Legendary lesbian activist Lady Phyll quits X over ‘rampant’ hate speech

Legendary lesbian activist and co-founder and CEO of UK Black Pride Lady Phyll has announced she is leaving Twitter/X over “rampant” hate speech on the platform. 

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, known as Lady Phyll, explained in a post on Thursday (30 January) that while “no platform is perfect”, she would be leaving X as it has become a “breeding ground for hate, disinformation, and the silencing of marginalised voices”. 

“I joined this platform in 2010, back when it was a space for real conversations, real connections, and real change. Over the years, I’ve used this space to amplify Black liberation, LGBTQ+ rights, and fight for justice – loudly and unapologetically,” she wrote.

She alleged that Black and LGBTQ+ activists had been “harassed” on the social media platform, “while misinformation thrives”, amid reports that Twitter’s algorithm reportedly “suppressed” the reach of Black and LGBTQ+ activists.

She continued: “The dismantling of content moderation has allowed hate speech to run rampant, while those calling out oppression are punished for speaking truth. I refuse to stay in a space that actively works against the very voices it once helped to uplift.”

Lady Phyll explained that as she leaves the platform, the “fight for equity, justice, and liberation doesn’t stop – it just finds new spaces to thrive.”

She explained that she will be joining Bluesky, a social media platform that specifically bans “sexual harassment and gender identity-based harassment” in its community guidelines. 

Lady Phyll is not the first to leave Twitter/X since Elon Musk took over the platform, with several LGBTQ+ organisations, celebrities and brands all pledging to leave Twitter over rising hate speech.

Since Musk made several changes rolling back LGBTQ+ protections on the site, accounts including Ben & Jerrys, Trans charity Mermaids, and actor Bella Ramsay, among others, have all made the decision to leave the site. 

Charity LGBT Youth Scotland left the site in 2023, explaining that it had become “increasingly concerned by a number of statements and decisions that have had a real impact on the LGBTQ+ community”. 

“We have noticed a troubling increase in extreme views and targeted attacks towards members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as our own charity directly,” the charity continued, adding that it wanted to “create safe spaces for young people to feel hopeful about the world”. 

“Ultimately, Twitter does not make this possible,” it said. 

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