Characterized by fear-mongering, lies, conspiracy theories, dehumanizing tropes, and violent rhetoric, these posts — many by high-follower accounts — aim to boost engagement, generate revenue, and seed hateful narratives about trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people. These accounts profit from such hate, and so does Meta and its shareholders. Meanwhile, LGBTQ people and other targeted groups experience an increasing number of well-documented real-world harms stemming from these long-term anti-LGBTQ propaganda campaigns, driven by the anti-LGBTQ extremists that Meta allows to flourish on its platforms.
Below is a selection of examples of anti-transgender content, with excerpts from the policies they appear to violate (including Meta’s hate speech, violence and incitement, bullying and harassment, and suicide and self-injury policies). Note that much of the content specifically engages in dehumanization. Social media platforms like Meta prohibit dehumanizing speech against historically marginalized groups, because it can be a dangerous precursor to the perpetration of real-world violence. Nonetheless, Meta has either deemed the content not in violation of its policies, or simply didn’t take action on it.
Methodology: GLAAD reported all content via Meta’s standard platform reporting systems from June 2023 – March 2024. Policy violation examples include: the use of extreme anti-trans slurs; the use of malicious dehumanizing tropes such as referring to trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people as “satanic,” “sexual predators,” “terrorists,” “mentally ill,” and “perverts;” targeted misgendering; content promoting so-called “conversion therapy;” targeted harassment of individuals and violent incitement; targeting with violent speech; and intentional coded genocidal calls for “eradication.”
Content warning: The following report includes examples of hate speech targeting transgender people.
To not further amplify anti-LGBTQ hate content or give attention to anti-LGBTQ accounts, the account names are blurred and all links go to archived versions. In most instances violative aspects are highlighted in red. In some cases, we have also blurred the faces of harassment victims.
Screenshot of Facebook post that features a derogatory slur (November 22, 2023)
Screenshot of Facebook post that features a derogatory slur (December 20, 2023)
Screenshot of Facebook post that features a derogatory slur and violative false mental illness assertion (April 7, 2023)
Screenshot of Instagram post that calls trans people “devils” and depicts mob violence against them (March 30, 2023)
“If there’s a movement in this country that is demonic and that is full of the spirit of the antichrist, it is the transgender movement,” an anti-LGBTQ commentator proclaims in a Facebook video (April 4, 2022)
Screenshot of Facebook post that characterizes trans people as being “rooted in Satanism” (August 7, 2023)
Screenshot of Facebook video that characterizes trans people as “pedophiles” (April 6, 2023)
Screenshot of Threads post that falsely claims gay and trans people “sexualize” children (June 15, 2023)
Screenshot of Facebook video that characterizes LGBT people as being “terrorists” (July 15, 2023)
Screenshot of Facebook post that promotes the conspiracy theory of “trans terrorism” (March 28, 2023)
Screenshot of Facebook video that characterizes trans people as being “mentally ill” and “evil” (March 28, 2023)
Screenshot of Facebook post that characterizes trans people as a “mental health illness” (June 7, 2023)
Screenshot of a Facebook post that promotes a conspiracy theory that “billionaire perverts are behind the trans agenda” (April 22, 2023)
Screenshot of Facebook video that promotes a “conversion therapy” product (June 18, 2020)
Screenshot of Instagram post that intentionally misgenders and harasses model Geena Rocero (November 3, 2023)
Screenshot of an Instagram post that leaked photos of Mayor “Bubba” Copeland in feminine clothing prior to the Mayor’s suicide (November 2, 2023)
Screenshot of an Instagram video that mocks Mayor “Bubba” Copeland after the Mayor’s suicide (November 17, 2023)
Screenshot of Instagram post that specifically targets a private, gender-nonconforming teacher (September 21, 2023)
Screenshot of an Instagram post that targets two healthcare providers by naming them and ominously saying something “should be done” to them (January 28, 2024)
Screenshot of an Instagram post that targets a private individual by listing their account name and saying “they’re after your kids.” (January 26, 2024)