Toxic Twitter: How Twitter Makes Millions from Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric
Anti-LGBTQ+ 'grooming' rhetoric jumped 119% under Musk while Twitter profited from ads placed against it.
Executive summary
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This CCDH report analyzes anti-LGBTQ+ "grooming" rhetoric on Twitter, identifying more than 1.7 million tweets and retweets since early 2022 that combined LGBTQ+-related terms with derogatory language such as "groomer," "predator," and "pedophile," often directed at educators, pride events, and drag story hours.
The research found that the volume of this rhetoric increased by 119% following Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform in late October 2022, with spikes coinciding with events such as the Colorado Springs shooting. It further estimated that five prominent accounts spreading this narrative generate approximately $6.4 million in annual ad revenue for Twitter.
The report concludes that Twitter's business model and moderation practices allow, and financially benefit from, the amplification of anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech, with CCDH's chief executive characterizing the platform as monetizing this content at what the organization described as an unprecedented rate.
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