Thorne Harbour Quits Elon Musk’s X In Stand Against Anti-LGBTQI Hate

Thorne Harbour Health has announced that they’ll be deleting their account on X (formerly Twitter) as a stand against anti-LGBTQI hate.

The organisation says the removal of their X account will align with IDAHOBIT (International Day Against LGBTIQ+ Discrimination) on May 17.

“Being on a platform that defends hate speech toward LGBTIQ+ communities in the name of freedom of expression is not in alignment with our mission. It would be a disservice to our communities to maintain a presence on X,” said Thorne Harbour Health CEO Simon Ruth.

 

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“There have been a number of changes on X, including dissolving its hate speech advisory group, removing protections for trans users, and restoring problematic accounts,” Thorne Harbour’s Acting Director of Health Promotion, Policy and Communications Caleb Hawk told Star Observer.

“When we joined Twitter in 2009, the landscape was different and the public discourse on the platform offered us a valuable avenue for connecting with a number of stakeholders, but millions of people have left the platform in the last 18 months and with good reason.

“We have seen a growing number of hateful and discriminatory comments aimed at the communities we serve go unchecked. Seeing that in social media has a negative impact on your health and wellbeing, and the evidence around those negative impacts are only growing. We’re committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our communities, so we think it’s important to move the conversation to safer online spaces.”

Hate on X has real-world consequences

The health organisation says that X is “the most egregious social media platform in its failure to enforce policies that shield LGBTIQ+ users from abuse”, and that online hate “extends into the real world with devastating consequences”.

‘LGBTIQ+ youth in particular experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and paranoia when encountering online harassment and have an increased risk of self-harm and suicide,” read a statement from Thorne Harbour.

Anti-LGBTQI+ hate increased since Elon Musk took over

The org cited studies conducted by GLAAD and Amnesty International USA, which show an increase in anti-LGBTIQ+ rhetoric on X since Elon Musk took the helm at the platform.

The anti-LGBTQI+ hate appears to be directly linked to recent changes brought in by Musk, including reinstatement of banned accounts, dissolution of anti-hate speech units, and removal of protections for trans and gender diverse users.

Musk’s recent challenge to Australia’s E-Safety Commissioner, threatening to initiate legal action after being asked to take down a user’s offensive anti-trans post from its social media platform, is a real-world example of prioritising ‘free speech’ over ‘freedom to exist without being discriminated against’.

“There seems to be a growing number of contentious issues being raised with X by Australia’s eSafety Commission, and they mirror a broader discussion around the freedom of speech,” Hawk told Star Observer.

“The right to free speech is important, but it exists alongside a number of other rights including the right to be protected from discrimination, incitement, and hate speech.”

Thorne Harbour says they will be encouraging other LGBTQI+ organisations to follow suit, and take a stand against platforms that don’t prioritise safety for LGBTQI+ people and other marginalised groups.

“The mental health and wellbeing of our communities is a top priority in the online spaces we choose to occupy. Everyone deserves to feel safe expressing themselves on social media, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.”

“We invite all our communities to take stock of their relationship with social media. If you find that a platform does not support your wellbeing, we would encourage you to consider taking a break or leaving the platform altogether,” reads the Thorne Harbour statement.

Thorne Harbour still has its accounts on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.