Trans woman who claims salons discriminated against her is accused of child sexual exploitation

A transgender Canadian woman who claims that salons have discriminated against her for her gender identity and male genitalia is now being accused of sexually inappropriate communications with a minor.

Transgender activist Jessica Yaniv, from Vancouver, B.C., filed an official complaint with B.C. Human Rights Tribunal in 2018, alleging that more than a dozen salons in the area refused services like manicures, facials and waxing — Brazilian and otherwise — because she is trans.

After her name was released to the press this week, the 32-year-old has spoken publicly about the issue, prompting critics to debate and attack her online — with some going so far as to sling anti-trans insults.

Yaniv is a male to female transgender woman who has not yet had sex-reassignment surgery, meaning she has male genitalia.

The owner of one salon named in the complaint has said it’s not about Yaniv being trans, but that she doesn’t wax male genitalia, and would have performed a Brazilian on Yaniv if she had already completed what is often referred to as ‘bottom surgery’ to remove her penis.

Supporters of the salons have said forcing a waxer to handle a penis when they don’t want to is wrong, regardless of the gender identity of the person it is attached.

Yaniv herself has said ‘it is OK [to refuse to wax male genitalia],’ but added ‘it all depends how’ the refusal is framed.

Jessica Rumpel is pictured. She is now 20, but was 14 when she claims Yaniv, then 27, sent her sexual messages

Jessica Yaniv, from Vancouver, B.C., a male to female transgender woman who claims that salons have discriminated against her for her gender identity and male genitalia is now being accused of sexually inappropriate communications with a minor by Jessica Rumpel, now 20

Since Yaniv has been named, one young woman, Jessica Rumpel who turns 20 in August, has come forward to accuse Yaniv of sending her sexually inappropriate messages when she was just 14, some disguised as curiosity about the female reproductive system and including questions about whether it would be ok for her to change in front of another woman, and how to go about making that happen.

She told DailyMail.com she felt compelled to share her story a little over a week ago after noticing Yaniv was following her on Twitter and others had replied complaining of similar abuse. 

Rumpel confirmed to DailyMail.com on Friday that she filed a child exploitation report against Yaniv with CyberTip, Canada’s official tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children, but said she has not yet heard anything back.

Yaniv, who identifies as a lesbian, has said she doesn’t know Rumpel and suggested someone posing as her may have contacted her. Rumpel however shared Twitter messages from 2014 that appear to have come from Yaniv’s current verified account. 

Yaniv has said she doesn't know who Rumpel is and suggested a fake account posing as her sent the messages years ago. Yaniv alleged in 2018 that more than a dozen salons in the Vancouver area refused services like manicures, facials, and waxing ¿ Brazilian and otherwise ¿ because she is trans

Yaniv has said she doesn’t know who Rumpel is and suggested a fake account posing as her sent the messages years ago. Yaniv alleged in 2018 that more than a dozen salons in the Vancouver area refused services like manicures, facials, and waxing — Brazilian and otherwise — because she is trans

Rumpel, from Washington state, came forward on Twitter to accuse Yaniv of inappropriate behavior that occurred when she was a minor and Yaniv was an adult and still going by ‘Jonathan’. 

Looking at Yaniv’s mentions, she said she saw ‘lots of text screenshots’ from others Yaniv is said to have harassed.

‘It brought me right back to what our conversations used to be and people were accusing JY to be a predator and so that’s when I kinda came around.’

She shared on Thursday that she had also contacted Royal Canadian Mounted Police about her claims against Yaniv, who is the Editor in Chief of the tech and gadget website TrustedNerd.com.

Rumpel shared messages the two exchanged on the messenger app Kik after Yaniv first connected with her on Ask.FM. 

The messages show Rumpel sharing her age with Yaniv, who would have been about 27 at the time.

‘Idk if I should lol,’ Yaniv wrote. ‘Cuzzz ur yiung lol.’  

Rumpel said that Yaniv claimed to suffer from folliculitis (inflamed hair follicles) and depression, so Rumpel felt sympathy for Yaniv and continued to engage.

‘I feel [Yaniv] took advantage of me,’ Rumpel told DailyMail.com. ‘I felt [Yaniv] kinda took my kindness for granted.’

