Monitoring of hate speech against LGBTQ+ in the media of Belarus in 2023 Results for January-October 2023
Journalists for Tolerance’ (further – J4t) regularly monitor hate speech against vulnerable groups in the Belarusian media, including annual monitoring of rhetoric in relation to LGBTQ+.
In 2023, the J4t research team observed rhetorical fallacies and hate speech against LGBTQ+ for ten months, from the beginning of January till the end of October. The situation with representation of LGBTQ+ in the media space remained to be complicated after its dramatic deterioration in 2022:
o In 2023, 51% of monitored publications in the Belarusian mass media on LGBTQ+ issues contained correct vocabulary and 49% of such publications contained incorrect vocabulary. However, the situation seems to be very unstable.
o Incorrect vocabulary became less common in the Belarusian nation-wide media in comparison with local media in 2023. It was significant progress compared to 2022. At the same time, the LGBTQ+ issue practically disappeared in local media, and if covered there, the group was represented in the context of inciting hatred only.
o Just like in 2022, almost every second publication on the LGBTQ+ issue in the Belarusian media contained manifestations of hate speech in 2023. However, the trend of exponential growth of hate speech that characterized 2020-2022 was suspended.
o In 2023, again, just like in 2022, the J4t research team observed a situation where correct vocabulary was used to incite hatred in relation to LGBTQ+. As for incorrect vocabulary, in most cases it was accompanied by manifestations of hate speech.
