Lily Tino, a “transgender” TikTok creator with nearly half a million followers, has become the center of a firestorm that’s got everyone — Left, Right, and even the trans community — scratching their heads.
Tino, known for livestreaming restaurant visits where he seems to bait servers into “misgendering” him, has already put his audience on edge, as most view his behavior to be obnoxious and unnecessarily confrontational. However, it’s Tino’s latest antics at Disney World that have pushed the controversy to new heights. From taking selfies in women’s bathrooms to talking about his private parts in kid-filled spaces, Tino’s actions have sparked petitions, legal debates, and a rare moment of bipartisan agreement that this might be going too far.
So, who is Lily Tino? Born Nick Contino, Tino grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and began his transition after moving to San Francisco in 2020. Now identifying as a woman, he has built a TikTok platform around documenting his life as a trans person, often focusing on the self-inflicted victimhood that comes with being “misgendered” or the fear of navigating gendered spaces like bathrooms. With more than 400,000 followers, he has a solid audience, but his content, especially his Disney World escapades, has landed him in hot water.
The latest controversy kicked off last month, when Tino visited Disney World in Florida. Already known for videos where he sets up cameras to capture “transphobes,” Tino took things up a notch at the Magic Kingdom. He posted a TikTok ranking women’s bathrooms across the park, snapping selfies with other guests, including women and children, visible in the background. One video even featured him bragging about how he “peed while standing up” in a women’s restroom, while openly challenging Florida’s conservative leanings: “I’m a woman, so I’m going to use the women’s bathroom.”
This didn’t sit well with many folks. Social media erupted, with users accusing Tino of invading privacy and exploiting bystanders for clout. A Change.org petition started by a “concerned parent” called for Tino’s removal from TikTok, racking up over 365,000 signatures.
The petition argues that Tino’s behavior — especially filming in women’s restrooms and allegedly acting inappropriately around minors — poses a danger to young users and normalizes harmful actions. It reads, “Social media networks have the power to shape perceptions. … It is essential to ensure these platforms remain safe for impressionable young people.”
Both conservatives and liberals have been weighing in on this issue, agreeing that Tino’s actions are out of line. An opinion piece in the New York Post called his bathroom selfies a “selfish movement,” suggesting they undermine the trans community’s broader push for acceptance. Similarly, Disney Dining highlighted potential legal issues, noting that Florida’s Statute 810.145 prohibits video voyeurism in private spaces like bathrooms. While Tino’s still-shot selfies might not meet the legal threshold, the outlet emphasized the ethical breach of filming others without their consent. Another source, DeepNewz, reported on Tino’s demand for a Disney refund after being “misgendered” by park staff, framing it as an escalation of his confrontational style.
But here’s where it gets wild: Even the trans community and left-leaning activists, who’ve long championed behavior similar to Tino’s, are distancing themselves from him.
On platforms like Mumsnet and Reddit, trans creators and allies have called him out. Some label him a “pervert” or accuse him of faking his trans identity for views. One Mumsnet user wrote, “I can see why they would want to distance themselves from him because he makes TW [trans women] look terrible.” A Reddit thread in the “asktransgender” community went further, with users arguing that Tino’s “rage bait” content — like his Disney bathroom videos or using cake pops to discuss genital surgery near kids — harms the trans community’s image.
The irony is rich. For years, conservatives have argued that self-identification without clear standards opens the door to problematic behavior. In light of the backlash Tino is receiving from what should be his allies, we find ourselves asking, What is a trans person?
As progressives have pushed for unconditional acceptance, some on the Left are now drawing lines, criticizing Tino for being “too problematic” or “disrespectful” to family-friendly spaces like Disney and making women in private spaces feel uncomfortable. Meanwhile, the same group refuses to condemn Drag Queen Story Hour for kids, oppose sexually graphic books in school libraries, or admit that Pride parades of naked adults are inappropriate for children. They also refuse to listen to the countless stories of girls and women who have had to share bathrooms and locker rooms with boys and men, often afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation.
Conservative commentators see this as validation of their stance. As one X post put it, “Notorious trans radical ‘Lilly Tino’ went into the women’s room and scared a 3-year-old girl. You’ll never guess who the real victim is, though.”
Tino’s defenders, though fewer, argue he’s just being himself and highlighting real trans struggles. Some X users praised him for calling out Disney’s misgendering, with one saying, “It’s disappointing to hear about Lilly Tino’s experience at Disney, especially given their efforts to be inclusive.” But even these voices are drowned out by the backlash, which spans privacy concerns, legal questions, and debates about what it means to be trans.
So, what’s the takeaway? Tino’s Disney World stunts have exposed a rare fault line where both sides agree, albeit for different reasons, that his actions crossed a line. Conservatives see it as proof of their warnings about unchecked self-identification; progressives see it as a betrayal of their advocacy. Whether Tino faces real consequences — like a Disney ban or TikTok suspension — remains unclear. For now, he’s a lightning rod for a broader cultural conversation.
Tino is proving that even the most extreme ideas, which have been “normalized” in modern society, completely fall apart when even the greatest advocates for this insanity realize that boundaries and fundamental truths are inescapable.
