News
Latest News
news bulletin
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Other News
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Beirut
21
o
Bekaa
16
o
Keserwan
21
o
Metn
21
o
Mount Lebanon
18
o
North
22
o
South
21
o
Live
Video
Audio
Schedule
shows
العربية
watching now
Morning Talk
SUBSCRIBE
Home
Notification
Live
Video
Audio
shows
Beirut
21
o
Bekaa
16
o
Keserwan
21
o
Metn
21
o
Mount Lebanon
18
o
North
22
o
South
21
o
News
Programs
The News
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Programs
Documentaries
Lebanon’s Centennial
News Bulletin
The Untold History
Talk Show
Series
Sports
Variety
Other
Comedy
Oldies
Breaking News
Latest News
Highlighted News
Most Read
Videos
العربية
Watch the latest programs and the latest developments on your favorite screen
Shows
Join millions of followers
Who We Are
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Careers
Channel frequencies
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
Surge in anti-LGBTQ disinformation targets Pride in Europe
World News
2023-06-23 | 05:02
High views
Share
Share
6
min
Surge in anti-LGBTQ disinformation targets Pride in Europe
As Pride events got underway in Europe in June, disinformation and hate speech targeting the LGBTQ community spread across social media, triggering extreme online responses, including incitements to violence.
Advocacy groups across Europe said the deluge of toxic content online is part of an overall trend of rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment worldwide. But the community is coming under particular pressure during public events -- including those associated with Pride, they noted.
The surge in online disinformation and vitriol is all the more worrying after a spate of violence during Pride events last summer in Europe.
One social media post in Polish falsely stating that the army would create "LGBT units" was shared across Telegram, Twitter and Facebook in Serbia.
That prompted some users to comment that the new soldiers should be "burned at the stake", while others praised Hitler's persecution of gay men.
Another false claim, that the Arc de Triomphe in Paris had been turned into a rainbow art installation, went viral in multiple European languages. Facebook users responded with slurs -- one person calling for LGBTQ people to be burned and executed.
In Hungary, where government and pro-government media personalities often use anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, Pride celebrations were referred to online using derogatory, homophobic slurs.
Online, some posts smeared the LGBTQ community with claims of child abuse.
Claims that the community was a danger to society were also widespread.
Posts in Finnish and Croatian either missed or deliberately ignored the satirical nature of a book for adults by a Canadian comedian, Brad Gosse, falsely claiming it was "promoting sex to children" as part of a trans-rights campaign.
"If you think these are actually kids' books, you shouldn't be allowed to vote," he quipped on Twitter.
The wave of false claims and hate speech is part of an increasingly violent public discourse against LGBTQ people, say campaigners.
Some European countries -- such as Spain, Slovenia and Moldova -- have adopted new legislation protecting LGBTQ rights.
But a recent report by the Brussels-based ILGA-Europe (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) found that "the public discourse is becoming more polarised and violent, particularly against trans people".
A May 2023 European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) report said anti-LGBTQ misinformation and disinformation was particularly prolific and "often incites hate against minorities, laws and institutions".
- 'The same tune'-
While some anti-LGBTQ false claims shared on social media in Europe in June first appeared in the United States, others originated in Russia.
AFP fact-checkers found that the video claiming to show Polish public television reporting that the country's army would open "LGBT units" was first shared on Russian propaganda channels in January.
"Russia and the US far-right are playing the same tune," Jakob Svensson, a professor of media and communication science at Malmo University, told AFP.
Svensson's research highlights a synergy between global actors framing progressive laws or the simple visibility of the LGBTQ community as an attack on "traditional values".
Such disinformation campaigns feed into European narratives: false claims about trans athletes filtered from social media in the US to Europe in 2023, where a far-right politician spread them further.
Researchers and campaigners say a lack of sufficient moderation on social media platforms exacerbates the problem.
Aleksandra Gavrilovic -- program coordinator for the Serbian NGO for lesbian human rights Labris -- fears young people are particularly exposed to "content that is neither verified nor accurate".
The lack of consequences for those spreading false claims and hate speech "can also embolden anti-LGBTQ activists and bashers who feel impunity to attack", Svensson added.
