There’s a man who shows up at Seattle protests with a camera and a press credential. He positions himself as an independent journalist. He has a verified Facebook page, a large following on Instagram, and the backing of a well-funded conservative think tank. His name is Jonathan Choe — and the trans community in Seattle needs to know exactly who he is.

This isn’t about politics. This is about safety.

What He Posted

Earlier this week, Choe posted on his public Facebook page while in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood — a neighborhood that has long been a home and sanctuary for Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community. In the post, he used a vile slur to describe trans protesters, calling them “trans retards,” and referred to a person with green hair as a “little muppet” he had to “juke and avoid.”

This wasn’t a slip. It wasn’t taken out of context. It was a public post, from a verified account, written by a man who claims the title of journalist.

In a city where trans people are being murdered — where the climate of fear and dehumanization has real, life-ending consequences — language like this isn’t just offensive. It’s dangerous. It contributes to a culture that tells bad actors trans people are acceptable targets.

This Is Not New

What happened this week fits a documented pattern that goes back years.

He was fired from KOMO News after producing what critics, including Daily Kos, described as “thinly disguised promotional material” for the Proud Boys — a group designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a far-right white nationalist terrorist organization. The station confirmed his coverage “did not meet editorial standards.” He had attended the rally on his own, live-tweeted it, and encouraged viewers to “mingle” with the hate group.

He went to work for the Discovery Institute — a Seattle-based conservative think tank best known for promoting intelligent design creationism and for launching the career of far-right provocateur Chris Rufo. PubliCola, a respected Seattle outlet, has noted clearly that Sinclair (KOMO’s parent company) “didn’t fire Choe because of his conservative bias; they fired him for behaving unethically, by promoting a white supremacist group that led the attack on the US Capitol.”

He has repeatedly framed trans people as aggressors. He has used language like “TRANS AGGRESSION” in posts about trans activists at Seattle protests, consistently casting community members who show up to defend their rights as the threat.

He was permanently banned from TikTok because, by his own admission, enough of his videos violated the platform’s community standards that they removed him entirely.

He has been accused of physical violence against protesters. In April 2024, three witnesses told PubliCola that Choe punched a protester in the face multiple times at a migrant protest in Seattle’s Central District, then pulled out a chunk of her hair. When PubliCola contacted him for comment, he deflected, mocked the inquiry, and bragged about his follower count. He did not deny it.

He freelances for the Daily Wire and Newsmax — two of the most prominent anti-trans media platforms in the country — while continuing to present himself as a neutral, independent journalist to Seattle audiences.

Why This Evil Matters Right Now

We are living through a moment of escalating anti-trans violence. Nationally, legislation targeting trans people has exploded. Trans women — particularly trans women of color — are being killed at alarming rates. And locally, Capitol Hill, the Central District, and surrounding neighborhoods where trans community members live, organize, and simply exist are spaces where this kind of targeted media presence creates real danger.

When a man with a camera and a platform shows up at protests, uses slurs on social media to describe the people he’s filming, and has a documented history of physical confrontation with protesters — that is a threat to the people he’s targeting.

He is not a neutral observer. He is not just “covering the story.” He is part of the story — and the trans community deserves to know that.

What You Can Do

If you see Jonathan Choe at a protest or community event:

• You do not have to speak to him or engage with him.
• You have the right to decline to be filmed on private property.
• Document his presence if you feel safe doing so.
• Alert organizers and community members nearby IMMEDIATELY.

Report the Facebook post. The post using a slur against trans people is still public. Facebook’s community standards prohibit hate speech targeting people based on gender identity. Report it directly. Tag it. Make noise about it.

Share this. The best protection a community has is information. Trans people in Seattle — and anyone who stands with them — should know who this person is before they encounter him.

A Note on Accountability

Choe will almost certainly respond to coverage like this by claiming he’s being silenced, canceled, or targeted by the “alt-left.” It’s a play he has run before, and he runs it well.

At this point he just makes me laugh.

But accountability is not cancellation. Naming a pattern of dehumanizing language aimed at a vulnerable community — and making sure that community can protect itself — is not an attack on free speech. It’s exactly what journalism is supposed to do.

The trans community in Seattle is not a story. They are neighbors, coworkers, family members, and human beings. They deserve to walk through their own neighborhood without being described with slurs by a man who gets to call himself press. Their safety is on the line, and this man is a direct danger to them.

Know who’s in the room.

- Sean

Sean Bartley is a Seattle-based writer and the founder of Cup of Culture. He is a contributor to The Progressive. If this piece matters to you, consider becoming a paid subscriber at SeanBartley.substack.com/subscribe — it’s how independent progressive media stays alive.