Matthieu Jost, the founder of LGBTQ+ travel platform misterb&b, has voiced his frustration after Meta removed the company’s advertisements, claiming the move “feels like censorship.”
Jost launched misterb&b in 2014 after encountering homophobia while travelling with his partner. The platform, now the world’s largest queer-focused booking service, helps LGBTQ+ travellers find safe and welcoming accommodations.
Last week, Jost shared on LinkedIn that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, had effectively “blacklisted” misterb&b ads due to their references to “sexual orientation and gender identity.”
The company received a rejection notice stating that its advertisement “contains topics related to sexuality or sexual orientation or is directed at individuals with a specific gender identity.”
Meta’s Policy Changes and LGBTQ+ Content Restrictions
Meta’s ad rejection comes amid broader policy changes introduced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Last month, he announced that Meta would no longer moderate posts related to topics like immigration and gender, arguing that these subjects are part of “political discourse.”
These changes, which replaced Meta’s independent fact-checking program with a community-driven system similar to Elon Musk’s X/Twitter, have sparked concern among LGBTQ+ advocates. Under the new guidelines, users are now able to label LGBTQ+ people as mentally ill and refer to transgender and non-binary individuals using derogatory terms.
In addition to these policy shifts, Meta has reportedly scaled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including the removal of Pride and LGBTQ+ themes from Facebook Messenger.
Misterb&b’s Battle with Meta’s Ad Restrictions
Speaking to PinkNews, Jost shared his disappointment over the blocked ads.
“Our ads were designed to be inclusive, promoting safe and welcoming travel for LGBTQ+ travellers, so it was disappointing to see them blocked,” he said.
He described the appeal process as “frustrating,” noting that Meta’s review system is slow and lacks transparency.
“It’s also very frustrating to talk with Meta employees who seem just as shocked as we are by the new policies. They were completely caught off guard and tried to help us in a rather clumsy way, advising us to make our ads ‘less gay’ by removing the rainbow colours, the word ‘gay,’ or creatives featuring gay people.”
Despite efforts to escalate the case, the issue remains unresolved two weeks later.
Jost claims misterb&b is not the only LGBTQ+ business facing these challenges. He believes the system disproportionately flags content related to the LGBTQ+ community, whether due to AI moderation or user reports.
“Ads that explicitly mention LGBTQ+ travel or show same-sex couples tend to be flagged more often, even when they comply with all advertising guidelines,” he said.
A Wider Push Against LGBTQ+ and DEI Initiatives
Meta’s content moderation changes align with a broader push against DEI policies in the US, spearheaded by conservative figures such as right-wing commentator Robby Starbuck and former President Donald Trump.
Several major corporations, including Walmart, Ford, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, and Jack Daniel’s, have distanced themselves from DEI initiatives in recent months. Trump has also signed an executive order aimed at eliminating equality programs from the government and the military.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Meta’s oversight board co-chairwoman and former Danish Prime Minister, has criticised these developments, warning of potential real-world harm.
“We’re very concerned about gender rights, LGBTQ+ rights, trans people’s rights on the platforms because we are seeing many instances where hate speech can lead to real-life harm,” she told the BBC.
As LGBTQ+ businesses like misterb&b struggle to navigate Meta’s evolving policies, concerns continue to grow over the future of inclusive content on social media.
