The Metaverse Will Not Be a Home for LGBTQ+ Folks, Just Like Instagram
So my account was disabled by Instagram.It sucks. I didn’t think this would sting so much. Except as I think about it and how it went down, it falls into a pattern of homophobia, sex-negativity, and discrimination on Meta’s social platforms that has been happening for years.
If you are reading this, you’ve probably heard about it before. But it’s time that we — and I mean all of us as individuals within the LGBTQ+ community as well as organizations like the It Gets Better Project, the Human Rights Campaign, and GLAAD — stood against it.Over the past few years, Meta — the company that owns platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among others — has developed a reputation for instituting guidelines and enforcement strategies that overpolice various communities.
Watching this play out on Instagram, specifically, can be particularly alarming: Posts by straight musical artists and creators that enjoy wide distribution — sometimes even promoted by the platform — get LGBTQ+ people, sex workers, and sex educators suspended, shadow-banned, disabled or de-platformed for life.
Since the new year, I’ve personally had more than 20 post removal notifications from Instagram. One post featured me holding a wine bottle where I was accused of violating “guidelines on sale of illegal or regulated goods” like drugs, guns, or explosives.
