I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Being gay is a part of who I am and I thank all of those trail blazers who fought for our rights. It is deeply unsettling to therefore find ourselves in an environment where a leading social media organisation like Meta, formerly known as Facebook, openly condones hate speech and harassment against people like me under the guise of 'political and religious discourse'. The bullying does not foster any discourse, but instead perpetuates destructive narratives that affect millions of lives around the globe. 

It astounds me that references, which allow individuals to label homosexuals as "mentally ill" or "abnormal", still permeate the updated community standards for hate speech written by Meta. These views are not only offensive, but they are also technically inaccurate. The American Psychological Association (APA), which is one of the leading scientific and professional organizations representing psychology in the US, declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder way back in 1973.

Therefore, it is disturbing that Meta perpetuates such debunked viewpoints, reinforcing harmful stereotypes, fostering hate, and marginalizing the LGBTQ+ community. It is time now for Meta to adjust its guidelines on hate speech to align with the realities of modern science and psychological understanding, and more importantly, to remember their obligation towards the protections of its diverse user base.

Enough is enough. Homophobia and hate speech should not have a place in social media, or anywhere else for that matter. Now, I urge this community to come together, and demand Meta to amend their community standards to label such slanderous references against homosexuality as hate speech, and not as accepted discourse. Please, sign the petition, and make your voice heard against homophobic bullying.