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DEHLI, India–Pranshu Yadav, 16, wanted to be a successful makeup artist and emulate their idol James Charles, an American social media influencer. The teenager from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh used to upload makeup tutorials on Instagram from their phone, and had amassed more than 16,000 followers.
But in Dec. 2023, that dream ended prematurely. Pranshu died by suicide after receiving a barrage of hateful comments and threats on an Instagram post in which Pranshu was wearing a saree—an Indian traditional attire for women.
Even though months have passed since, Preeti Yadav, Pranshu’s mother, is still in shock and trying to piece together her life. The single mother who works as a sales professional told The Daily Beast that she had never imagined Pranshu would ever take such a drastic step, even though Pranshu had shared the daily abuse faced on social media with her.
“I remember one day, Pranshu told me about the nasty comments [they] would get on social media,” Preeti said. “When I tried to find out more, Pranshu told me it doesn’t affect them.”
While the police have opened an investigation into Pranshu’s death, Preeti isn’t convinced there will be any justice done. “The police questioned Pranshu’s friends and have also taken over Pranshu’s social media accounts. But that’s all,” she said. “[Pranshu’s friends] haven’t said much to the police. They are also kids. They are scared.”
In recent years, social media platforms have enabled both connectivity and chaos for India’s queer people. The consequences of online trolling have taken a sinister turn, as cyberbullying and hate speech proliferate, queer individuals are facing not only psychological torment but also real-life threats to their safety.
(Meta, Instagram’s parent company, did not respond when reached for comment.)
Jeet, founder of queer advocacy group Yes We Exist, told The Daily Beast that there has been a steep rise in online bullying in India in recent times. It’s not limited to just name calling; it includes death threats, posts promoting the extermination of all LGBTQ+ people, and dehumanizing language, Jeet explained.
“Check out the comments on any viral Instagram reel by a queer person, most of the comments are abusive. Almost always the abusers on Instagram are teenage boys and young men,” Jeet said. “These are the future doctors, professors, law makers, tech leaders. It’s scary to imagine the work environment for queer people knowing that many people in any workspace will have such men, who would cheer the death of queer people.”
A 2023 social media safety index by the American LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD found that all five major social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter continue to fail at enforcing the safeguarding of LGBTQ users from online hate speech. Even though there is no India specific surveys highlighting the extent of online harassment against LGBTQ+ users, interviews with queer activist and individuals highlights the trend
Daya Gayatri, a queer rights activist from south Indian state of Kerala, has filed a petition in the high court seeking a restraining order against derogatory remarks through social media accounts to harass queer people. She says online bullying has tragically led to suicides among her friends grappling with mental health challenges. She adds that while Pranshu’s death garnered attention forcing authorities to take action, many more such incidents go unnoticed.
In Pranshu’s case too, initial police reports and media reports did not mention anything about the online bullying. It was only after Yes, We Exist flagged the extreme bullying Pranshu experienced prior to their death that the police were then forced to register a case.
“In the last five years, I personally know of more than 10 transgender and queer individuals in Kerala who fell victim to cyberbullying and subsequently took their own lives,” Gayatri told The Daily Beast.
“Their aim is to eradicate every queer individual from the world.”
— Daya Gayatri
Last year, 26-year-old Praveen Nath, Kerala’s first trans man bodybuilder, ended his life after being subject to targeted online bullying. Praveen had married transwoman Rishana Aishu, who is a model and winner of the Miss Malabar beauty contest, on Valentine’s Day earlier in the year. Their union, initially celebrated, quickly became a lightning rod for controversy and condemnation.
Nath and Aishu found themselves thrust into the unforgiving spotlight of social media, where they endured a relentless barrage of hate comments, abusive calls, and online harassment. The vitriolic onslaught reached its crescendo with the couple’s public announcement of their separation.
“WhatsApp groups were formed to harass both Praveen and Rishana, with threatening calls blaming their actions as societal shame for openly sharing details about their marriage,” Gayatri said.
Gayatri has also been targeted. “Eight months ago, I observed an influx of hate comments on our posts, including derogatory slurs aimed at transgender people,” Gayatri said.
Recognizing the organized campaign against the queer community by these social media accounts and its impact, Gayatri began creating videos addressing gender sensitivity. But authorities have yet to take any action or implement preventive measures to curb hate comments targeting the LGBTQ+ community in India. “The situation persists for others. Their aim is to eradicate every queer individual from the world,” Gayatri said.
A Surge in Queer-phobia
Youth Enrichment Society Kerala, which goes by the acronym YES Kerala, is an online group that has been accused of spreading misinformation against queer people. The group has a substantial following on Instagram and also carries out what it calls awareness programs in colleges and schools.
“We go to schools and colleges to talk to students about the cultural degradation that is happening in the name of LGBTQ,” Fayaz Ahmad, secretary of YES Kerala, told The Daily Beast. He believes there is a disturbing trend taking place across the country, where certain queer organizations send representatives to colleges, encouraging students to consider gender reassignment surgery.
“Once individuals are targeted, they are continuously pursued, coerced into attending certain gatherings where they are subjected to manipulation, ultimately leading to forced surgeries,” Ahmad said, adding that they aim to prevent what they consider false information being spread by the queer community.
While he denies that his group has indulged in bullying queer users, the group refers to queerness as “wokeism” on its Instagram page. Certain social media posts of the group also refer to queer people as the “rainbow mafia.”
YES Kerala, isn’t the only group out there spreading hate and misinformation against queer Indian people. There are other such groups like “Toxic Mallu,” “Hytec Devam,” “Andre Human,” and “Toxic Patriarchy” all of which have been accused of harassing queer people online.
Anagh, vice president of Dhisha, a non-profit group working to educate people about the LGBTQ+ community, asserts that all religious communities exhibit opposition to the queer community, characterized by a patriarchal stance. The surge in queer-phobia notably intensified following the increased visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community on social media, according to Anagh.
“We have noticed that this queer-phobia is being disseminated through fake accounts, many of which, with substantial followings, target the queer community and accuse them of bringing shame to society,” Anagh told The Daily Beast.
Anagh says social media companies need to bear a significant responsibility to ensure their platforms are safe and inclusive spaces for queer individuals. “With the power to shape societal attitudes and behaviors, these companies must actively combat discrimination, harassment, and hate speech targeting LGBTQ+ communities,” Anagh added.
Aarti Malhotra, an educator and mother who tragically lost her queer son to suicide in 2022, intimately understands the pain caused by online hate. Her 15-year-old son Arvey endured relentless harassment both at school and online, enduring a barrage of homophobic slurs until the trauma became unbearable.
In an effort to raise awareness about the challenges faced by queer individuals following Arvey’s death, she channels her grief into action by running the Arvey Aesthetics Foundation in honor of her son. “The void left by Arvey’s absence is overwhelming,” she said. “I’m determined to speak out about these issues to prevent others from enduring the same pain I did.”
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