A Report on Gender and Sexuality-based Digital Violence
Faced by LGBTQI+ Activists & Community Members
2018/2019
Publication type: Research Report Date of issue: September 2019 Publisher: Mesahat Foundation for Sexual & Gender Diversity in the Nile Valley (Egypt & Sudan) Copyright: All Rights Reserved to Mesahat Foundation for Sexual & Gender Diversity in the Nile Valley (Egypt & Sudan)
Table of Contents Introduction.........................................................................................................................2 ExecutiveSummary..............................................................................................................3 Methodology.........................................................................................................................4 Data collection..........................................................................................................4 Study Ethics................................................................................................................6 Key Concepts...............................................................................................................6 Firstly: LGBTQI+ activists facing Digital Violence.........................................................7 Data Analysis..............................................................................................................7 Quantitative Data............................................................................................7 Qualitative Data Analysis.............................................................................16 Activists’ Testimonials of Violence Cases...........................................................20 Secondly: LGBTQI+ community members facing Digital Violence...............................25 Data Analysis............................................................................................................25 Quantitative Data..........................................................................................25 Qualitative Data Analysis.............................................................................34 Conclusions........................................................................................................................39 Appendices..........................................................................................................................40 Appendix 1: Tables for the field work related to LGBTQI+ activists...............40 Appendix 2: Tables for the online survey taken by LGBTQI+ individuals..........44 Appendix 3: The Survey...........................................................................................47
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Introduction Mesahat Organization for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Egypt and Sudan worked in 2018 on a detailed study of gender and sexuality-based violence taking place online (i.e. Digital Violence) which is inflicted on the LGBTQI+ society inside Egypt. The aim was to document the incidents that have been taking place within the past 5 years in an effort to paint a picture as realistic as possible of the lives and struggles of the LGBTQI+ community, and specifically LGBTI+ activists. The study has gotten in touch with 24 activists from the community. Despite the constant, grave security challenges faced by the community members in general and the activists in particular, especially after the Rainbow flag-raising incident in a musical concert some years ago, the research team was able to reach out to various prominent figures in the field of advocacy for LGBTQI+ individuals Yet, due to our belief in the importance of documenting the phenomenon of online violence thoroughly, Mesahat has decided to use the same survey used in field work in getting through to more people by uploading it online for the sake of easier access and wider outreach. We targeted LGBTI+ individuals not only activists by the online survey and upon the initial sorting process, it was found that 50 individuals only have filled the survey and stuck to its guidelines, including 18 activists. This report will cover the results of the aforementioned survey. 2
Executive Summary In this study we look at the statistical data concerning the exposure of LGBTI+ individuals in general and activists in particular to digital violence. This study defines Digital Violence as any hostile act done via social media platforms (such as: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.…) or dating apps, and results in- or perceived to result in- any sort of harm or suffering whether physically, sexually or psychologically. Such acts include even the threat of doing so, subjugation, stalking, extortion, violation of privacy, publishing private pictures or personal data without consent or prior notice. The study is divided into two sections; the first one pertains to violence faced by community activists. This part targeted 24 individuals on the ground while considering the importance of providing a comprehensible picture by getting to various activists of different backgrounds and giving them equal opportunities to participate through using the snowball sampling technique. Secondly, the entire LGBTQI+ community was targeted to participate in an online survey to which a lot of responses were received but only 50 of them were eligible to be used in coming up with the results used in this report. Firstly: LGBTQI+ activists facing Digital Violence: This part of the survey reached out to 24 activists- who all currently reside in Egypt- in the field. Most of the participants are from Cairo, but 8 other governorates have been represented. Of all the LGBTQI+ factions, Gay men had the most contribution to the study and were followed by Lesbian women, Queer 3
