Pokimane apologises after transphobic joke

After popular Twitch streamer Imane "Pokimane" Anys took a break from all things related to the internet, using the time away to self-reflect and even issue an apology in regards to the use of racial slurs, it seemed she was ready to leave all sorts of controversies behind her.

Now, Poki finds herself amidst another one, following an Instagram story uploaded on 29th September that was deemed transphobic.

The post's original intention was trying to normalise good behaviour shown towards women online, as this often leads to a barrage of criticism from people, using the term "simp" to try and belittle the person being nice.

(Photo: Instagram.com/Pokimanelol)

"Stop calling a male a simp for simply being a decent male. Yes, even when it's a joke," the post reads, with the 24-year-old content creator then adding she's "tired of seeing anyone (female, male, attack helicopter) be called a simp for being remotely nice to a girl."

Naturally, using the phrase "attack helicopter" drew a significant amount of hostility towards her, as the term is usually reserved for those looking to mock non-binary and transgender people.

Hours after she posted the story, Poki issued an apology on Instagram as well, addressing the insensitive nature of what she had done.

(Photo: Instagram.com/Pokimanelol)

"I so clearly missed the mark on this and I'm really sorry to anyone I've hurt or offended with what I said. I didn't intend to use the term 'attack helicopter' in a transphobic manner, and was ignorant to its history which is entirely my fault," she claimed.

Pokimane ended her apology by admitting that she hopes to use this opportunity to grow as a person, as "offending others is never my intention."

• Read more: Pokimane suffers ultimate livestream fail by opening porn on stream

As of the time of writing, she has not made a formal apology on any of her other social channels.