Hey there! We’ve got some news to share with you, and it’s about social media and how they treat LGBTQ+ people. So, this group called GLAAD looked into all the major social media platforms to see how well they protect LGBTQ+ users from hate speech and mean behavior.

And you know what they found? They said that all of these platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter, didn’t do a great job in keeping LGBTQ+ users safe. But guess which one was the worst? Yep, it’s Twitter.

GLAAD made a special scorecard called the “Social Media Safety Index” to rate these platforms, and Twitter got the lowest score. In fact, its score went down from last year!

They said Twitter is “the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people.” Oh, and something funny happened when Tesla CEO Elon Musk took over Twitter. He got rid of most of the people who used to talk to the press, and now they only answer with an automated emoji message.

Twitter: LGBTQ+ Safety Fail

• LGBTQ+ advocates have been warning for a long time that mean things said online can lead to bad stuff happening offline. It’s not fair, and it can hurt people’s feelings and make them sad. GLAAD’s CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, said they have to help LGBTQ+ people who get targeted with mean stuff online almost every week. They have to stop the hate and protect their friends from all the mean words and actions. It’s really gotten worse than ever before!
• You know, when Elon Musk took over Twitter, the number of attacks on LGBTQ+ users went up a lot. It’s because he made a lot of changes and got rid of many people who used to watch over the tweets. Now, there aren’t enough people to handle all the mean and bad stuff that gets posted. Elon Musk also talks with some people who have bad ideas and spreads wrong information to his millions of followers.
• One time, Twitter even changed its rules to be less strict about bullying transgender people.  But there is some good news too! Another company called Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has improved their safety measures for LGBTQ+ users. They got a better score this year. But GLAAD says they still need to do better in enforcing their rules all the time.
• TikTok also did a little better, and they are proud to protect LGBTQ+ people from mean words and actions. YouTube also got a better score this year. They say they’re working hard to remove hateful content and show people the right things.
• Elon Musk and some others think that everyone should be able to say whatever they want online. But GLAAD says that’s not fair. This is because sometimes people use their words to bully and hurt others. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can be mean to others. It’s like a big town square where people should be able to talk and share different ideas without hurting anyone’s feelings.
• So, friends, it’s important to remember to be kind and respectful online. And if you see someone being mean to others because of who they are, stand up for them and tell them that it’s not okay. Together, we can make social media a better and happier place for everyone!

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Watch a video

Discover a heartfelt video that guides us on how to navigate and cope with the presence of hate speech in the online world.

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