The Internet can be many things, but above all, it is a vast space for free expression. Many members of the LGBTQIA+ community come online to live their true selves and band together to form social circles of their own. But as in the real world, prejudice and hate also exist online, shrinking the little spaces the LGBTQIA+ have where they can safely express and navigate their identities.
Major social media platforms have prided themselves to provide a safe and inclusive space for the queer community, but studies have shown otherwise. In 2023, Facebook and Twitter were determined to have failed in safeguarding queer people from hate speech and harassment according to GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index 2023.
The report pointed to the platforms’ inadequate content moderation policies, leniency on gender disinformation, and lack of transparency, factors that further expose the vulnerable LGBTQIA+ users to discrimination and abuse. Having to deal with this kind of environment, LGBTQIA+ are dissuaded from participating and engaging with urgent conversations online, especially on matters involving information about their health and well-being.
Acknowledging the importance of diverse voices in developing a better digital world, the Foundation for Media Alternatives is a proud ally and staunch defender of the LGBTQIA+ in their fight for safe spaces online and in the real world. We value the importance of these spaces as these allow LGBTQIA+ users to freely communicate, educate, seek opportunities, and build communities to counter harmful ideologies and behavior.
This Pride March, FMA celebrates the equally colorful and powerful history of the LGBTQIA+ struggle which continues to the present day. There is still a lot of work to do, but together, we can make a huge stride towards a more equitable world.
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