AI Bots Amplify LGBTI+ Hate Speech on X During Spain's Pride 2025
A study by Spain's LGBTI+ federation found that automated bot accounts amplified hate speech against LGBTI+ people on X during Pride 2025, with bot-driven messages appearing at nearly three times the platform average. The organised campaigns used dehumanising narratives and emotional manipulation to delegitimise LGBTI+ rights across 91 distinct online communities.
What happened
Between 28 May and 10 July 2025, a study by Federación Estatal LGTBI+ and research firm 40dB analysed more than 28,000 messages on X (formerly Twitter) and identified organised strategies to dehumanise LGBTI+ people during Pride celebrations and the surrounding period.
The study detected that 5.7% of hate speech messages against LGBTI+ people came from bot-operated accounts, nearly triple the platform average of 1.9%. Bot activity surged on key dates including the 5 July national Pride march. These accounts repeated identical messaging using hashtags such as #StopLeyTrans and directly mentioned specific users to reinforce echo chambers and apply social pressure.
Reported impact
The organised hate speech campaigns appealed primarily to emotions of disgust (29.3%), sadness (27.2%), fear (22%) and anger (21.4%), with narratives denying the humanity and fundamental rights of LGBTI+ people to legitimise and normalise rejection.
The study identified 91 distinct communities participating in spreading these messages, demonstrating the transversality of the hate speech. Similar strategies and messages have been replicated across other social media platforms focused on video and photo formats.
Index analysis
According to research cited in the study, false information travels 10 times faster than true information on X, where posts fuelling anger are rewarded by the algorithm. X's active user base has declined monthly since 2023, plummeting 36% in Spain year-on-year in 2025.
The narratives used dehumanise LGBTI+ people by denying them fundamental rights, patologising sexual orientations and gender identities, and framing them as threats to society. Messaging employs moral discrediting tactics and claims that social advances pursuing equality constitute "preferential treatment."
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.