Pretty Little Liars is known for its intense online following, which makes sense, considering it's a thriller about teenagers trying to reveal the identity of a killer/stalker who communicates primarily through text message.
So when the show's account tweeted a graphic that seemed to label transgender character Charlotte diLorentis "he" and "it," fans -- who have grown up in a world with a significantly more progressive attitude towards gender identity -- were angry.
[seealso slug="transgender-myths"]
Seventeen Magazine screencapped the tweet, which has since been deleted.
Though the captions are actual lines from the show -- ones that reference the mysterious A -- it's insensitive to use those particular quotes alongside an image of a transgender character. But while the show's official Twitter account removed the offending tweet within minutes, the damage was done.
@ABCFpll 'It' is probably the most offensive term to call a transgender person. This post is rude af.— han ॐ (@Hannah_ADTR) August 24, 2015
@ABCFpll I hate whoever runs this account. I sincerely do. Calling a trans character it? You are an abomination.— Phaedra (@vrayisgod) August 24, 2015
@ABCFpll pls don't refer to trans people as it anymore thanks— Addie Patterson (@survivorqueen) August 24, 2015
Teen girls are the future, and that's a good thing.