- 'Hate campaigners and troll farms' -
The spike in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric around Pride events in Europe is part of a global trend.
Some US Pride celebrations have been scaled back this year, organizers told AFP, especially in states where politicians want to curtail rights, as false claims linking the community to paedophilia and Satanism have amassed across social media platforms.
The surge in disinformation and hate speech around Pride comes as campaigners highlight how physical attacks against LGBTQ people are rising generally in Europe.
ILGA-Europe said Europe and Central Asia had seen the "deadliest rise" in attacks in a decade in 2022 when it announced its annual review, a compilation of incident reports from 54 countries.
Oslo's yearly Pride parade was cancelled last year following a fatal shooting at LGBTQ venues. Bratislava was rocked by a similar attack in front of an LGBTQ bar.
Milos Kovacevic -- legal empowerment coordinator for Serbia-based NGO Da Se Zna! -- told AFP how physical attacks had surged alongside anti-LGBTQ claims online around EuroPride in Belgrade last September.
"Half of the incidents we registered in 2022 happened in August and September," he said.
The leap from online slurs to real-life danger is at the forefront of campaigners' minds.
Remy Bonny -- executive director of EU-wide LGBTQ advocacy group Forbidden Colors -- told AFP how he was targeted online by "hate campaigners and troll farms" earlier this year for trying to convince EU members to join a lawsuit against anti-LGBTQ laws in Hungary.
The director of Hungary's government-backed Center for Fundamental Rights tweeted that Bonny would not be allowed "near Hungarian children".
AFP found dozens of tweets in English from Twitter accounts with Hungarian usernames calling Bonny and LGBTQ people sexual predators.
"Everybody knows how dangerous it can be to publicly call someone a 'groomer' or 'pedophile' without any evidence," Bonny told AFP.
"This jeopardizes my personal security."
AFP
World News
Surge
Anti-LGBTQ
Disinformation
Targets
Pride
Europe
Next
France far-right chief confirms election pact with right-wing party
Recommended For You
d-none hideMe
0
World News
05:31
UK could consider removing proscription of Syria's HTS: Minister
World News
05:31
UK could consider removing proscription of Syria's HTS: Minister
0
Middle East News
05:15
Syria transition must ensure 'accountability' for past crimes, UN says
Middle East News
05:15
Syria transition must ensure 'accountability' for past crimes, UN says
0
Middle East News
05:10
Kremlin says will discuss status of its Syria bases with new authorities
Middle East News
05:10
Kremlin says will discuss status of its Syria bases with new authorities
0
World News
05:06
Kremlin refuses to confirm if Assad in Russia
World News
05:06
Kremlin refuses to confirm if Assad in Russia
Subscribe to our VOD
SUBSCRIBE
Our visitors readings
d-none hideMe
0
Middle East News
02:01
Maher al-Assad's office chief found dead in Damascus, SOHR reports
Middle East News
02:01
Maher al-Assad's office chief found dead in Damascus, SOHR reports
0
Lebanon Economy
05:23
Lebanese dollar-denominated Eurobonds rise following Assad's ouster
Lebanon Economy
05:23
Lebanese dollar-denominated Eurobonds rise following Assad's ouster
0
Lebanon News
2024-11-28
Italian plane arrives at Beirut Airport with medical and humanitarian supplies, Lebanese Army announces
Lebanon News
2024-11-28
Italian plane arrives at Beirut Airport with medical and humanitarian supplies, Lebanese Army announces
0
World News
05:06
Kremlin refuses to confirm if Assad in Russia
World News
05:06
Kremlin refuses to confirm if Assad in Russia
Videos
d-none hideMe
0
Lebanon News
2024-12-05
Israeli force erects barrier near Shebaa's al-Naqqar pond (Video)
Lebanon News
2024-12-05
Israeli force erects barrier near Shebaa's al-Naqqar pond (Video)
0
News Bulletin Reports
2024-12-02
