LinkedIn has quietly eliminated explicit protections for transgender users from its hate speech policy, joining a growing trend of major corporations stepping back from LGBTQIA+ inclusion and safety.
The move, first identified by digital watchdog Open Terms Archive, involved the removal of a clause banning the misgendering and deadnaming of transgender individuals — a policy that had been in place since at least April 2023.
This silent rollback aligns LinkedIn with tech giants like Meta and YouTube, which have also made controversial changes in recent months weakening protections for LGBTQIA+ users, particularly trans and non-binary people.
Subtle Changes, Serious Consequences
Previously, LinkedIn’s “Hateful and Derogatory Content” policy directly prohibited the misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals. This clause was removed without public announcement or rationale, alongside other references to “race or gender identity” in harassment-related guidelines.
Though LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft — a company that still promotes DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) values in its public-facing material — the platform’s updated policy no longer mentions gender identity under hate speech protections.
When questioned by The Advocate, a LinkedIn spokesperson initially said:
“We regularly update our policies. Personal attacks, intimidation or hate speech toward anyone based on their identity, including misgendering, violates our harassment policy and is not allowed on our platform.”
However, that statement was quickly revised. Less than an hour later, the phrase “hate speech” was removed entirely. The final version read:
“Personal attacks or intimidation toward anyone based on their identity, including misgendering, violates our harassment policy and is not allowed on our platform.”
GLAAD Condemns the Move
GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ media advocacy organisation, slammed the changes as “an overt anti-LGBTQ+ shift.”
“LinkedIn’s quiet decision to retract longstanding, best-practice hate speech protections for transgender and nonbinary people is an overt anti-LGBTQ move — and one that should alarm everyone,” a GLAAD spokesperson said.
“Following Meta and YouTube earlier this year, yet another social media company is choosing to adopt cowardly business practices to try to appease anti-LGBTQ political ideologues at the expense of user safety.”
Tech Giants Are Backpedalling on Protections
LinkedIn is far from alone. In January 2025, Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram and Threads) adjusted its moderation guidelines, now allowing content previously considered hateful if it’s deemed “political or religious discourse.”
In April, YouTube scrubbed the phrase “gender identity and expression” from its hate speech policy. The company claimed it was a minor “copy edit,” but has neither restored the language nor offered a detailed explanation.
Corporations Are Dismantling DEI Commitments
This trend is not limited to Silicon Valley. Retailers, media conglomerates, and financial firms across the US are scaling back DEI programs, dissolving diversity targets, or ending partnerships with inclusion organisations.
In 2024, Target drastically reduced its Pride merchandise offerings and disbanded many internal DEI initiatives following threats and political pressure. Companies like Google, Disney, Amazon, PepsiCo, Paramount, and Walmart have all made similar internal shifts — from downsizing DEI teams to removing public equity targets.
What once looked like progress is now revealing itself as performative allyship. These corporations are showing that support for LGBTQIA+ communities was more about branding and profits than actual values.
In a Time of Crisis, LGBTQIA+ Users Are Left Exposed
The rollback comes at a dangerous moment. Transgender rights are under legislative attack across the United States, and hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ people are on the rise. As protections fade and policies are quietly altered, members of the queer community are left feeling unprotected, abandoned, and erased.
“These companies are not just retreating from policy,” said one community advocate. “They’re retreating from us.”
