P ranshu Yadav, a 16-year-old queer youth from Ujjain, full of life and creativity, decided to share their true self on social media. They loved wearing make-up and sarees and wanted to express their identity. But instead of support, Pranshu faced a wave of cyberbullying.
Overwhelmed and isolated, they tragically took their own life. Do queer people only deserve harsh comments, threats, and hate messages on social media? Last I checked, it was supposed to be a platform for diverse voices. Not a bastion of insecure heterosexual men perpetuating the toxic masculinity they have internalised and been socialised in.
Pranshu’s death, which occurred in November last year, is not a one-off incident. It is just one example of what many queer youths face when they come out online. Instead of finding a supportive community, they encounter relentless hurtful and threatening attacks on their identity, which perpetuate the social stigma around homosexuality.
The cyberbullying of queer people has truly reached epic proportions. Social media has been a change agent over the past decade with many campaigns drawing their lifeblood from a global community of users who stand for the healthy expression of newer ideas and the years of trauma. But with a sustained hate campaign unleashed against the queer community, the gains made appear to be reversing.
Sanat Chaddha , a makeup and fashion influencer from Delhi who identifies as transgender, has called out Instagram for not taking responsibility.