Ed Gabriel on LBCI: 'Now is the time' to enforce Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, stresses agreement includes disarming all militias
News Bulletin Reports
2024-12-02
Ed Gabriel on LBCI: 'Now is the time' to enforce Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, stresses agreement includes disarming all militias
0
Lebanon News
2024-11-28
Lebanon's Ministry of Public Works repair Masnaa road, displaced return following ceasefire
Lebanon News
2024-11-28
Lebanon's Ministry of Public Works repair Masnaa road, displaced return following ceasefire
0
News Bulletin Reports
2024-11-27
US envoy Hochstein: Israel will hold positions in southern Lebanon until Lebanese army deploys
News Bulletin Reports
2024-11-27
US envoy Hochstein: Israel will hold positions in southern Lebanon until Lebanese army deploys
0
Lebanon News
2024-11-23
Fire breaks out in Sin el Fil building, firefighting teams respond (Video)
Lebanon News
2024-11-23
Fire breaks out in Sin el Fil building, firefighting teams respond (Video)
0
Lebanon News
2024-11-23
Debris removal operations continue in Shmustar following the targeting of a three-story building (video)
Lebanon News
2024-11-23
Debris removal operations continue in Shmustar following the targeting of a three-story building (video)
0
Lebanon News
2024-11-23
Second wave of Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs (Video)
Lebanon News
2024-11-23
Second wave of Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs (Video)
0
Lebanon News
2024-11-22
LBCI inspects damage from Israeli strikes on Chiyah in Beirut's suburbs (Video)
Lebanon News
2024-11-22
LBCI inspects damage from Israeli strikes on Chiyah in Beirut's suburbs (Video)
0
Lebanon News
2024-11-22
Lebanese mark 81st Independence Day amid ongoing Israeli assault
Lebanon News
2024-11-22
Lebanese mark 81st Independence Day amid ongoing Israeli assault
Most read
d-none hideMe
24 hours
7 days
Month
1
Middle East News
06:38
Hezbollah pulled all forces out of Syria on Saturday: Two Lebanese security forces tell Reuters
Middle East News
06:38
Hezbollah pulled all forces out of Syria on Saturday: Two Lebanese security forces tell Reuters
2
Middle East News
02:01
Maher al-Assad's office chief found dead in Damascus, SOHR reports
Middle East News
02:01
Maher al-Assad's office chief found dead in Damascus, SOHR reports
3
News Bulletin Reports
13:37
Seizing Syria's Mount Hermon: Israel shifts military focus to Syrian front
News Bulletin Reports
13:37
Seizing Syria's Mount Hermon: Israel shifts military focus to Syrian front
4
Lebanon News
12:03
Israeli army detains two Lebanese farmers near Shebaa Farms: NNA
Lebanon News
12:03
Israeli army detains two Lebanese farmers near Shebaa Farms: NNA
5
Middle East News
10:06
Israeli forces seize Syrian Mount Hermon without resistance: Yedioth Ahronoth
Middle East News
10:06
Israeli forces seize Syrian Mount Hermon without resistance: Yedioth Ahronoth
6
Middle East News
06:30
Regional intelligence sources tell Reuters: Aircraft believed to be Israeli target Khalkhala Airbase in southern Syria
Middle East News
06:30
Regional intelligence sources tell Reuters: Aircraft believed to be Israeli target Khalkhala Airbase in southern Syria
7
Lebanon News
07:51
PM Mikati stresses border security, maintaining Lebanon's neutrality amidst evolving situation in Syria
Lebanon News
07:51
PM Mikati stresses border security, maintaining Lebanon's neutrality amidst evolving situation in Syria
8
Middle East News
10:19
Israel urges residents of Ofaniya, Al Qunaitra, Al-Hamidiyeh, Western Samadaniyah, and Al Qahtaniah in southern Syria to evacuate
Middle East News
10:19
Israel urges residents of Ofaniya, Al Qunaitra, Al-Hamidiyeh, Western Samadaniyah, and Al Qahtaniah in southern Syria to evacuate
Download now the LBCI mobile app
To see the latest news, the latest daily programs in Lebanon and the world
Google Play
App Store
We use
cookies
We use
cookies
to make
your experience on this
website better.
Accept
Learn More