Meta is ending its DEI programs as it eases protections against anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech

Facebook LGBT pride parade bus san francisco CEO Mark Zuckerberg rainbow sticker

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(1) June 30, 2019 San Francisco / CA / USA - Facebook employees and representatives taking part at the SF Pride Parade in downtown San Francisco

(2) SAN FRANCISCO JUNE 30 : Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Marched With 700 Facebook Employees In San Francisco's Gay Pride Parade on June 30 2013

Meta's internal announcement comes shortly after leaked training materials revealed that the company instructed moderators to allow posts calling LGBTQ+ people “mentally ill.”

Almost immediately after announcing new content rules that allow users to abuse LGBTQ+ people, Meta has announced that it will be ending all of its major diversity, equity, and inclusion programs effective immediately.

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A changing landscape

The company behind Facebook, Instagram, and Threads sent out an internal memo obtained by Axios Friday, which will affect both hiring and training practices, as well as its decisions on which suppliers to work with. Vice president of human resources Janelle Gale said that the decision comes as the "legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing."

"The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing," Gale wrote. "The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI. … The term 'DEI' has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others."

Related: These 11 major companies caved to the far right and stopped DEI programs

Goodbye, DEI?

The changes include completely axing Meta's DEI team — the company's chief diversity officer, Maxine Williams, will enter a new role focused on "accessibility and engagement." Instead of prioritizing partnering with diverse businesses, Meta will "focus our efforts on supporting small and medium-sized businesses that power much of our economy."

A disturbing leak

Meta's internal announcement comes shortly after leaked training materials reviewed by Platformer and The Intercept reveal that moderators on the company's sites are now instructed to allow posts calling LGBTQ+ people “mentally ill” and denying the existence of transgender people. Posts like “A trans person isn’t a he or she, it’s an it” and “There’s no such thing as trans children” are deemed nonviolating under the new policies. Users are also now permitted to refer to women as "property."

Meta has also faced backlash for shadowbanning LGBTQ+ creators and restricting access to LGBTQ-related hashtags like #gay, #trans, and #nonbinary under its “sensitive content” policies.

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