Discord Now Explicitly Bans Misgendering and Deadnaming Transgender People on the Platform

Discord has expanded its Hateful Conduct Policy to explicitly include prohibitions against misgendering and deadnaming in a policy update. Accompanying this policy update, Discord has also implemented a comprehensive warning system to enforce these guidelines effectively.

“For example you may not post, share or engage in: Repeatedly using slurs to degrade and demean individuals or groups. This includes deadnaming or misgendering a transgender person,” the company explains.

The popular social media platform in the gaming community initially updated its internal hate speech policy in April 2022 but went public with these changes in December as part of a regular review to improve transparency, a spokesperson for the company told The Advocate.

The update explicitly addresses behaviors considered violations of its hate speech policy, including targeted misgendering and deadnaming of transgender individuals.

Discord's spokesperson said the platform is committed to the safety of all of its users.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure Discord remains a safe and fun place for people to hang out with friends, we continually evaluate potential harms and update our policies,” the spokesperson said. “We often work with organizations and subject matter experts to ensure our policies accurately encompass a holistic view of how these issues manifest across the internet and society.”

GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization, welcomed Discord’s policy update against misgendering and deadnaming. The organization has urged social media platforms to adopt more inclusive and protective policies for the LGBTQ+ community.

"The practice of targeted misgendering and deadnaming has been identified by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other civil society groups, including GLAAD and Media Matters, as a form of hate speech. Social media companies committed to maintaining safe environments for trans and nonbinary people should be able to recognize this targeted harassing and abusive behavior as harassment and abuse, and should enforce their policies accordingly," GLAAD said on its website.

Discord uses a warning system to reinforce its policies, designed to inform users of rule violations and the actions taken. According to information on Discord’s site, the system sends direct messages to users who break the rules, providing detailed information about the policy violated, the content in question, and any actions Discord took.

This approach aims to educate users, allowing them to learn from their mistakes and adjust their behavior accordingly.

The introduction of these measures by Discord occurs amid broader concerns in the social media landscape. The Advocate reported in September on Instagram’s alleged failure to moderate content effectively, particularly concerning the controversial anti-trans group Gays Against Groomers. Meta has been criticized for allowing content that violates community guidelines against hate speech, harassment, and misinformation to remain on the platform, highlighting inconsistencies in enforcement and raising questions about the commitment of social media giants to LGBTQ+ safety.

Further adding to these concerns, The Advocate reported in May that Elon Musk’s Twitter, now known as X, removed its protections for transgender people. The platform had altered a section of its policy that previously considered targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals a violation. This change, made quietly without public announcement, allowed for the deadnaming and misgendering of trans individuals on the app without consequence, reflecting a significant shift in the platform’s stance on LGBTQ+ safety and inclusivity. GLAAD criticized Musk’s move, viewing it as a further indication of the platform’s lack of commitment to protecting transgender users.