Many of us in the LGBTIQ+ community were alarmed to hear about the change to Meta's Hateful Conduct policy and the removal of independent fact-checkers to moderate its platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. 

The sweeping changes will have serious consequences for the safety of our community, which is already under siege from far-right commentators and hate groups.

The CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg met with President-elect Donald Trump just prior to the announcement in January 2024.

Mark Zuckerberg and US President Donald Trump.

The details are troubling. For example, a specific injunction against calling transgender or non-binary people' it' has been removed from the policy, and a new clause has been added which allows for allegations of 'mental illness' or 'abnormality' based on a person's gender or sexual orientation.

According to E-Safety research in Australia, the LGBTQ+ community experiences online hate at more than double the national average, and the changes at Meta will make the problem worse. Less protection online will lead to more hate speech and real-world impacts on the LGBTIQ+ community.

It is already happening on the ground in Australia.

Several performers dropped out of the 2024 Feast Festival burlesque and drag show in South Australia after abusive comments were posted online. Karney Doll, the producer of the event reported the comments to SA Police and hired security, but she said some performers felt threatened, resulting in many dropping out of the show.

'We're trying to bring something together that creates a positive experience within the community, but people saying those comments destroys communities.'

About 90 kilometres south in the town of Burra, organisers of the state's third annual Country Pride Picnic said they were also targeted online when they advertised the event on social media. Burra resident, Deb Selway said that despite a strong community of allies in the region, the vitriol prompted organisers to hire security for the first time.

'It was really unexpected to receive this sort of pushback from the general community and it is hurtful for LGBTQ+ people to have that negative feedback put on us.'

Feast Festival CEO, Tish Naughton said they run multiple arts events throughout SA, and it's more than just a platform to celebrate queer artists and culture in the state. 'We come together to showcase the strength and resilience of LGBTQ+ communities.'

The LGBTQ+ community in Wangaratta in Victoria has also faced opposition from hate groups on social media. In 2023, the local council announced a decision to delay the Rainbow Ball for the safety of participants, due to the event being targeted by far-right and neo-Nazi groups.

Mayor Dean Rees said:

'We are extremely disappointed that there has been some hateful narrative around the event. We do not accept this, but cannot risk an event that is about fun and celebration posing a risk to anyone attending.'

In Queensland, transgender woman Chelsea Morrigan said they were not surprised by the policy changes at Meta. The local Rockhampton artist told reporters they had received multiple death threats both in person and online related to their gender and identity, which left them fearing for their safety.

Chelsea is concerned that without protections through Meta's policies, it will only get worse.

The changes at Meta come after the removal of multiple LGBTQ+ Facebook groups that were flagged as 'at risk' for cybersecurity breaches. The pages included links to local services and events, and mental health organisations.

Beven Davenport from an LGBTQ+ community group in Bundaberg said their posts were removed by Facebook. 'We started getting notifications saying the group had been suspended due to 'malicious malware' linking to Beyond Blue, Lifeline, Headspace and Black Dog,' he told the ABC.

Queensland Council for LGBTQ+ Health chief executive, Rebecca Reynolds said the removal of groups from Facebook has been widely reported across Queensland and interstate. She said that social and online connections were crucial, especially outside major cities.

'It helps promote fairness, inclusion, and mental well-being, strengthening communities, families and friend groups, and it reduces isolation.'

A spokesperson for federal Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland said social media companies like Meta were expected to comply with Australian law and all people were entitled to respect, equality and freedom from harm online.

How likely is this with a Trump administration being inaugurated this week?

Donald Trump showed utter contempt for the LGBTQ+ community in his campaign and used anti-transgender and 'anti-woke' slurs to appeal to voters. His bigoted views are gaining traction here, particularly on social media.

The LGBTQ+ community must brace for a tumultuous political landscape in 2025. Social media companies like Meta are falling in line with the Trump administration, and removing safeguards that protect us from abuse online. They are neglecting their duty of care so toxic and divisive commentary can thrive.

The LGBTQ+ community can't be intimidated. We need to stand up to hate groups, and our politicians need to stand with us. Cancelling LGBTQ+ events will just give the bigots more strength.

This article was written by James May. James is well-published in the LGBTQ+ media and his writing has also appeared in The Guardian, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and Canberra Times.

META POLICY CHANGES

After Mark Zuckerberg's announcement of sweeping changes to oversight of content on its platforms, multiple edits have been made to its policies including the following which may effect LGBTIQ users.

• A specific injunction against calling transgender or non-binary people "it" has been deleted.
• A new section has been added making clear that "we do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation". It said this was a reflection of "political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like 'weird'".
• It also says the policies are designed to allow room for types of speech including people calling "for exclusion or [using] insulting language in the context of discussing political or religious topics, such as when discussing transgender rights, immigration or homosexuality".
• Meta's policies are unchanged in saying that users should not post content targeting a person or group of people on the basis of their protected characteristics or immigration status with dehumanising speech with comparisons to animals, pathogens or sub-human life forms such as cockroaches and locusts. But the changes suggest it may now be possible to compare women to household objects or property and to compare people to faeces, filth, bacteria, viruses, diseases and primitives.
• It should also be possible now to say transgender people "do not exist".
• Meta has deleted warnings against self-admission of racism, homophobia and Islamophobia. It has also deleted warnings against expressions of hate, such as calling people "c*nt”, "dick" and "assh*le".

"While we still strongly urge Meta to change course, for now, it is up to us to take action — and together, we will rise to the challenge. We must continue to show up and maintain resilience on behalf of our community, and to speak out against hate. Our fearless speech matters, and it is a key lever in our continued fight for equality." — HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN