GLAAD has released its “2025 Social Media Safety Index” evaluating seven of the country’s largest social media platforms on how well they protect LGBTQ+ users. The platforms assessed—Facebook, Instagram, Threads (Meta), TikTok, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Snapchat—were scored based on their LGBTQ+ user safety, policy transparency, enforcement and protections against harassment and disinformation. No platform […]
Tag: Social media
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
The impact of social media on LGBTQ+ youth mental health, and why it’s important
A 2023 LGBTQ+ youth report by the Human Rights Campaign found that 55.1% of surveyed LGBTQ+ youth screened positive for depression, and those that were transgender or gender-expansive were screened at 60%. Although 9 in 10 felt proud to be LGBTQ+, more than 4 in 10 of them felt critical of their respective identities. The […]
Posted inTop Stories
BIPOC LGBTQ+ folks are creating virtual support networks post election
In today’s digital world, technology is transforming how people connect and support each other. For LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals, creating safe spaces online has become more crucial than ever. In the wake of the political uncertainty surrounding a second Trump presidency, these spaces offer a lifeline for those who feel targeted or threatened by policies […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
Trans experiences with the internet range from ‘harrowing’ to ‘powerful’
Alex, 29, would not have met their friends without the internet. While living in a small city surrounded by farmland, finding community was not always easy. Alex tried out one of those apps for adults seeking to make friends. It turned out to be a remarkable success. “I’ve made my friend group as a direct result of […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
LGBTQ+ social media platforms center on queer spaces, community connection
A gay man living in a rural area has recently come out of the closet and is looking for LGBTQ+ friends; a lesbian has moved to a new city where she hopes to find a local queer femme social group; a nonbinary person has started hormone replacement therapy and wants to share the changes they’re […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
From LGBTQ+ book bans to internet bans: A bipartisan attack on knowledge
“They had LGBTQ-inclusive books in every single classroom and school library,” Maxx Fenning says of his high school experience. “They were even working on LGBTQ-specific course codes to get approved by the state,” he said, describing courses on queer studies and LGBTQ Black history. No, Fenning didn’t grow up in Portland or a Boston suburb. […]