journalist/podcaster Katie Herzog interviewed with Shannon Loys, a graphic designer who participation in DEI training at the Seattle Repertory Theater, run by none other than Robin DiAngelo, the “Patron saint of DEI.” At the end of the interview, Loys and Herzog, both progressives, concluded that the training did more harm than good. Loys said she became “more cautious” in her interactions with Black co-workers, more likely to avoid interactions rather than risk causing offense.

This 2020 interview brought Loys into the orbit of the anti-trans faction critical of DEI and other race-based social justice initiatives.

References

Jordan, Bill (October 20, 2024). DEI and the left critique. Thinking While Teaching https://www.billjordan.net/2024/10/dei.html

Herzog, Katie (August 1, 2024). “If anyone is looking for a graphic or web designer, I cannot recommend @shannonical highly enough. She did an incredible job with the graphics for our live show and is exteremly fast, responsive, and easy to work with. Hire her!” X https://x.com/kittypurrzog/status/1819018788488298896

Jesse Singal and Katie Herzog (August 4, 2023). Episode 176: Robin DiAngelo, Revisited. Blocked and Reported https://www.blockedandreported.org/p/episode-177-robin-diangelo-revisited

Katie Herzog (June 19, 2020). Bonus Interview: “What a stupid f*cking way to have a really important conversation”: Reflections On A Yearlong White Fragility Training. Blocked and Reported

Thompson, Katie (September 6, 2018). Cancer survivor’s bike returned after poster plea. BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45420545

Piepenburg, Erik (November 10, 2015). Designing Arthur Miller: Simple Gestures, Big Ideas. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/theater/designing-arthur-miller-simple-gestures-big-ideas.html

Resources

Shannon Loys (shannonloys.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)