Controversial Hashtag #TweetLikeAWhiteGay Goes Viral

The hashtag – aimed at exposing racism in the LGBTQ community – has been trending for the past week.

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This past week, diverse members of the LGBTQ community have been sounding off on their experiences with racism using the Twitter hashtag #TweetLikeAWhiteGay, which aims to address the subtle microaggressive sentiments, racist remarks, and actions made predominantly by white gay men.

Some of the tweets that came from #TweetLikeAWhiteGay

Some of the tweets that came from #TweetLikeAWhiteGay

Such remarks, of course, invite backlash from those who feel some of the commentary is mean-spirited. However, just as with other Twitter hashtags calling out racial insensitivity — such as #OscarsSoWhite and #BlackOnCampus — many users have argued that they are not attacking individuals, but the offensive actions and attitudes they have endured.

Philadelphia is no stranger to such controversy with its individual accounts of racism in the Gayborhood. Hopefully such dialogue continues to show how the community, LGBTQ included, is not immune from racism. Rather than automatically reject the tweets, perhaps some can read it and work to reduce the offense.