Transgender Reddit “Power Moderator” Behind Gender Critical Community’s Ban Is A Convicted Domestic Abuser

By Reduxx Team

A transgender Reddit moderator who was allegedly involved in banning a subreddit for women critical of gender ideology was previously convicted of domestic abuse. The moderator, who posts under the username u/Bardfinn and is widely described by users as a “power moderator” due to involvement across multiple subreddits, was reportedly active in discussions and moderation actions related to complaints about the community prior to its removal.

The subreddit r/WomensLiberation described itself as a space for women who are critical of contemporary gender identity policies to discuss their views, including concerns about the impact of such policies on women’s rights and single-sex spaces. Some participants identified as lesbians and expressed concern about the inclusion of trans-identified males in lesbian-only communities. Other users emphasized what they described as the importance of biological sex in policy and social debates, sharing news articles and opinion pieces aligned with those views.

Posts on the subreddit frequently expressed skepticism toward gender identity ideology. In one thread, a user wrote that being labeled “transphobic” was, in their view, “the natural outcome of critical thinking.” Another commenter argued that acknowledging biological reality should not be considered harmful.

Another user said that trans-identified individuals “prey on the fact we’re kind… they tell you not to think about the other side of things, because if you do, you’re a bad person.” A fourth commenter relayed her story of her first meeting with a trans-identified “lesbian,” who “wouldn’t stop talking to me about how they kept their penis in a literal penis cage.”

The above comments, along with further similar innocuous statements, were taken as evidence by posters on r/AgainstHateSubreddits that the “sole purpose” of r/WomensLiberation was to “promote hatred of transgender individuals, which violates Reddit’s Site-wide Rule 1 which forbids the promotion of hate based on identity or vulnerability.” As a result, users demanded that the subreddit be “banned immediately.”

r/AgainstHateSubreddits is focused on monitoring other communities that its members find disagreeable, usually on the basis of politics. It is known for orchestrating campaigns to get Reddit’s administration to ban subreddits it has labeled as “transphobic” or “racist.” According to some users, one of the tactics used by members of this subreddit is to download child sexual abuse material and spam the targeted subreddit with the images and videos, forcing Reddit administrators to take immediate action against the impacted subreddit for breaking rules on child pornography. This tactic was directly exposed by a whistleblower who had previously participated in r/AgainstHateSubreddits chat groups and witnessed members openly discussing this strategy.

One of the most prominent moderators involved in r/AgainstHateSubreddits is u/Bardfinn, who boasted that within 24 hours of being targeted by users, r/WomensLiberation was successfully banned by Reddit. The ban was highlighted yesterday by X user Reddit Lies, who has previously documented u/Bardfinn‘s extensive weaponization of his role.

u/Bardfinn is the alias of Steven Joel Akins, 46, a trans-identified male who has previously been openly involved in the removal of other feminist subreddits, such as r/GenderCritical, along with the attempted takeover of r/DeTrans, a subreddit offering a safe space for detransitioners, or those considering detransition, to discuss their journey. Akins is also known by the feminine name “Penelope Oaken.”

As noted in a 2021 post on Graham Linehan’s Substack, “Bardfinn is offended by anything less than 100 per cent enthusiasm for transgenderism.” He also has a history of making concerning comments, including arguing that incest “isn’t unethical.”

In 2023, X account Males of Reddit highlighted Akins’ criminal record, noting that he had arrests and convictions related to abusing his child and former partner.

Akins was charged with “assault causing family injury” in 2010 after being arrested in Texas for assaulting his then ex-wife in the presence of their young child. The victim told police that Akins had previously struck his son as “punishment,” causing the child to develop bruises.

During an argument between the couple, Akins picked up their child, who was just 14 months old at the time, and “refused to allow [his mother] to soothe him.” He then allegedly proceeded to repeatedly poke her on her sides, causing bruising, while taunting her to try and stop him.

According to investigative forum KiwiFarms, Akins’ full rap sheet is even longer, with charges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful weapon possession, drug possession, and being a “failed ID fugitive,” implying he unsuccessfully attempted to conceal his identity from a law enforcement officer.

Reddit has repeatedly experienced scandals involving trans-identified users in positions of power, both in voluntary moderator positions, and those directly employed by the company.

Most notably, in 2021, widespread protests were seen across the site after Aimee Challenor was brought on as a top-level administrator.

Challenor, also known as Aimee Knight, is a trans-identified male who was formerly seen as a rising star within Britain’s Green Party. Three years prior, however, he was forced to pull out of the race to become deputy leader of the party at just aged 20 after it was revealed that he had hired his father to work on his campaign after being charged for the rape and torture of a 10-year-old girl.

Challenor nevertheless hid his father’s sickening past from the public before it was discovered in what the party would later call a “major safeguarding risk.” While under scrutiny, Challenor’s romantic partner was similarly embroiled in controversy after internet sleuths discovered he had admitted to becoming aroused while fantasizing about children being sexually abused.

After being hired on at Reddit as a top administrator, multiple popular subreddits locked their communities down in protest of Challenor’s involvement in the site’s administration. He was later terminated from the post.

Scandals have continued to abound on the platform, including when in 2022 the site banned the term “groomer” as being a slur against the LGBTQ community. This received pushback from many users, and groups such as Gays Against Groomers.

“By banning this word from their platform in such terms, Reddit is not only inadvertently expressing their support for the grooming and abuse of children, but also paints our community … as those who support and engage in it,” Jaime Michell, the founder of GAG, told Reduxx at the time.

In another controversy, a trans-identified moderator who managed over 80 subreddits bragged about supplying minors with illicit hormones at his home. A Redditor who compiled this information into a post in 2019 was subsequently banned from the site.

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Reduxx Team
Reduxx Team
Reduxx is your stop for pro-woman, pro-child safeguarding news and opinion that goes outside the mainstream narratives.
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