How Tumblr Porn Ban Effects the LGBT Community
By:
Tumblr has decided to ban all so-called Not Safe For Work content. The announcement came on December 3rd and officially took effect on the 17th. The ban comes as a particular blow to the LGBT community that had always found safe haven on Tumblr’s platform. Tumblr's popularity began in large part because it provided a space for the progressive community to openly discuss body image, sexuality, gender identity and traditionally taboo topics, like sex work. Tumblr further benefited when competing blog site, LiveJournal, relocated to Russia, where government censors ban any pro-LGBT material. Tumblr’s new policies erase its primary distinction from competitors like Instagram and Facebook, both of which have a reputation for vague "community standards" which alledgedly discriminate agaist gay men.