ONLINE VIOLENCE

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Cyberhomophobia and cybertransphobia

The Internet offers incredible opportunities for learning, gathering and entertaining. However, LGBTQ + people are still targeted on digital platforms, and this violence, which is rarely taken seriously, has real and harmful consequences for individuals. Since cyberhomophobia and cybertransphobia take place online, bullies do not witness the pain they cause and, therefore, it is easy for these people to continue or even intensify their attacks, which they might not do if they had the person opposite. The insults, taunts and threats circulating online hurt real people.

What is cyberhomophobia / cybertransphobia?

NEGATIVE ATTITUDES

Cyberhomophobia or cybertransphobia is the spread of negative attitudes towards homosexuality and gender identity.

It often portrays sexual and gender minorities as inferior or abnormal and can take the form of jokes, mockery, hateful and hostile language, disparagement and stereotyping of LGBT people.

WORDS THAT HURT

Some words and phrases can hurt people even without meaning to. It would be better to banish them from his communications, to which must be added the insults: “fif”, “tranny”, “fagot”, “moumoune”, “butch”, “dyke”, “queer”, etc.

SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES

Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are said to be twice as likely as heterosexual youth to report cyberbullying and bullying at school.

One-third of young people who are bullied on the web report symptoms of depression.

HATE SPEECH

Hate speech (often found on social networks) is a type of speech that attacks a community or a member of a community on the basis of one of its characteristics (eg: sexual orientation, gender identity) . It is based on stereotypes and has the effect of:

Injure (eg: insults);
Provoke fear (eg threats);
Dehumanize (eg: comparison with animals or disease);
Isolate (present the group deemed “abnormal” as fundamentally different from the majority).

CYBER BULLYING

We talk about cyberbullying when a person becomes the target of the actions of other people, using computers, cell phones or other devices, and the goal is to embarrass, humiliate, humiliate, torment, threaten or harass her. (Public Safety Canada)

NUMBERS

73% of LGBTQ + people said they've been personally attacked or harassed online ( According to VpnMentor ).
35% of LGBT youth bullyed online reported having had suicidal ideation as a result of cyberbullying. 1
x2 the proportion of the population who has ever experienced cyberbullying at some point in their life has almost doubled between 2007 (18%) and 2016 (34%). 2
1/5 of LGBT youth think cyberbullying is a normal and inevitable part of life online. 3

How often Canadians say they witness derogatory comments about homosexuals, on Facebook (2013)

ISSUES

WHO IS AFFECTED?

Online violence affects everyone, but some communities are particularly targeted, such as LGBTQ + communities. Even within these communities, not everyone is affected in the same way. In addition, non-LGBTQ + people can also experience homophobia and transphobia when they are perceived as LGBTQ + or when they are associated with LGBTQ + people (eg: children of LGBTQ + families, heterosexual people dating a bisexual person , trans or asexual).

A TABOO VIOLENCE

Online violence is taken very little seriously, yet it has very real consequences. Unfortunately, many do not dare to tell the authorities or their relatives about it. The vpnMentor study shows that many participants minimize the harassment suffered and excuse this behavior which is "usual". Some people resign themselves and endure this violence in silence, others withdraw from social networks or hide their identity.

A VICIOUS CIRCLE

Cyberbullying is a vicious cycle: A 2012 study (Arslan, Savaser, Hallett, & Balci) shows that victims of cyberbullying are more likely to be cyberbullied because revenge can become a coping mechanism. Additionally, this study shows that cyberbullying increases your chances of being cyberbullied by 20 times.

It is therefore essential to break the circle.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Women in LBTQ + communities are generally more at risk of sexual harassment. Bisexual and lesbian women often receive requests for sexual favors (eg: proposed "threesome") which can be dehumanizing and harassing. Asexual people are often targeted by people who wish to "convince" or "convert" them to sexuality. Finally, trans people (and especially women) are often the object of fetishization and unhealthy curiosity.

OUTING

People who haven't come out to everyone around them may be blackmailed or targeted by evil people. Transgender women are the most likely to have their identities exposed online against their will. Disclosure of LGBTQ + identity can potentially lead to the reception of hate messages, create hostile family dynamics, damage a career, or even put the person in danger. Remember that in most of the world, discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity is not illegal, and in many countries, homosexuality is still criminalized. (See the International page)

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Did you know ?

Almost two-thirds (65%) of Canadians say they intervene when faced with homophobia in their everyday life, but less than half (44%) say they do so when it does. is happening on the Internet. (2015)

SOLUTIONS

REPORT

If you see violent content (incitement to hatred, threats, etc.) report the content or its author to the platform.

BLOCK

If you no longer wish to be contacted by someone, do not hesitate to block them.

HIDE

If you are a loader of a page, you can hide or remove comments that do not match your page values.

MAKE A COMPLAINT

If you receive threatening messages, or are harassed, you can file a complaint.

No one has a responsibility to educate the world about LGBTQ + issues in their spare time, especially when it involves being insulted. However, responding may change their minds, especially passive bystanders or people who are more ignorant than malicious.

RESOURCES:

PRIDE FLAGGING is a collaborative project carried out as part of May 17 to curb cyberhomophobia and cybertransphobia. Enable the browser extension on Twitter to automatically identify hateful comments and streamline the reporting process.