BY: DM
Published 6 hours ago
For many queer users, logging onto Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or Facebook used to mean finding community. Now, it feels dangerous. New reports from GLAAD, HRC, ADL, and other watchdogs warn that these social media platforms have become virtual minefields for LGBTQIA+ people. Trans and nonbinary users are especially at risk, say advocates, as algorithmic abuses and content bans target their voices.
Studies suggest that social media may be dangerous for LGBTQIA+ folks.
GLAAD’s 2025 Social Media Safety Index gave every platform a failing grade—even the “best” score was just 56/100 (TikTok)—and X scored a weak 30/100. An AP analysis summarizes the picture: “Major social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube have failed to protect LGBTQIA+ users from hate and harassment.” The group’s CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, warns that, in this climate, “companies are profiting from the flames of anti-LGBTQIA+ hate instead of ensuring basic safety.”
“At a time when real-world violence and harassment against LGBTQIA+ people is on the rise, social media companies are profiting from the flames of anti-LGBTQIA+ hate instead of ensuring the basic safety of LGBTQ users,” Ellis said. “These low scores should terrify anyone who cares about creating safer, more inclusive online spaces.”
GLAAD’s data finds platform rollbacks and opaque algorithms are “actively undermining” queer safety. Its key findings note that Meta and YouTube policy changes “present grave threats” to LGBTQIA+ people. GLAAD documented a “dual crisis. The org suggested that sites are failing to moderate hate and routinely suppressing queer expression. The organization found patterns of wrongful takedowns — accounts erased, posts “demonetized or shadowbanned, even non-hateful queer content mislabeled as “explicit”— often without explanation.
Social media changes have real-world consequences.
In January, Mark Zuckerberg announced a sweeping overhaul of Meta’s rules, framed as a “free speech” push. YouTube has had its own rollback. GLAAD found that YouTube quietly removed “gender identity and expression” from its hate-speech policy. Nowhere is the culture shift more visible than on X. Queer users say Musk’s takeover has turned the site into a free-for-all. GLAAD and other groups noted that “attacks on LGBTQIA+ users have increased substantially” since Musk arrived.
This isn’t just online drama — experts warn it spills into the real world. Extreme content can radicalize viewers and legitimize abuse offline. HRC points out that nearly 1-in-5 hate crimes in the U.S. are now motivated by anti-LGBTQIA+ bias. According to HRC, the past two years have been the deadliest on record for transgender Americans — especially Black trans women.
Mental health also suffers. Being bombarded with hate takes a toll, and many LGBTQIA+ teens say they fear going online. ADL surveys show that transgender adults overwhelmingly worry about future harassment (92% worry about hate targeting their gender identity, versus 26% of non-trans people).
Meanwhile, advocacy groups are sounding the alarm and demanding action. GLAAD urges all platforms to “urgently and tangibly prioritize LGBTQIA+ safety.” With queer lives and voices on the line, the demand is simple but urgent. Until then, every login is a risk.
Do you feel safer online now than you did a few years ago? Comment below!
