Hateful references to LGBT+ people and their allies exploded on social media platforms following Florida’s passage of what opponents have called the “Don’t Say Gay” law, while online networks have failed to combat surging homophobic and transphobic attacks, according to a report.
Research from the Human Rights Campaign and the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that the use of slurs like “groomer” and “pedophile” surged by more than 400 per cent within the month after the bill was signed into law, which broadly prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and could open schools to lawsuits aimed at chilling classroom speech among LGBT+ students and teachers, opponents have argued.
