03/11/2023 | Writer: Selma Koçak
Presenting the Research on Digital Violence against LGBTQI+ Communities in Türkiye Yıldız Tar said, “Frequency and effects of the digital violence increase when the victims belong to LGBTQI+ communities.”
Kaos GL Association held a conversation to discuss the publication titled “Research on Digital Violence against LGBTIQ+ Communities in Türkiye”, subtitled “All of a Sudden”. Yıldız Tar, writer of the report, talked on the findings of the research and responded the questions of the participants within the scope of the event carried out in the Oral Sander Conference Hall at Mülkiyeliler Association, on October 28.
Reminding that the most striking finding of the research is that nine out of every 10 LGBTQI+ persons are subject to digital violence and they witness hate speech almost on a daily basis on the internet, Tar continued as follows:
“According to Türkiye Digital Violence Research by the Common Knowledge and Communication Association in 2021, one out of every five people in Türkiye is subject to digital violence. Even though the methodology and the markers of the research differ from ours, they give us a sense of the scale of digital violence where sexual orientation and gender identity are involved. Our own results indicate that nine out of 10 LGBTQI+ persons are victims of digital violence. All in all, it is fair to say that digital violence rates increase when the victims belong to LGBTQI+ communities.”
Begins on the internet, spreads to physical space, perpetrators: Politicians, journalists and academics!
The most striking results of the research are as follows:
-Nine out of every 10 LGBTQI+ persons are subject to digital violence.
-The violence they are subject to on the internet begins with insults and swearing. It escalates to threats, blackmail, harassment, persistent stalking, using names assigned at birth, sharing of personal information and images without consent, restriction of internet access and hate campaigns.
-A person is often subject to digital violence more than once.
-Digital violence and hate campaigns are not limited to the virtual environment; they escalate to physical and judicial violence against LGBTQI+ people.
-Perpetrators of violence against LGBTQI+ individuals on the internet are mostly anonymous. In cases where their identities are known, a significant percentage comprises people from the target’s social circles such as friends, family and partners, as well as politicians, journalists and academics. The perpetrators can be broadly categorised as: political parties, politicians, media organisations, journalists, and academics.
-According to our research, digital violence against LGBTQI+ communities mostly occurs on Twitter and Instagram.
-Research findings also show that digital violence damages the mental health of LGBTQI+ people.
-To counter such digital violence, given their mistrust of current redressal mechanisms, the targets can do little but give up their own freedom of expression, resort to self-censorship, and close or protect their accounts.
-LGBTQI+ individuals witness hate speech almost on a daily basis on the internet. Consequently, they experience anger, unhappiness and feeling threatened and unsafe, leading to loneliness and loss of self-worth.
-Hate campaigns targeting LGBTQI+ organisations also create such feelings among LGBTQI+ people.
-Targeting and hate campaigns that start all of a sudden spread very rapidly through the common involvement of perpetrators with diverse affiliations, acquiring a dimension that threatens even the physical safety of the targeted persons.
-The most common reason cited for shutting down the social media accounts of LGBTQI+ persons is “Community Rules” while no explanation was provided for a third of account shutdowns..
About the report
The results of the Kaos GL Association’s “Research on Digital Violence against LGBTIQ+ Communities in Türkiye” have been published. The findings of the research, subtitled “All of a Sudden”, revealed that nine out of 10 every 10 LGBTQI+ persons are regularly subject to digital violence.
Damla Umut Uzun, Defne Güzel, Yıldız Tar and Kerem Selçuk took part in the research team, which was conducted in collaboration with the South Africa-based Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Feminist Internet Research Network (FIRN). The report was written in Turkish by Yıldız Tar and translated into English by Canan Coşkan.
“Kaos GL, both carried out an online survey and conducted in-depth interviews with LGBTQI+ persons within the context of the research, which was launched forth on the question ‘When state authorities themselves orchestrate hate speeches and ban LGBTQI+ Pride Parades and events, what is the situation in online spaces?’ While 305 participants entailed the online survey, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 LGBTQ+ persons. The findings of the research were compared with the results of relevant various in the field and the existing literature. In addition, the researchers had meetings with LGBTI+ organisations and institutions active in the field of digital freedom, in order to obtain their views.”
Click to read the report in Turkish.
Click to read the report in English.
Tags: human rights, media
