A guide to anti-LGBTQ+ online hate and disinformation
Over the years, the internet has had an undeniable importance for LGBTQ+ people in providing a safe space for communities to share interests, experiences, and fostering real connections. However, LGBTQ+ people are continuously targeted online by hate, tropes, and conspiracy theories.
Far right influencers and sometimes even politicians circulate these hateful narratives, which are further amplified by social media algorithms in an attempt to fuel engagement and retain eyeballs.
The spread of anti-LGBTQ+ hate and lies does not just stay online. Like all online harms, it has been linked to real-life violence and even murder.
In this blog, you can learn more about anti-LGBTQ+ hate online, some of the main tropes targeting the community, and what social media companies and lawmakers can do to help stop it.
What is anti-LGBTQ+ hate online?
Anti-LGBTQ+ hate online is defined by the LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity Galop as “any online communication or expression that advocates, promotes, or incites hatred, discrimination or violence, against any individual or group, because of their sexual orientation, or gender identity.”
This includes, among other types of attacks, offensive posts targeting an individual or a group, the spread of conspiracy theories about the LGBTQ+ community, and calls for violence.
Anti-LGBTQ+ hate and lies often aim to dehumanize people in the community, generate fear across society and, ultimately, backtrack on their fundamental rights and promote violence.
How do anti-LGBTQ+ tropes spread online?
According to GLAAD, “the invention of false tropes (often via memes) is a common trend in extremist hate and disinformation, serving as an effective viral strategy for the spread of all kinds of conspiracy theories.”
The “grooming” or “groomer” trope, for example, spreads the false narrative that LGBTQ+ people are “pedophiles” and “groom” children. In 2022, CCDH and the Human Rights Campaign identified a spike in the spread of this anti-LGBTQ+ trope triggered by the passage of Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ law, legislation that limited the instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
In the month after the bill became law, our research showed that the volume of posts on Twitter (now called X) promoting the “grooming” trope increased by 406%. Posts from just ten people were viewed an estimated 48 million times. On Meta platforms, we found 59 ads promoting this hateful rhetoric.
We tested Twitter again in 2023 and found that tweets mentioning the LGBTQ+ community alongside “grooming” slurs jumped 119% in the months after Elon Musk’s takeover. The attacks often targeted educators, Pride events, and drag story hour events – where drag performers read children’s books at libraries or bookstores.
GLAAD lists other dangerous online tropes in this blog, including “globohomo” (conspiracy that claims there is a global plot to promote “LGBTQ+ ideas”) and “gender ideology” (conspiracy that claims LGBTQ+ is an ideology instead of an identity).
How does hate against trans people spread online?
Social media companies have continuously failed to stop the spread of hate against trans people or transphobia on their platforms.
Meta’s recent decision to drop policies on “immigration, gender identity and gender” could make Facebook, Instagram, and Threads even more toxic for trans people. Leaked internal guidance showed that the company will now permit hateful statements such as “Trans people aren’t real. They’re mentally ill.”
Ditch the Label and Brandwatch found 1.5 million transphobic online mentions from 2015 to 2019, with the slur “tr*nny” appearing in over a million comments. They identified YouTube and other video content platforms as having the most abusive commentary.
What are the real-life consequences of the online amplification of anti-LGBTQ+ hate?
There are several examples showing how online hate against LGBTQ+ people can lead to dangerous offline consequences. In 2022, Lee Aldrich killed five people and injured 19 others at an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs, in the U.S. Prosecutors found evidence of the shooter’s hate for the LGBTQ+ community. After the crime, far right influencers and media doubled down on anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
A report by GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League found that the “grooming” conspiracy theory was cited in at least 191 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault in the U.S. between June 2022 and April 2023. In total, they identified at least 356 incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ hate and extremism in that period.
Far-right groups like Patriot Front and the Proud Boys have also targeted Pride and other LGBTQ+ events both online and offline.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), sexual orientation and gender identity were the third and fourth most prevalent bias motivation for hate crimes in 2023 in the U.S.
What can social media platforms, governments, and lawmakers do to stop the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ hate online?
Social media companies, governments, and legislators must prioritize LGBTQ+ people’s safety and ensure their platforms are not enabling the spread of hate, disinformation, and conspiracy theories.
- Social media platforms must implement and enforce policies against anti-LGBTQ+ hate and disinformation.
- These companies must improve content moderation to stop the amplification of hateful content.
- Governments and legislators must implement comprehensive social media reform that make platforms safer and more transparent.
Looking for help? Here are some resources
While social media platforms, governments, and lawmakers fail to address online hate and disinformation, we listed some resources that can help protect LGBTQ+ people online:
- Trevor Project: offers counseling, research and resources for the LGBTQ+ community
- Crash Override Network: crisis helpline, advocacy group, resource center for people who are experiencing online abuse
- GLAAD Social Media Safety Index: an annual report on LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression online
- Trans Lifeline: hotline and non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis
- The Safezone Project: online resource for powerful, effective LGBTQ awareness and ally training workshops
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