and pansexual individuals respectively. The age range bracket of the participants was from 18 to 30 years old, with an educational background ranging from middle school to graduate degrees and a majority of employed individuals. The list of social media platforms and dating apps included in the study were 12 different website and application. Each participant was allowed to share two incidents of digital violence which they were subjected to and had the most detrimental effect on them. The majority of cases recorded cited Facebook as the platform in which they were subjected to violence most frequently and 2017 as the year when most incidents recorded had taken place. Digital violence has taken various shapes and forms, among which are: threatening to “out” those individuals to their families and friend, verbal harassment, publishing personal photos of and sending pornographic material to the survivors without their consent. The greater part of the participants mentioned that the perpetrators of such violence were strangers, those incidents results in a wide array of reactions but the most prominent one was the psychological toll of such incidents on the survivors which led them to deactivate their accounts on the platforms where the attacks had happened. The majority of participants concurred on the futility of taking a more proactive approach in their reactions. The majority of participants attributed their activity on Facebook to various reasons, such as: reaching a bigger demographic, ease of communication with desired social circles and a bigger space for freedom of expression as it could be a resort away from real life
family members and friends. Most of the participants agreed on the existence of a correlation between their activism and the magnitude of digital violence they face. And as for their reactions to that violence, most participants declared that it did not set them back at all from pursuing their advocacy work further. Secondly: LGBTI+ individuals facing Digital Violence: This part of the study reached out to 50 individuals, 49 of whom currently reside in Egypt. The greater part of the participants hails from Cairo, with 16 other governorates represented. Most of the participants were Gay men, with a wide age range bracket (less than 18 until 40 years old) of various educational backgrounds and work experience. The list of social media platforms and dating apps included in the study were 12 different website and application. Each participant could share two incidents of digital violence which they were subjected to and had the most detrimental effect on them. Digital violence has taken various shapes and forms, among which are: threatening to “out” those individuals to their families and friend, verbal harassment, publishing personal photos of and sending pornographic material to the survivors without their consent. The greater part of the participants mentioned that the perpetrators of such violence were strangers, those incidents results in a wide array of reactions but the most prominent one was the psychological toll of such incidents on the survivors which led them to deactivate their accounts on the platforms where the attacks had happened. Most participants concurred
on the futility of taking a more proactive approach in their reactions. Finally, the study was able to reach a few conclusions, the most important among which is a vivid similarity among the different cases of violence due to the widespread social narrative of viewing LGBTQI+ individuals as deviants and an apparent violent behavior among social media users especially those who come from a conservative country such as Egypt. Most LGBTI+ individuals feel hopeless when it comes to gaining the rights to live a digitally-safe existence and that’s why most participants expressed their belief in the futility of reacting beyond the confines of virtual interactions, besides being overtaken by fear of legal and social persecution, stigma and discrimination against them if they took to having a more proactive reaction.
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Methodology Data collection Firstly: LGBTQI+ activists facing Digital Violence: Stratified Random Sampling techniques were employed to reach the targeted population, while allowing equal opportunities to all targeted individuals to participate in the study by using the snowball sampling method- since it is the most effective with studying communities that are typically hard to reach. Moreover, standardized instructions have been given to the research team in order to unify the team’s vision and account for any individual differences among the researchers. We were able to reach 27 activists, yet 3 samples have been eliminated since their owners did not identify themselves as activists despite their notable advocacy work for the LGBTQI+ community in Egypt which renders their answers not eligible to be taken into account. Those 3 samples were as follows: (2 from Alexandria,1 from Giza) (1 gat, 1 transsexual and 1 transgender) (2 males and 1 female) We have considered providing a variety in the samples collected in the following aspects: 1. Geographical variance: 8 different governorates were represented, which are: Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Daqahlia, Ismailia, Qena, Sharqiyah and Bani Suef. 2. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) variance: many sectors of the community have participated, such as: gay, lesbian, queer and pansexual 5
individuals. 3. Age variance: the participants’ age ranged from 18 till 40 years old. 4. Educational background variance: starting from middle school up until graduate degree holders. Secondly: LGBTI+ individuals facing Digital Violence: The survey was uploaded on Survey Monkey and promoted among the social circles related to Mesahat and its activists. We received 94 contributions among which were only 50 eligible samples to be used in the study, including 18 activists. We have considered providing a variety in the samples collected in the following aspects: 1. Geographical variance: many different governorates were represented. 2. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) variance: many sectors of the community have participated, such as: gay, lesbian, queer, transsexual and bisexual and pansexual individuals. 3. Age variance: the participants’ age ranged from less than 18 till 40 years old. 4. Educational background variance: starting from uneducated up until postgraduate degree holders. The survey was designed to recount and document in detail the incidents of SOGI-based digital violence faced by both community members and activists in Egypt during the past 5 years. The questions collected details on the time and the platform where the attack happened and the perpetrators of those attacks, with open-ended questions regarding the incidents’ details and the survivors’ reactions to them. Each contributor was allowed to share two incidents of digital violence that they
experienced. The final section of the survey was dedicated to collecting data on the relationship between the occurrence of digital violence and the lack of awareness of digital safety and security tools, if there is any.
