87% of LGBTQ+ youth report hate and harassment online

According to newly released figures from Belong To, 87% of LGBTQ+ young people have seen or experienced anti-LGBTQ+ hate and harassment on social media in the past year.

LGBTQ+ youth demand that social media platforms take action against anti-LGBTQ+ content as part of ‘It’s Our Social Media’ a campaign by Belong To, Ireland’s national LGBTQ+ youth organisation.

Only 21% of LGBTQ+ youth who reported abusive or harmful LGBTQ+ content saw action from a social media platform; anti-LGBTQ+ content was removed in 12% of cases, 4% saw the offending user temporarily suspended, and 5% of reports resulted in the offending account being banned.

The remaining 79% of LGBTQ+ young people were either informed that no violation of community guidelines was found, or received no response from the platform.

These figures come just two weeks after the publication of ILGA Europe’s Annual Review, revealing that, in 2022, Europe saw the “deadliest rise in anti-LGBTI+ violence in over a decade”.

ILGA Europe noted that the translation of hate speech into real-world, physical violence “is not only in countries where hate speech is rife, but also in countries where it is widely believed that LGBTI+ people are progressively accepted.”1

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, CEO of Belong To, Moninne Griffith said:

“Through social media, LGBTQ+ young people can find community and friendship online when faced with offline isolation and bullying; develop new skills and hobbies from their favourite content creators; and be inspired by queer history and the work of LGBTQ+ activists across the globe.

“However, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in the rate of hateful, discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ content shared on social media platforms, and the direct targeting and harassment of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Our research with LGBTQ+ youth highlights the urgent need for social media platforms to be consistent and effective in implementing their community guidelines to prevent the spreading of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic content online.

“We are so thankful to each and every LGBTQ+ young person who shared their experiences and expertise to create this campaign with Belong To.

“It’s our social media – together, we can change it.”

Devised and created by LGBTQ+ young people, the digital campaign gives LGBTQ+ youth a platform to demand change.

The ‘It’s Our Social Media’ campaign shines a light on the responsibility of social media platforms to moderate hateful, anti-LGBTQ+ content through comprehensive and consistent enforcement of community guidelines.

The campaign calls for users to #FeedTheGood and #BlockTheBad on social media, to make platforms safer for LGBTQ+ youth.

This campaign was created with support from Google.org