Doxing and Digital Self-Defense Take Center Stage at a Trans Visibility Workshop in New York
On Trans Day of Visibility in New York City, a digital self-defense workshop brought trans attendees together to learn how to reduce doxing risk by finding and removing sensitive personal information from the internet. The event, held at Trans Pecos in Ridgewood, Queens, mixed DJ sets, drinks, and laptops in a setting organizers described as a hands-on exercise in online protection. The workshop focused on helping participants locate exposed addresses, old names, passwords, and other traces that could be used to target them.
Inside the “self-doxing” exercise
The workshop, called “404: Deadname Not Found, ” was built around what cybersecurity professionals describe as red-teaming: checking your own digital defenses to see where they fail. Participants used online tools to look for their personal information, then moved to removal requests and services that help clear data from the web.
The atmosphere was social and direct, with attendees comparing what they found and reacting in real time as they searched their digital footprints. Some found leaked breach information, while others found outdated listings, old profiles, or incorrect records tied to their names. The exercise was framed as practical, not theatrical, even if it looked like a rave happy hour from the outside.
Why doxing matters for trans communities
The urgency behind the workshop was plain. Organizers and attendees linked the need for digital caution to what they described as an intense wave of discriminatory bills and executive orders aimed at trans rights in the United States. In that context, visibility online can carry real risk, especially when personal details can be collected and used by hostile actors.
Anna, a workshop participant who asked to use a pseudonym, said, “In this world of hyper-surveillance, I want to make sure all my stuff is safe and that no one is trying to harvest my data for anything. ” She added that she wanted to keep everything “under wraps” as pressure grows around federal access to personal information. Ryan, another participant using a pseudonym, said, “We have to protect ourselves. It’s great to know how to find stuff like this, because you never know what’s still out there. ”
What organizers are trying to teach
Imani Thompson, a digital security trainer who organized the event as part of her series Cache Me Outside, began hosting the free workshops at queer bars in Brooklyn about a year ago after noticing trans people needed more practical help navigating online exposure. The event’s structure was meant to give attendees tools, not just warnings, so they could identify where their information had surfaced and take steps to remove it.
That included looking for deadnames, old aliases, and other details that can be used in harassment campaigns. For many participants, the workshop turned doxing from an abstract threat into something they could actively inspect and respond to, one search at a time.
What happens next
The workshop reflects a growing need for direct, community-level digital security training as online exposure continues to shape real-world vulnerability. Organizers are treating doxing as a problem people can confront with preparation, persistence, and the right tools. For the attendees in Queens, the message was simple: in an era of pressure and surveillance, staying safer online starts with knowing what is already out there, and the work to resist doxing does not end when the workshop is over.