But Yaniv allegedly touched on some strange subjects, and is said to have beem talking to Rumpel about bathrooms and using tampons and sanitary napkins, claiming Yaniv said she used them for sweat.

In one exchange, Yaniv said she’d been wearing women’s panties for two years and that she would be staying with another woman for the first time and wanted to change in front of her. 

In the posted screenshots, Yaniv asked Rumpel how to go about doing that. 

On July 19, Rumpel tweeted: ‘This disgusting f**k even asked to see my pad to see if he put it on “correctly” he didn’t care if it was dirty or new.’ Rumpel added that ‘it scares me that he changed his name to Jessica.’

Rumpel talked in more detail about the messages in an interview with the Post Millennial, where she often referred to Yaniv using the pronouns he and him. At the time when the messages were allegedly exchanged, Yaniv is said to have identified as a man.

Yaniv allegedly touched on some strange subjects, and is said to have beem talking to Rumpel about bathrooms and using tampons and sanitary napkins, claiming Yaniv said she used them for sweat

Yaniv allegedly touched on some strange subjects, and is said to have beem talking to Rumpel about bathrooms and using tampons and sanitary napkins, claiming Yaniv said she used them for sweat

In one exchange, Yaniv said she'd been wearing women's panties for two years and that she would be staying with another woman for the first time and wanted to change in front of her

In one exchange, Yaniv said she’d been wearing women’s panties for two years and that she would be staying with another woman for the first time and wanted to change in front of her

In the posted screenshots, Yaniv is said to have asked Rumpel how to go about doing that

In the posted screenshots, Yaniv is said to have asked Rumpel how to go about doing that

‘Yaniv always told me he uses pads and wants to go into the ladies bathroom,’ Rumpel told the Post Millennial. ‘[Yaniv] asked me how to go into the ladies bathroom without being caught, and then how to be in the bathroom if there’s a lot of women or girls.[Yaniv] even asked me what stall to go in.’

One exchange from March 2, 2015, Yaniv allegedly messaged Rumpel a joke about sexual promiscuity. 

‘I’m not saying Jess is a w**e, but if she were a video game, she’d be rated E for everyone [winky face emoji],’ the message read. 

One exchange from March 2, 2015, Yaniv allegedly messaged Rumpel a joke about sexual promiscuity. 'I'm not saying Jess is a whore, but if she were a video game, she'd be rated E for everyone [winky face emoji],' the message read

One exchange from March 2, 2015, Yaniv allegedly messaged Rumpel a joke about sexual promiscuity. ‘I’m not saying Jess is a whore, but if she were a video game, she’d be rated E for everyone [winky face emoji],’ the message read

In screengrabs Yaniv appeared to also have asked Rumpel to take a picture of her used tampon

'[Yaniv] called me titty queen, even asked me to marry him and I was only 15. He said he couldn¿t wait until I turned 16,' Rumpel told the Post Millennial

‘[Yaniv] called me titty queen, even asked me to marry him and I was only 15. He said he couldn’t wait until I turned 16,’ Rumpel told the Post Millennial

The messages soon turned to physical attraction and sexual subjects.

‘Why are u always so beautiful,’ the messages read. Yaniv hinted about being horny, then confirmed asking Rumpel about ‘big t**s’ in another exchange.

‘[Yaniv] called me titty queen, even asked me to marry him and I was only 15. He said he couldn’t wait until I turned 16,’ Rumpel told the Post Millennial. 

Yaniv allegedly asked Rumpel, ‘Are you attracted to me…’ 

In screengrabs, Yaniv appeared to also have asked Rumpel to take a picture of her used tampon. 

Rumpel said that in addition to that, he’d leave her voice messages speaking in an ‘Elmo voice’ saying things like ‘Elmo wants to f***’ and ‘Elmo loves pussy.’

She shared a video of a vibrator on Twitter on Tuesday which she claimed came from Yaniv. She said Yaniv sent her the clip of the sex toy, and that she didn’t know that’s what it was at the time until she asked.

