On social media, racist and discriminatory statements seem to be becoming almost “commonplace. This is often done with anonymous accounts, but increasingly people are doing it under their own names. That some people believe they can do this is particularly disturbing because it means discrimination is becoming increasingly normalized.
The dangers of standardization
This development poses serious dangers to the well-being and safety of individuals in marginalized communities. It fosters an environment in which hate speech is validated, causing further division and perpetuating a culture of fear and insecurity within affected communities.
Recently, we have seen an increasing trend where hate speech against marginalized groups is becoming more visible in public spaces. Racist projections on the Erasmus Bridge and the Anne Frank House in 2023 constituted n another step in the normalization of discriminatory behavior. Mona Keijzer unceremoniously claims on television that anti-Semitism is part of Islamic culture, while Johan Derksen mocks people from marginalized groups on national TV under the guise of “humor.
A contributing factor to this normalization is the numbing caused by constant exposure to hateful content, both online and offline. The anonymity offered by social media has allowed discriminatory opinions to be shared without fear of accountability. Over time, people may become indifferent to these expressions of hate, perpetuating a cycle of acceptance.
Role of populist leaders
Another factor is the resurgence of nationalist and conservative ideologies, which promote intolerance toward minority groups. The emergence of populist leaders and their divisive rhetoric can encourage those with discriminatory beliefs, leading to the public display of symbols and messages that perpetuate discrimination.
The examples abroad are already legion. Look at Italy, where non-biological lesbian mothers are removed from their own children’s birth certificates. Or to Hungary, also an EU country, where a fine is imposed on a bookstore for the visibility of an lhbt iq-book.
Cooperation against discrimination
It is essential that individuals, communities and governments work together to combat this normalization. Educational initiatives, raising awareness, promoting media representation and policies that protect vulnerable communities contribute to this. But it is also important to show that even if you do not belong to a group that is discriminated against, we do not accept discrimination.
Stand up against discrimination. Together. Because only by working together and not accepting discrimination as a collective can we build a society that embraces diversity, empathy and inclusiveness and ultimately eradicates the normalization of hate and discrimination.
Claire Slingerland
This article was previously published in a different form by Claire in The Parool