Study ethics The study has relied on notions of neutrality, consent, confidentiality and data protection. The study aims were clarified and our dedication to protecting the participants’ identities was highlighted. All the data gathered has been strictly used for research purposes (which is producing this report) with the utmost level of objectivity possible among the research in order to stay true to the facts as much as humanly possible.
Key concepts The LGBTQI+ Community: is a comprehensive term that includes any individual who identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, curious, queer, trans-gender or transsexual. Sexual Orientation: is the individual’s ability to be attracted emotionally and physically to someone else, regardless of their gender; and their ability to establish intimate relationships with them. Gender Identity: is the individual’s own perception of their gender and body whether that complies with the biological sex (assigned on birth) or not. Digital Violence: Any hostile act against any individual done via social media platforms (such as: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.…) or dating apps, that results in an apparent or perceived harm, whether physical, sexual or emotional harm. This also includes threatening violence, coercion or preemptive deprivation of freedoms,
violation of privacy, publishing private pictures or personal data without consent or prior notice, whether done within the public or the personal sphere of the individual themselves.
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Firstly: LGBTQI+ activists facing Digital Violence 24 activists have participated in the collection of this data. Our researchers have conducted the documentation process following the exact order and format of questions in the survey.
Data Analysis Quantitative Data Geographical Representation: 42% of the participants (10 of them) are from Cairo, followed by Alexandria at 25% (6 participants). 2 participants hailed from Giza and Daqahlia respectively, therefore it came in third place at 8%. And finally, Each of Bani Suif, Ismailia, Qena and Sharqia had 1 participant representing them, coming at 4% each.
Sex: Most of the participants were Males, as opposed to females and intersex individuals. 18 males have participated in the study, while 5 females and 1 intersex participated.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Gay men represented the majority of participations (13 cases), followed by lesbian women (5 cases), queer people (4 cases) and pansexual people (2 cases). 7
Age: All participants ranged from 18 to 30 years old. The (18-23) age range represented the majority at 15 cases, followed by the (24-30) segment at 9 cases.
Level of Education: Most of the participants hold college degrees (21 participants), with only 3 participants with a middle school degree.
Occupation: The ratio of employed people exceeded that of unemployed people. 17 participants mentioned that they have a job (from various but slightly similar ranks in the organizational hierarchy), while 7 participants mentioned that they were unemployed.
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Social Media Platforms & Dating Apps which the Participants Frequently Use: Facebook came at the top of the list of the most frequently-used platform at 22 participants listing it as their primary platform, followed by Instagram with 16 participants using it, Twitter at 10 participating users. As for dating apps, 8 participants have reportedly used each of Grindr and Tinder, 3 participants used each of Hornet and YouTube, 2 participants used each of Snap Chat, Wapa and Growlr, 1 participant used each of Ask and Tumblr. Facebook
22 Grinder
8
10 Hornet
3
16 Growlr
2
Snapchat
2
Waba
2
Youtube
3
ask.fm
1
Tinder
8
Tumblr
1
Analysis of Testimonials: The participants could share one or two incidents of digital violence they were subjected to. 8 participants (33% of the entire count of testimonials) have included two incidents. Both incidents- belonging to the same participant- will be mentioned in a later part of the report to facilitate any sort of comparison between them Social Media Platforms and Dating Apps where the Incidents of Digital Violence Occurred:
In the 1st incident: Facebook led the list at 18 cases, followed by 2 cases on WhatsApp, and 1 case on each of Instagram, Grinder, Saraha.com and Wapa.
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In the 2nd incident: Facebook led the list at 6 cases, followed by 1 case for each of Grindr and mobile text messages.
Time Span: In the 1st incident: 2017 led the list at 15 cases, followed by 2018 and 2015 at 4 cases each, 2014 at 2 cases and finally, 2016 at one case.
