Cubbie & Co.'s response to Meta's policy changes
I've been reflecting on changes to Meta's moderation policies and their impact on the LGBTQ+ community. As a gay man and owner of a proudly LGBTQ+ owned and run business, I felt it was important to comment, as we use Meta's platforms.
Understanding the changes
For our community, online expression means more than sharing photos or stories. It's how we discover ourselves, find others like us, and build connections that might be impossible in our physical lives. I still remember my early days online, realising I wasn't alone and finding people like me. These spaces save lives.
What deeply concerns me is Meta's decision to add specific exemptions to their Hateful Conduct policy that reduce protections for LGBTQ+ people. According to their latest version:
“We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words such as ‘weird’.”
Under these changes, users can now potentially make statements like 'Gays are freaks' on Meta's platforms. The replacement of fact-checking with community notes potentially makes it harder for the LGBTQ+ community to challenge harmful content. For context, homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1987— the guide that healthcare professionals and researchers use to diagnose and classify mental disorders.
History of homosexuality and mental disorders
For decades, the medical classification of LGBTQ+ identities as mental disorders was used to systematically deny basic human rights and justify horrific practices like conversion or reparative therapy – discredited approaches that claimed they could 'cure' sexual orientation and gender identity.
Those who endured these treatments, whether by force or seeking change under societal pressure, often carry deep trauma from experiences that leading health organisations now recognise as harmful and unethical. Rhetoric that frames LGBTQ+ people as mentally ill risks reviving these dangerous narratives that were historically used to silence and marginalise the LGBTQ+ community.
Standing proud
The team and I have thought carefully about Cubbie & Co.'s use of Meta's platforms. After much discussion, we believe it's braver to stand proud and continue championing the LGBTQ+ community in these spaces. Queer people must remain visible and challenge potentially harmful narratives. However, we won't spend any money with Meta, and will stop work to integrate Meta's payment systems to make it easier to buy Cubbie & Co. products using Facebook and Instagram.
If you've made the personal decision to stop using Meta's products and services, we're building our presence on BlueSky and invite you to join us there.
LGBTQ+ people have always faced challenges head-on. We support each other. We remain visible. Here's what we can do together:
Look after each other. If you see someone facing harassment, reach out to them privately. If you're being targeted, screenshot everything, report it, and remember you don't have to engage. Block and mute liberally - your well-being comes first.
Create and support our LGBTQ+ spaces. Whether through a local bar, community group, or friendly businesses, we need physical places where we can be ourselves without fear or judgment. This is why Cubbie & Co. exists - to be one of those safe havens.
Share our stories with pride. Our experiences matter - they show others they're not alone and help the wider world understand what it means to be LGBTQ+. Every photo, every story, every moment of joy shared becomes an act of resistance and celebration.
Support local LGBTQ+ organisations. They provide the first line of defence when our community needs help. Whether through volunteering, donating, or spreading the word about their services - every action strengthens our support network.
Stay visible and keep speaking up. Our community's greatest strength lies in our refusal to be silenced or pushed back into the closet. Every time we live openly and authentically, we make it easier for others to do the same.
Thriving together
Our community has survived seemingly insurmountable challenges before. We've thrived by supporting each other, creating our own spaces, and refusing to be erased. That won't change, regardless of the choices made by others.
For those feeling anxious, please know you're not alone. Reach out to local LGBTQ+ support groups, connect with friends, or message us. We're here, we're queer, and we're not going anywhere.
Stay fabulous and fur-ocious.
References
American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). [online] Psychiatry.org. Available at: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Carroll, M. (2025). Meta’s new guidelines allow users to say LGBT+ people are mentally ill. [online] Sky News. Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/metas-new-guidelines-allow-users-to-say-lgbt-people-are-mentally-ill-13285449 [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Dowd, V. (2021). Cured: How mental illness was used as a tool against LGBT rights. BBC News. [online] 25 Mar. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56508488 [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Farley, H. and Lawrie, E. (2024). What is conversion therapy and will it be banned? BBC News. [online] 20 Sep. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-56496423 [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Griffin, R. (2025). Mark Zuckerberg on Joe Rogan Podcast Slams Biden Administration. [online] Bloomberg.com. Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-10/mark-zuckerberg-slams-biden-administration-on-joe-rogan-s-podcast [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Isaac, M., Frenkel, S. and Conger, K. (2025). Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Sprint to Remake Meta for the Trump Era. The New York Times. [online] 10 Jan. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/technology/meta-mark-zuckerberg-trump.html [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Knibbs, K. (2025). Meta Now Lets Users Say Gay and Trans People Have ‘Mental Illness’. [online] WIRED. Available at: https://www.wired.com/story/meta-immigration-gender-policies-change/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Koebler, J. (2025a). ‘It’s Total Chaos Internally at Meta Right Now’: Employees Protest Zuckerberg’s Anti LGBTQ Changes. [online] 404 Media. Available at: https://www.404media.co/its-total-chaos-internally-at-meta-right-now-employees-protest-zuckerbergs-anti-lgbtq-changes/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Koebler, J. (2025b). Meta Deletes Trans and Nonbinary Messenger Themes. [online] 404 Media. Available at: https://www.404media.co/meta-deletes-trans-and-nonbinary-messenger-themes/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Lawler, R. (2025). Here are some of the horrible things that you can now say on Instagram and Facebook. [online] The Verge. Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/7/24338471/meta-hate-speech-hateful-conduct-policy-moderation [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
McMahon, L. (2025). Meta to replace ‘biased’ fact-checkers with moderation by users. BBC News. [online] 7 Jan. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly74mpy8klo [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Meta.com. (2022). Hateful Conduct | Transparency Center. [online] Available at: https://transparency.meta.com/en-gb/policies/community-standards/hateful-conduct/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Newton, C. (2025). Inside Meta’s dehumanizing new speech policies for trans people. [online] Platformer. Available at: https://www.platformer.news/meta-new-trans-guidelines-hate-speech/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Perry, S. (2025a). Meta hate speech update allows LGBTQ+ people to be described as ‘mentally ill’ and ‘freaks’. PinkNews. [online] Available at: https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/01/08/zuckerberg-fact-checkers-lgbtq/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Perry, S. (2025b). Meta Oversight co-chair ‘concerned’ by moderation changes: ‘Hate speech can lead to real life harm’. PinkNews. [online] Available at: https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/01/08/meta-policy-changes-mark-zuckerberg-helle-thorning-schmidt/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Stokel-Walker, C. (2025). A new era of lies: Mark Zuckerberg has just ushered in an extinction-level event for truth on social media. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/07/new-era-of-lies-mark-zuckerberg-meta-social-media [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Warzel, C. (2025). We’re All Trying to Find the Guy Who Did This. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/01/mark-zuckerberg-free-expression/681238/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
Wiggins, C. (2025). Meta embraces slurs & dehumanization toward LGBTQ+ people. [online] Advocate.com. Available at: https://www.advocate.com/business/meta-embraces-dehumanizing-lgbtq-slurs [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
www.bacp.co.uk. (n.d.). Memorandum of understanding on conversion therapy in the UK. [online] Available at: https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/mou/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
www.mind.org.uk. (n.d.). Conversion ‘therapy’ ban. [online] Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/our-policy-work/conversion-therapy-ban/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2025].
