Incidents of discrimination directed at individuals due to their sexual or gender identity are commonplace, with SNS (Online Social Networking Sites) providing further opportunities for abuse. Online abuse experienced by minorities is significant; in response to this, academics from the University of Lincoln and UCLan carried out a study working with sexual and gender minorities to identify and resolve online abuse.

The project had two key aims:

  • Firstly, to identify experiences of online discrimination directed at different sexual and gender minorities; and
  • Secondly, to work collaboratively with those communities to begin to develop an anti-discrimination toolkit.

The toolkit aims to raise awareness of online abuse and to provide practical strategies to prevent the online discrimination directed at sexual and gender minorities.


University of Lincoln, College of Social Science Research

Dr Rachela Colosi, University of Lincoln, School of Social and Political Sciences

Dr Nick Cowen, University of Lincoln, School of Social and Political Sciences

Dr Megan Todd, University of Central Lancashire