Rumpel shared a video of a vibrator on Twitter on Tuesday which she claimed came from Yaniv

Rumpel shared a video of a vibrator on Twitter on Tuesday which she claimed came from Yaniv

She said Yaniv sent her the clip of the sex toy, and that she didn't know that's what it was at the time until she asked

She said Yaniv sent her the clip of the sex toy, and that she didn’t know that’s what it was at the time until she asked

Rumpel told DailyMail.com at the time Yaniv allegedly sent the message, she was unphased and only later realized the behavior was predatory.

‘I had a lot of guys that talked to me in that kind of way you know, a lot of guys wanted me pretty much for the sexual reasons and [Yaniv] was one of them so I didn’t think of anything at the time that was weird besides his age,’ she said.

In other messages Rumpel said came from Yaniv, pictures showed a person from the waist down in tight-fitting pants, with the images focused on the backside and crotch area of the jeans.

‘Hey guys I forgot to mention that Jonathan told me he liked to wear girl’s pants more than the guy’s pants and this was him showing me how it fit him so well,’ Rumpel wrote. ‘He wanted to be a chick so bad, now I can kinda see how he turned out to be a trans even though he made fun of them a lot.’

She said Yaniv also messaged other girls and would claim to be 17 years old.

In other messages Rumpel said came from Yaniv, pictures showed a person from the waist down in tight-fitting pants, with the images focused on the backside and crotch area of the jeans

In other messages Rumpel said came from Yaniv, pictures showed a person from the waist down in tight-fitting pants, with the images focused on the backside and crotch area of the jeans

A photo shared by Rumpel that she said came from Yaniv showed a closeup of a crotch area

A photo shared by Rumpel that she said came from Yaniv showed a closeup of a crotch area

Another photo showed the backside of a person Rumpel said was Yaniv

Another photo showed the backside of a person Rumpel said was Yaniv

When The Post Millennial reached out to Yaniv for comment, she claimed to not know who Rumpel is and claimed the messages were from a fake account.

‘There has been a lot of fake accounts of me out there, and a lot of people trying to put disparaging content out there. So I have no idea who this person is at all,’ she said.

Rumpel, however, shared images of messages on Twitter that appeared to be from Yaniv’s verified account, dated 2014. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to Yaniv seeking additional comment on the allegations, and is awaiting a reply.

Meanwhile, Yaniv has continued to post publicly about her complaint against the salons, tweeting on Thursday: ‘A business that purposefully discriminates and refused service to protected classes need not be in business.’

This tweet was referencing one salon named in her complaint, which has since been forced to close.  

In an article published on Wednesday by Yahoo, Yaniv talked about the case. ‘I’ve been refused for manicures, pedicures, head massages, facials… and arm waxing,’ she said.

‘It’s like, where does this end? Everyone thinks this is about waxing and genitals, and it isn’t true.’

But Yaniv has also been refused Brazilian waxes, which remove hair from a person’s genitals and bottom. 

Yaniv insists that salons that advertise Brazilian waxes should have to perform them on her.

‘You cannot choose who your clientele is going to be,’ she said in a tribunal hearing, according to the Toronto Sun.  

Words: Some who find her claims problematic have expressed it by being dismissive of trans people in general

Words: Some who find her claims problematic have expressed it by being dismissive of trans people in general

Nope: Several have taken the opportunity to deny trans people the right to name their gender

Nope: Several have taken the opportunity to deny trans people the right to name their gender

Against it: They've called it 'lunacy' and 'madness' that trans people exist

Against it: They’ve called it ‘lunacy’ and ‘madness’ that trans people exist

At her hearing, she explained that she had found an online offer for a Brazilian wax from a salon ran out of Marcia Da Silva’s home. 

Da Silva said Yaniv was the first to respond to the ad and they scheduled a session, which Da Silva cancelled when Yaniv told her she was trans because she did not want to wax male genitalia.

‘I have no problem with LGBT,’ Da Silva said, adding that she would have waxed a post-op transgender person with female genitalia.

But Yaniv says Da Silva wasn’t the only aesthetician to turn her away, and some who refused her were particularly cruel about it.

Speaking to Yahoo, she said that one asked her, ‘Are you mentally sick?’ before she’d even disclosed her gender identity, which she assumes is because of her masculine voice.

