LGBTQ+ flags on badges

Teguan Harris

Mark Zuckerberg made the controversial decision to relax all hate conduct policies in favour of free speech at the expense of marginalised communities. 

Hate speech has always existed on social media, but it continues to worsen. With the new Meta rules relaxed regarding hate speech, marginalised communities will continue to suffer from bigotry, specifically those of the LGBTQ+ community.

According to Press Gazette, queer journalists are leaving Meta social media platforms and switching to safer ones, such as Bluesky. As they are leaving major platforms, queer journalists are left without spaces to tell their stories, which is unfair and upsetting. In a climate where hate is still acceptable, queer voices and representation are needed more than ever.

What Are The New Meta Policies?

On 7th January 2025, Mark Zuckerberg announced worrying changes to Meta, declaring he would cease moderating topics that are “subjects of frequent political discourse and debate.”

On Meta, he also made updates to the Hateful Conduct policy, which allowed users to describe LGTBQ+ people as “abnormal” and “mentally ill” because of who they are, according to AP News.

“We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words such as ‘weird’,” the update to the guidelines reads.

“The policies also expose a horrific truth, which is that free speech has lost its meaning.”

Zuckerberg has also removed third-party fact-checking services in favour of a community notes system – a similar system adopted by Elon Musk when he took over X.

According to NBC News, he removed more hate policies that prohibited racism, ableism, gender identity and insults about a person’s religious affiliation. Zuckerberg also allows users to refer to transgender or nonbinary people as “it.”

Removing the hate speech policy affects marginalised journalists heavily, but it also affects many people who seek stories on social media. The relaxed policies are depicting that marginalised journalists, specifically queer journalists, are no longer worth protecting. Letting queer journalists be vulnerable to hate online is appalling and abominable. Not only does this show that queer journalists’ safeguarding does not matter, but it also greatly affects queer news readers too.

However, it especially affects their representation.

Social Media Is Integral For Journalism

With this new journalistic age, countless journalists turn to social media to share their work and report on stories that matter, but because of the new Hateful Conduct policy, many writers are much more vulnerable to hate and bigotry.

With social media now being one of the top ways in which people get their news, it has also become one of the most important tools for journalists to get their work seen. Without social media, many stories that matter would not get the reach they need.

Statistics from Prioridata show that Facebook has the most users, with 3.04 billion users globally. Meanwhile, Instagram is the fourth most popular, with 2 billion users.

In 2024, Statista reported Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp were the most popular social media sites alongside YouTube. According to an Ofcom report from 2024, approximately 30 per cent of users utilize Facebook to access the news, and 21 per cent of young adults use Instagram. This shows that social media is integral for adults, especially queer people, as many adults are accessing news on the platforms.

Queer Journalists Are Migrating To Safer Platforms

Many queer people have expressed their grief over the new policies in their subreddits, sharing that they’re thinking of leaving Facebook, according to Slate.

Many people in the LGBTQ+ community have been using Facebook for nearly a decade. Others have even sought Facebook as a community with their fellow queer allies.

Sadly, the misuse of free speech has prioritised hateful opinions over safety.

Reddit is one social media platform that queer journalists have turned to. Another is a rising social media platform that is considered a safer alternative to X: Bluesky. Jack Dorsey founded the app after Musk bought X and transformed it into an “anti-woke” platform.

However, using these platforms may not be the best way for queer journalists to share their stories. As many social media users are still not on Bluesky, the app could limit queer journalists reach, which will quieten their voice in the news. As Meta platforms are unsafe, Zuckerberg is forcing queer journalists to limit their reach by going onto less popular platforms, and in a way, using the new policies to silence queer journalists.

We Need Queer Voices

With hate already existing on social media, the relaxed hate policies are only going to fuel more violence against queer people. The policies also expose a horrific truth, which is that free speech has lost its meaning. Free speech does not mean you are free from the consequences. In Zuckerberg’s case, being hateful gets bigots rewarded with a platform. 

It’s important for LGBTQ+ journalists to remain on Meta platforms, as they are the most popular. With queer journalists using the platforms, they are able to have their voices heard and reach more people than Bluesky. Their presence alone fights hatred and bigotry, and queer readers need their representation now more than ever. However, it’s understandable that they don’t want to remain on platforms that make them feel unsafe online.

“Without social media, many stories that matter would not get the reach they need.”

To tackle hate on Meta platforms, users should call out any bigoted comments and offensive language. Although calling out offensive comments will not end bigotry, it is still important to take a stance against hate.

Right now, the best course of action is to report bigoted behaviour online. This is the firmest way to send a message that hate is unacceptable and should not go unpunished.

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Featured image courtesy of Marek Studzinski via Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image licence found here.

Writer and journalist. University graduate in English Literature. Book reader, word lover and Notion enthusiast.

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