ABSTRACT
Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is nothing new, and internet hate speech directed at queers is simply an outgrowth of hate against other identifiable groups. As stated before, the anti-queer web sites studied have some differences in content and format, but share similar themes and tactics. The growth of hate group web sites also coincides with an increase in reported hate crimes. Most hate group sites offer information about the organization’s ideology but may also sell merchandise such as books, T-shirts, and even music. Biologists often describe hate as a biological mechanism of adaptation, a natural outgrowth of the fight or flight reflex. To understand anti-gay hate speech on the internet is to consider the union of basic human instincts with advancing technologies, the clash of protected rights with concerns for social responsibility, and the evolving distinctions between traditional and changing meanings of community.
