Mark Zuckerberg’s social media company Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, earlier this year rolled back rules protecting LGBTQ+ users from hate speech.
That was supposed to align Meta “with mainstream discourse,” following similar changes made at Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). It may also have been intended to aid in Zuckerberg’s efforts to align with the Trump administration, and particularly its multi-pronged efforts to redefine gender.
Many LGBTQ+ youth are concerned that the backlash against LGBTQ+-affirming online communities will eliminate spaces where they’ve felt safe, or at least safer, in expressing their identities and connecting with peers.
A new study, “Without it I wouldn’t be here today,” found that more than 75% of LGBTQ+ youths aged 15 to 24 have serious concerns about federal and state government restrictions on online content that support their LGBTQ+ identities. The survey of more than 1,200 LGBTQ+ young people, half of whom identified as people of color, was conducted for San Francisco-based impact investor Hopelab and Born This Way Foundation, the philanthropic nonprofit founded by actress and singer Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Bissett Germanotta.
Contrary to what their parents, teachers and allies might think about social media, nearly half of the group of LGBTQ+ young people, particularly those who identify as transgender and nonbinary, say they feel very safe in online spaces. Just 9% say they feel “very safe” in person, while 92% say they feel somewhat safe expressing their identities online, the study shows. Only about half reported feeling at least somewhat safe doing so in person.
Expressions of kindness related to LGBTQ+ identities are more common online than in person, according to the study. More than six out of 10 participants reported that people were very kind regarding their LGBTQ+ identities online, compared to just over two out of 10 for in-person spaces.
That’s especially important in a time that LGBTQ+ youths are seeing an increase in poor mental health and wellbeing. More than three in five of participants in the Hopelab and Born This Way study have screened positive for generalized anxiety disorder; more than half of participants screened positive for depression.
More than one in three young people have experienced bullying and teasing online due to their LGBTQ+ identity in the past year, the Hopelab and Born This Way study reports. LGBTQ+ young people living in rural areas are disproportionately affected by the toxic political discourse, due to a lack of support in their in-person communities. They’re experiencing higher levels of online bullying compared to their suburban and urban peers, the study shows.
“Our research reveals that online spaces are essential environments for identity exploration, support and community,” says HopeLab’s Amy Green, who heads Hopelab’s research. “As digital platforms evolve, policymakers and the platforms themselves must partner with LGBTQ+ young people to ensure safer, more inclusive spaces that reflect their lived experiences and needs.”
Mental health portfolio
The study comes as state governments, including Texas, Nebraska, Florida and Tennessee, introduce restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. Donald Trump has targeted transgender and nonbinary people with a series of executive actions since he returned to the White House.
The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is currently tracking more than 500 bills that could harm the US’ LGBTQ+ population.
Other studies have reported a surge in online harassment, such as derogatory slurs and violence threats, targeting LBGTQ+ individuals over the past year, particularly young people aged 13 to 24. The increase in online hate is attributed mainly to increased visibility of LGBTQ+ issues in political debates on social media.
Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation aims to expand access to mental health resources to young people. The foundation offers mental health training through its Be There Certification, which helps young people identify and support their peers with their mental health struggles. The free online course has trained over 60,000 young people since 2022.
Born This Way’s Kindness in Community Fund, a youth-led grantmaking fund, has deployed $5 million to 260 nonprofits to expand access to free mental health resources for young people globally.
Last year, the fund backed California-based Laurel Foundation, which provides support for transgender and gender-diverse youth living with HIV and AIDS; and Virginia-based Ryan Bartel Foundation, which aims to prevent youth suicide through awareness, educational programs and youth-centered activies.
Hopelab’s portfolio of companies expanding access to mental health services for young people includes Stanford Calif.-based Vita Health, which offers teen suicide prevention teletherapy for LGBTQ+ and Black youths; Lex, based in New York, offers a safe digital community for LGBTQ+ youth to address mental health, loneliness and connection.
(disclosure: Hopelab supports ImpactAlpha’s coverage of Healthy Youth).
