Meta released new guidelines this week for Facebook, Instagram and Threads, outlining what users can and cannot say on the platforms. And the new policies include a huge shift in how LGBTQ2S+ users can be treated.
“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 like ‘weird,’” the policy reads.
The move comes amidst other changes at the company indicating a political shift to the right in alignment with incoming U.S. president Donald Trump, including a dissolution of fact-checking services in the U.S. and the appointment of UFC’s Dana White to Meta’s board. The company has also already donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund.
Senior editor Mel Woods explains why the presence of the word “transgenderism” in a policy like this is concerning, and how this hate speech policy shift could pave the way for more harassment of queer and trans users on these platforms.
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