‘It is OK [to refuse to wax male genitalia], but it all depends how,’ she said. ‘If they were to put this forward respectfully and not in a bigoted way then I wouldn’t have a problem with it.’  

Despite making this statement, Yaniv tweeted on Tuesday: ‘I’m female. Im a woman. Im not a man. Im as such entitled to EVERY service a female is entitled to and any such refusal is a violation of the BCHRC and CHRC.’

Wax workers, however, say that a Brazillian wax of a penis and the surrounding area is very different from a Brazillian wax of a vagina and the surrounding area, in terms of skill, technique and time required for the service.  

Other says a woman’s right not to be forced to handle a penis against her wishes is paramount here, without considering the gender identity of the person seeking the service. 

Speaking out: Yaniv has tweeted in her own defense, saying that as a female she is entitled to services sold to females

Speaking out: Yaniv has tweeted in her own defense, saying that as a female she is entitled to services sold to females

Manicures too: She also noted that it wasn't just waxing services that were denied to her

Manicures too: She also noted that it wasn’t just waxing services that were denied to her 

An op-ed that ran in the National Review proclaimed: ‘Canada’s Ball-Waxing Horror Show Is Peak Transgender Activism,’ while Twitter users have hurled insults and pointedly misgendered Yaniv.

Radio host Niall Boylan has fanned the fire since interviewing Yaniv on his radio show.

‘This is everything that’s wrong with society, when the rights of women to refuse to handle a penis and balls is trumped by a liberal ideology,’ he tweeted, promoting the interview. 

Ricky Gervais has also shared his opinion, tweeting: ‘How did we get to the point where women are having to fight for the right to choose whether they wax some big old hairy c*** & balls or not? It is not a human right to have your meat & 2 veg polished.’

Responding to one of Yaniv’s defenders, he added: ‘Surely real feminism also covers a woman’s right not to have to wax someone’s knob & b****cks if they don’t want to…’

Some have come to Yaniv’s defense, calling waxing services ‘gender-affirming care’ — including Yaniv herself.

‘This is not about waxing,’ Yaniv wrote. This is about businesses and individuals using their religion and culture to refuse service to protected groups because -they- don’t agree with it or the person and use that to illegally discriminate contrary to the BC Human Rights Code and the CHRC.’ 

Some have come to Yaniv's defense, calling waxing services 'gender-affirming care'

Some have come to Yaniv’s defense, calling waxing services ‘gender-affirming care’

Ricky Gervais has also shared his opinion, tweeting: 'How did we get to the point where women are having to fight for the right to choose whether they wax some big old hairy c*** & balls or not? It is not a human right to have your meat & 2 veg polished'

Ricky Gervais has also shared his opinion, tweeting: ‘How did we get to the point where women are having to fight for the right to choose whether they wax some big old hairy c*** & balls or not? It is not a human right to have your meat & 2 veg polished’

Responding to one of Yaniv's defenders, he added: 'Surely real feminism also covers a woman¿s right not to have to wax someone¿s knob & b****cks if they don¿t want to...'

Responding to one of Yaniv’s defenders, he added: ‘Surely real feminism also covers a woman’s right not to have to wax someone’s knob & b****cks if they don’t want to…’

Anti: But Yaniv speaking out has continued to fuel the discussion, with more and more critics slamming her

Anti: But Yaniv speaking out has continued to fuel the discussion, with more and more critics slamming her

Her replies have only inspired more Twitter users to argue, however.

‘You are a man. Your name is Jonathan,’ replied one, while another said:’Nope. I don’t and will not buy into your fantasy.’

And a third: ‘I was honestly on the fence about the whole gender self identification thing in Scotland… you’ve single handedly pushed me into realising it is just too crazy and dangerous for vulnerable women to let this happen.’

The story has made international news, with several famous names weighing in — including Donald Trump Jr.

Replying to a tweet about the case, he wrote: ‘Welcome to 2019… The only cure for Trump Derangement Syndrome is… A Lot More Trump in 2020..’ 

DailyMail.com will continue to follow the story of both Yaniv’s claim, and Rumpel’s.  

Opinions: Donald Trump, Jr. has also put in his two cents on Twitter

Opinions: Donald Trump, Jr. has also put in his two cents on Twitter

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk