Facebook Censorship: Our Pain Is Not Offensive

By Matilda Douglas-Henry

The mass shooting in Orlando that left 49 queer people dead has rocked our community. Unfortunately, the hate speech did not end there. Many politicians and other people of power used Omar Mateen’s massacre as a catalyst for vicious Islamaphobic smear campaigns, and perpetuating the looming fear of ISIS. Having to explain repeatedly that this was nothing more than a hate crime against LGBTQIA+ people was tiresome, unnecessary and also downright depressing.

The allies that I have talked to recently, however, have been incredibly supportive. They have been behaving as allies should – offering support, comfort, and perhaps most crucially, providing a space to listen and not speak on behalf of. Even as a proud queer person, I too consider myself an ally during this time. It is so important to remember that the crime at Pulse Nightclub was inflicted primarily upon people who belong to the Latinx and transgender communities.

We are all hurting.

Even in Australia – albeit on the other side of the world – the pain is tangible, and it is emphasised by our own political context. With the election just over a week away, the race is tighter than anyone could have imagined. In Melbourne the atmosphere is particularly tense, with the seat of Higgins (held by Liberal Kelly O’Dwyer) looking like it could be taken by Jason Ball of the Greens – a gay man and passionate advocate of tolerance in sport and other typically heteronormative environments.

Jason’s success unfortunately elicits pain because when queer people start nailing it in the public eye, we only receive more outspoken adversaries. Last week, a powerful post of Jason’s went viral on Facebook – accompanied by a picture of his campaign posters with the word ‘fag’ graffitied across them. We’re still being banged over the head with the ‘provocative content’ of the Safe Schools Program, too – much like Lyle Shelton and George Christensen, the conservative parties have been intent on continuing to discuss its ‘perversity’ in the lead-up to the election.

Yesterday, our editor Sam wrote a very moving post that rung true to many – a post accompanied by conservative pamphlets urging voters to “STOP LABOR & GREENS EXTREME SEX EDUCATION”, with the classic stock images of a child writing on a blackboard looking puzzled, and another of a girl whose eyes are widened with stress (over being taught about sexual tolerance, I guess…?). “This program sexualises and confuses Aussie kids” is their closing line that we’ve only come to expect from these parties.

Sam wrote about the homophobia he experienced at his first high school – manifesting as both verbal and physical abuse that could have killed him were it not for a counsellor who was also queer.

This morning, the post had been removed for violating the “Facebook Community Standards”.

This happens far too often, and it is never okay – but it feels especially brutal right now. The queer community are feeling particularly vulnerable, and their voices need to be heard on both a global and local scale. The censoring of minorities reached such a tragic climax in Orlando.

It is awful, then, to see Facebook be complicit in its own interpretation of silencing. This is a social media site used by countless people, and for many (certainly myself) a primary source of news. It is where I read articles that perpetuate the views I hold – where I feel enlightened, engaged, and most importantly, where I learn.

At this point, though, I’m just seeing it as another tired and heteronormative machine.

We don’t deserve this.