“Dangerous speech” (DS) refers to expression, namely speech, text, or images, that can normalize violence against members of a group. Dehumanization is among the common tactics used in examples of DS, according to the Dangerous Speech Project.
The Dangerous Speech Project monitors several social platforms, including 4chan, Kiwi Farms, and other similar sites, collecting instances of DS that target trans people, immigrants, poll workers, and local election officials. The organization also tracks examples of dangerous speech in campaign ads and references to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the following trials.
The dehumanizing language often seen in dangerous speech “prepares audiences to condone or commit violence,” according to a report published by The Dangerous Speech Project. Dehumanization makes the target’s “death or suffering seem less significant” or even “useful or necessary.”
Instances of dangerous speech are rising ahead of the 2024 election, but Americans still overwhelmingly reject political violence. That doesn’t mean dangerous speech doesn’t have dangerous implications.
Dangerous speech differs from the legally recognized “hate speech,” which is difficult to define and, at times, hinges on free speech infringement. Dangerous speech encompasses fearmongering, especially around people who identify as LGBTQ or who support LGBTQ rights.
Trans people are the long-standing targets of dangerous speech. The rhetoric typically follows at least one of three approaches: dehumanizing, threatening, or moral.
Denying Trans Lives Their Identities and Humanity
Last year, famed dangerous speech generator Libs of TikTok facilitated a campaign against Planet Fitness for its defense of a trans woman who was harassed and dehumanized by a fellow gym member in the women’s locker room.
In just a few posts, a trans woman was subjected to thousands of comments and videos that denied her identity and the fact that she was photographed, without consent, in a gym locker room only further subjected her to dehumanizing remarks.
At the same time, her identity became the target of the false and malicious assertion that trans people and gay men are pedophiles who take advantage of women and children.
Positioning Trans Identities as a Threat
Dangerous speech will successfully trigger fear for its audience to respond to, inciting a need to act or a sense of existential urgency. In the video shared by Libs of TikTok, a woman claimed to feel unsafe in a Planet Fitness locker room when a trans woman was using the same locker room. The woman said she felt unsafe for herself and someone she assumed to be a child who was present.
Without consent and against Planet Fitness’ mobile device policy, the woman photographed the other woman and complained to the staff. Her membership was canceled for the policy violation, but her complaints echoed across Libs of TikTok’s audience.
Dangerous speech, according to The Dangerous Speech Project, “frames trans issues as one part of a larger ‘battle between good and evil.’”
Religion, Morality, and Gender Norms
Conservative American culture is often synonymous with Christian morality. A common narrative in dangerous speech committed to anti-trans rhetoric will position gender nonconforming persons as demonic or threats to traditionalism.
“The dehumanization that references Christian notions of evil — especially when expressed by religious leaders — can be extremely dangerous, as it can silence dissent within groups of believers,” a report on anti-trans rhetoric on social media reads. “Questioning the dehumanization becomes akin to questioning God.”
Anti-trans rhetoric then becomes intertwined with deeply held beliefs about morality, inspiring an intense, negative emotional reaction across both common and uncommon social platforms.
“It creates an imperative, an active call to action, to fight for whatever is deemed ‘good’ by whatever means necessary, which excuses and even goads violence for the sake of the ‘good,’” the Dangerous Speech Project reported.
Dangerous Speech and the 2024 Election
Over 660 anti-trans bills have been introduced in 2024 alone, a record marked by a trend starting in 2016 when Trump was elected. A similar uptick in political violence threats against Congress increased tenfold between 2016 and 2021.
Dangerous speech can desensitize audiences to its potential harm, making its cumulative impact “gradually erode” the audience’s perception over time and can even make people expect violence.
Combating dangerous speech, according to the Dangerous Speech Project, is possible with “counterspeech,” which can have positive effects on audiences and discourse norms. Counterspeech also allows less vocal users to express their support.
Antiviolence messaging from political leaders can cause strong partisan identities to lessen support for violence, as seen in the responses following both assassination attempts on Donald Trump.
The Dangerous Speech Project is an independent, nonprofit research team. Visit dangerousspeech.org/get-involved to learn more about supporting the organization.