The LGBTQ suicide prevention non-profit said the “removal of certain moderation functions” has made X unsafe
The Trevor Project — the nonprofit suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth — is shuttering its X account, the group announced on Thursday, citing “increased hate and vitriol on the platform targeting the LGBTQ community.”
In particular, the organization called out X’s (formerly Twitter‘s) lax content moderation as the key factor in the organization’s decision to leave. Content moderation and a rise in hate speech have been among the highest concerns for many X users since Elon Musk bought the platform for $44 billion a year ago. Members of the LGBTQ community in particular have said that the amount of hate speech against them has risen recently, with GLAAD calling X “the most dangerous social platform for LGBTQ” in a study it released over the summer.
“LGBTQ young people are regularly victimized at the expense of their mental health, and X’s removal of certain moderation functions makes it more difficult for us to create a welcoming space for them on this platform,” The Trevor Project posted on its account. “In particular, we questioned whether leaving the platform would allow harmful narratives and rhetoric to prevail with one less voice to challenge them. Upon deep analysis, we’ve concluded that suspending our account is the right thing to do.”
A rep for Twitter didn’t immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
The Trevor Project was founded over 25 years ago to combat suicide prevention toward LGBTQ youth, offering a hotline of support. According to the organization, LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to commit suicide.
LGBTQ youth were encouraged to go to the organization’s site, and to follow the Trevor Project on its other social media accounts.
“No online space is perfect, but having access to sufficient moderation capabilities is essential to maintaining a safer space for our community,” the organization said.
