Vulnerabilities on digital platforms

an analysis of hate speech targeting lesbians on Instagram

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/am.v32i1.104003

Abstract

This article analyzes comments on an Instagram post by Portal G1 reporting on an incident of lesbophobia that occurred at a bar in Catanduva (SP) in 2021. We sought to understand how hate speech manifests itself in cases of lesbophobia in the comments, and to this end, we grouped similar meanings (Gonzatti, 2017). The discussions address the context of vulnerability in which lesbians find themselves and the specific characteristics of hate speech on Instagram. As a result, we identified clusters of meanings that highlight different ways in which hate speech can be directed against lesbians.

Author Biographies

Maria Clara Soares Rodrigues, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto

Mestranda em Comunicação pela Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP). Email: mariaclarasoaresrodrigues@gmail.com.

Karina Gomes Barbosa, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto

Doutora em Comunicação Social pela Universidade de Brasília (UNB) com pós-doutorado em Comunicação pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). Professora do Departamento de Jornalismo e do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP). Email: karina.barbosa@gmail.com.

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Published

2026-07-16

How to Cite

Soares Rodrigues, M. C., & Gomes Barbosa, K. (2026). Vulnerabilities on digital platforms: an analysis of hate speech targeting lesbians on Instagram . Ação Midiática – Estudos Em Comunicação, Sociedade E Cultura, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.5380/am.v32i1.104003

Issue

ED. 32 - JUL/DEZ (2026)

Section

Dossiê “Vulnerabilidades digitais & gênero: contextos e desafios contemporâneos”

License

The author(s) of a text approved by reviewers give(s) automatically, and without any kind of burden, the right of first publication of the material submitted.