The power of the
Facebook filter

> Deeply ingrained prejudices finally cleansed

Jake Wray
Columnist

 

dding a filter to your Face-

book profile picture could
really make a difference in some-
one’s life. Hate crimes against
LGBTQ+ people have plummeted
by 82 per cent as a direct result
of rainbow filters on Facebook
profile pictures, according to a
new study by Vancouver-based
think-tank Digital Canada.

“I feel really safe now,” said
Jordie Naziel, a gay, aboriginal
teen in Prince George. “The rain-
bow filter seems to have woken
people up. Before people started
adding it to their profiles, I used
to get my ass kicked after school
all the time. Now people just
smile and wave. I can’t believe no

one thought of doing this sooner.”

Kelowna homophobe Tim
McNeil told the Other Press
that seeing rainbow profile
pictures on Facebook was a
life-changing moment for him.

“Tt’s not that I lack basic hu-
man empathy and compassion.
I just didn’t understand that I
needed to extend those values
to gay people. All I knew is that
they were different from me,
which was a pretty scary thought.
I lashed out,” said McNeil. “Then
my aunt added the rainbow to
her profile picture, and I had an
epiphany. Over night, I began
to understand how to show love
and respect to gay people. I even
stopped using homophobic slurs.

“T still fuckin’ hate immi-
grants, though,” he added.

Annie Park, who identi-
fies as transgender, said she
has noticed the difference
that the filters have made.
“Once the rainbows popped
up on Facebook, I noticed that
people weren't looking at me
sideways in public anymore. | re-
cently applied to be a server at the
diner near my apartment,” said
Park. “I couldn't believe it. When
I went in, the manager shook my

Have an idea for a story?
WM humour@theotherpress.ca

hand, looked me in the eye, and
smiled. He didn’t ask any inap-
propriate or demeaning ques-
tions. He hired me on the spot.”

Sharene Moretti, a gender
studies professor at SFU, said the
filters have fixed everything. “All
across the country, gay-straight
alliance groups are fading out.
Social programs for LGBTQ+
youth are being cut pretty much
across the board, because they’re
just not necessary anymore.

“Teen suicide rates have
dropped dramatically. Religious
groups have opened their arms
to LGBTQ+ people. Homopho-
bia is essentially a non-issue,
now. Who would have thought
it would be this easy?”

Moretti also speculated
on the atrocities that could
have been prevented if only
Facebook had become popu-
lar sooner: “If Facebook had
been around in the ‘7os, Har-
vey Milk would still be alive.”

(¥ College professor changes study game
( Broken Internet no worry to web engineers

¥ Hillary Clinton encourages Twitter polls as voting
method

And more!

 

 

friend

 

4/5 therapists
agree it’s okay
to say “no” to
your suicidal

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