Stop scrolling: the U.S. wants to ban TikTok, and much can be lost for queer and trans folks—more than meets the eye.
Despite screen time being linked to many risks like sleep cycle disturbances or depression, there’s no denying that the internet plays a significant role in allotting people of all genders and sexualities to find each other and look up to one another.
The U.S. government’s potential ban on TikTok poses a significant threat to the LGBTQ+ community, impacting expression, connection, and resources far beyond just viral videos.
For many queer, trans, and nonbinary individuals, TikTok provides a crucial space for self-discovery, community building, and access to vital information. This is particularly important given the increasing hostility in many parts of the country, especially in states like Oklahoma, Missouri and South Carolina where anti-LGBTQ bills are at an all-time high.
With the rise of these legislations targeting people’s rights and autonomy, studies have shown a direct correlation to the surge of hate crimes. A recent analysis from the F.B.I. this week revealed a drastic uptick in GOP-led states where incidents on K-12 campuses against LGBTQ students have quadrupled.
Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher’s proposed bill seeks to ban “foreign adversary-controlled” apps, specifically targeting TikTok. The ACLU has condemned the move as blatant censorship and a violation of the First Amendment and the principle of free information flow.
For LGBTQ-identified people, losing TikTok can also mean losing their tether to communities outside of their immediate circles, as well as the personal enjoyment that comes with seeing content creators that share their identities.
Outside of queer circles, critics of the bill have already shown outrage about what this would mean for everyone. On Mar. 12, the human rights organization American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a statement expressing concerns over the push to pass HR 7521 into law, warning that it would set an “alarming global precedent for excessive government control over social media platforms.”
While the future of this bill is up in the air, here’s a rundown of all there is to lose for the LGBTQ community should this ban flourish into law.
Barring access to information, losing community and the overall silencing of diverse voices are all risks of the TikTok ban.
For those in isolated or unaccepting environments, the platform is a crucial source for advice, education, and affirming content on gender identity, sexual orientation, and health resources. Not to mention it would restrict the visibility and the renaissance of impact led by out and proud content creators, role models, and advocates.
On Wednesday, during the House of Representatives hearing, sponsor of the bill Rep. Gallagher admitted that TikTok is a threat due to the app “becoming the dominant news platform for Americans under 30,” he said. “This [bill] is a commonsense measure to protect our national security.”
Nearly 30% of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ.
That day, the bill passed. Much to anti-LGBTQ legislation tracker and independent journalist Erin Reed’s disapproval, the banning of TikTok can bar the public from keeping up with the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation happening across the country.
“A large number of trans and queer youth depend on the platform for information and to have a voice,” she said on X yesterday. Additionally, Reed, whose TikTok account has garnered nearly half of one million followers, noted that efforts of a nationwide TikTok ban—HR 7521 aside—is being pushed by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. “They truly believe that ‘TikTok turns kids trans,’” she said.
In a time where legislation is trying to curb the rights of LGBTQ people, especially trans youth, at an unprecedented speed, sharing updates on these bills on TikTok has been a sound way to get the message out. Not to mention in light of the opposing campaign spearheaded by alt-right social media giants like LibsOfTikTok, whose online presence has led to real consequences at the hands of queer people, such as bomb threats or job losses.
For queer college students who don’t have supportive families, staying on campus during the holidays can be a lonely time. In a 2020 Washington Post article on LGBTQ users of TikTok, Carly, who was a college student at the time, relied on the app to remedy her sense of loneliness and sadness of spending the holidays alone after her family disowned her for being a lesbian.
“They told me that I had been possessed by Satan and needed to go to a mental hospital,” she told the Washington Post. “They took my phone, my car, and cut off my college education funds and left me with thousands of dollars in debt.”
TikTok is no stranger to holding space for people like Carly.
“We see a lot of examples where, on TikTok, LGBTQ youth are getting support,” Amit Paley, CEO of the LGBTQ crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization The Trevor Project told the Washington Post in 2020. “And that is so important because there are many LGBTQ youth in this country who are not able to get support where they physically are.”
The potential that TikTok’s existence can be gone puts the lives of those who are gender and sexuality variant on the line. “Banning TikTok will be devastating to people who have used the platform to find other people who look like them, who are like them, and the consequences of that will be dire for many queer people who are not out to family or who seek community on the platform.”
TikTok has also been a salve for the neurodivergent community, a large portion of which also identify as LGBTQ.
“I was diagnosed with autism 17 years ago and the amount of people who shared their experiences on TikTok, especially the ones that make you go “Ah, it wasn’t just me!”, makes a guy feel understood,” said X user @Tidmouthfireman to Reed yesterday. “Rinse and repeat for other specific subjects.”
In a Gay Times story about TikTok published last September, the social media platform was described to be an app where “queer people are free to be as creative, funny, honest and innovative as they choose,” Alim Kheraj wrote. “Queer creators are the ones inventing trends, setting the cultural agenda and offering up inspiration to over one billion people all around the world.”
Gen Z, in particular, are digital natives. And TikTok is no exception to the rule. The younger generation, half of whom identify asLGBTQ, is experiencing a boom of claiming bisexuality. Described as “LGBTQ TikTok,” the platform has become home to an array of creators who rely on the social media platform to share their experiences—especially LGBTQ joy.
Looking at viral comedy content creators like trans fashion model Alex Consani, TikTok has been the source of what queer humor is simply reflecting—the “Lifestyle” fancy water trend, for example. Another example: a queer couple explaining the story of how they met.
Not only would banning TikTok eliminate the community’s urgent need to stay on top of the dangers to their community, it is also a space for queer, trans and nonbinary from all over the world to congregate and be in community together.
The bill’s fate remains uncertain. It faces potential challenges in the Senate and a final decision from President Biden. The ACLU and other organizations have vowed to challenge the proposed ban on legal grounds, setting the stage for a potential battle over user rights and government overreach.
Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and digital freedom are urging individuals to contact their legislators and express their concerns about the bill’s potential consequences.
