One of the pages reported to FightAgainstHate.com is a homophobic community on Facebook called “Resistance Against Sodomite Fascisti”. In its About page, it explains its agenda: “We are the resistance against the evil sodomite agenda of perversion, immorality, and gay supremacy!” By equating homosexuality with perversion and immorality, it promotes hate, fear and persecution of the LGBTIQ community.
The first post on the page was made on May 7, 2014; since then the page has gained only 70 likes. It may not be particularly popular, but how has it remained on Facebook for other year without being removed?
While acceptance of LGBTI community has taken long strides in the past few decades, it still faces considerable prejudice and marginalisation. A 2013 report “LGBTI People: Mental Health & Suicide” states that a disproportionate number of LGBTI people suffer from experience worse health outcomes than their non-LGBTI peers in a range of areas, in particular mental health and suicidality. It further reveals that discrimination and exclusion are the key factors behind their mental ill-health and suicide rates.
Given this background, it is important that we highlight pages that promote further discrimination and exclusion of the LGBTI community. It is also worth noting that members of the LGBTIQ community are more likely to face cyberbullying and cyber harassment. While the extent of such bullying and harassment has not been measured, as this Australian government website states, “The incidence of cyberbullying has increased greatly in recent years with the proliferation of online social networking tools. There have been high profile cases of LGBTI young people being bullied and harassed online that have resulted in self harm and suicide”.
This briefing:
- Shows why this particular page is homophobic with a series of examples from the page itself.
- Explains how you can report this page and its hateful content to Facebook and to OHPI’s online hate reporting tool FightAgainstHate.com.
The Homophobic nature of the page
This page promotes the idea that homosexuality is a perversion, it promotes conspiracy theories about a homosexual agenda, and promotes violence against LGBTI rights advocates, In this section we discuss each of these themes and provides examples from the page.
Homosexuality is a perversion
In its very first post, the page links to an article connecting homosexuality and bestiality arguing that acceptance of the first will necessarily lead us towards the acceptance of the second. This is an old argument used to drum up fear against acceptance of homosexuality, and is so unacceptable in mainstream society that in 2012, Senator Cory Bernardi had to resign as Tony Abbott’s parliamentary secretary because of the backlash caused by similar comments.
You can view this item live on Facebook and report it here
In another post, the community belittles the inclusion of the history of the LGBTI community at the Smithsonian Museum in New York. It makes dubious and unsubstantiated scientific arguments that the acceptance of homosexuality will eventually lead to the end of the human race.
You can view this item live on Facebook and report it here
Conspiracy theories
Another post links to a YouTube video claiming that promotion of homosexual rights was part of a carefully coordinated act of world domination.
You can view this item live on Facebook and report it here
Historically, “Illuminati” refers to an Enlightenment-era secret society based in Bavaria. However, in common parlance, it is used to refer to organisations that conspire to control world affairs, by controlling governments, financial agencies, media etc. Such content is usually used to promote fear and suspicion of groups.
Promoting violence against the LGBTI community
The page subtly promotes violence against the LGBTI community by using words such as “hanged” and “put to death” for people who support equality of the gay community. It calls for the burning of Rainbow flag (rainbow is often associated with the gay rights struggle) and promotes violent imagery with respect to the gay community.
You can view this item live on Facebook and report it here
You can view this item live on Facebook and report it here
You can view this item live on Facebook and report it here
Report this page
Please help us by taking a minute to report this group to Facebook. If enough people report it, hopefully Facebook will reconsider and remove it. Don’t be surprised if initially your reports of this content are rejected.
Reporting the community to Facebook
- Visit the page on Facebook by clicking here.
- Click the ellipsis to the right of the Message button to drop down the page interaction menu, then click Report Page.
- Select “I think it shouldn’t be on Facebook”, then click Continue.
- Select the type of offense; in this case “Gender or orientation”, then click Continue.
- Click “Submit to Facebook for Review” and then done.
More detailed instructions are available in our step by step guide.
You can now go back through this post and click on each of the links below the image in order to view that image on Facebook and then report it. Instructions for reporting images can be seen here.
Reporting the community to FightAgainstHate.com
We also encourage you to report any online hate you see in Facebook, YouTube or Twitter to FightAgainstHate.com. The Fight Against Hate system was created by the Online Hate Prevention Institute to maintain a record of items members of the public have already reported to the social media companies. This allows us to track how they respond. Other NGOs, government agencies and researchers can also access the list of reported items to help them tackle the problem of online hate.
Reporting to FightAgainstHate.com:
- Visit FightAgainstHate.com. If you haven’t registered yet, the registration instructions are here.
- Copy the URL of the page, image or post, you want to report. Paste it into the New Report field then click Submit Report.
- Next, you will have to classify the type of hate. Choose Homophobia. And Click Next.
- Your report will be submitted and you will be redirected to the site’s homepage.
Share this briefing using the buttons at the top of the page, if you haven’t done so yet, please like our Facebook page for combating all forms of online hate and join our mailing list.
For other publications by OHPI on online homophobia, go here.
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