In the 2nd incident: 2017 led the list at 4 cases, followed by 2014 at 2 cases, and finally 2015, 2016 and 2018 at one case each.
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Patterns of Violence Inflicted on the Participants: Digital violence has taken many forms, participants usually cited more than one form per incident. Regarding the 1st incident: On the top of the list came the threat to out the participant to his family and friends (15 cases), followed by verbal harassment (13 cases), publishing the survivors’ personal photos online (8 cases), threatening to publish personal photos or sending unsolicited pornographic material (6 cases), bullying and defaming on a page (5 cases), defaming on a group (3 cases) and more, as shown in the diagram.
A scandalous threat amid my contacts
15
Threatening to post my photos or videos
6
My profile has been smeared on a page
5
My profile has been smeared on a group
3
Verbal harassment
13
My account has been hacked
2
My character was impersonated
2
I was chased
5
My photos have been published and I was at risk
8
Sending pornographic material without consent
6
Threats of physical violence
1
A threat of arrest
1
Regarding the 2nd incident: Verbal harassment led the list with 5 cases, followed by being stalked or chased with 4 cases. The rest of the forms are depicted in the diagram below:
A scandalous threat amid my contacts
3
Threatening to post my photos or videos
1
My profile has been smeared on a page
1
My profile has been smeared on a group
2
Verbal harassment
5
I was chased
4
My photos have been published and I was at risk
1
Sending pornographic material without consent
2
11
The Perpetrators: Most offenders in the 1st incidents were strangers (as recorded in 20 cases), followed by survivors’ friends and acquaintances (5 cases). The rest is shown in the diagram.
Sibling
1
Family
1
Partner
1
Education Colleague
1
Friends / Relatives
5
Unkown Person
20
Group Admin
2
Other
1
As for the 2nd incident, 5 cases were reported against strangers, followed by 2 cases against friends and acquaintances, and one case for each of a page admin and work colleagues.
Education Colleague
1
Friends / Relatives
2
Unknown persons
5
Page Admin
1
Other
1
12
The Survivors’ Reaction towards Digital Violence: The most widespread reaction for the 1st incident was psychological trauma (20 cases) and deciding to withdraw digitally by deactivating (18 cases). 7 cases have reported seeking friends’ support and not reacting at all, individually. While 5 cases cited offending their offenders, 3 cases cited seeking psychological support, and only one case cited each of seeking a local organization’s support and notifying Cyber Police. I did not react
7
I insulted the person who cause me violence
5
Psychologically affected
20
I reported the Internet police
1
I requested psychiatric medical assistance
3
Requested assistance / support from an Organization
1
I asked for help / support from friends
7
Requested help / support from my partner
1
I closed my account
8
As for the 2nd incident, the most common reaction was deactivating, as mentioned by 5 cases. Followed by psychological trauma at 4 cases, seeking friends’ support at 3 cases, not reacting at all and offending the offenders at 2 cases each, and finally only 1 case reported blocking the offender’s account. I did not react
2
I insulted the person who cause me violence
2
Psychologically affected
4
I asked for help / support from friends
3
I closed my account
5
I blocked the account of the abuser
1
13
Shown below the reasons why the survivors decided against taking any reactions: Fear of scandal / stigma
3
Fear of discrimination against me
1
Fear of punishment or prison
2
I have no choice
3
If I react, the situation will not change
6
As shown from the diagram, 23 cases out of 24 reported being psychologically traumatized by the incident.
As for the 2nd incident, 7 out 8 cases reported being psychologically traumatized.
Analysis of the Relationship between Online Advocacy and Digital Violence: As mentioned before, this part of the study pertains to documenting cases of digital violence against LGBTQI+ activists. 24 activists have participated in the study; 67% of them do online individual work, 58% do individual field work, 63% do organized group advocacy work within an organization and 29% of them do organized group advocacy work online; by administrating a group or a page online.
Individual digital activity
16
Individual field activity
14
activity with an organization
15
Digital group activity as admin L moderator
7
14
92% of the participants are active on Facebook, 8% on Twitter and 4% on Wapa. Facebook
22
2
Waba
1
They cited the reasons for their choice of platform as follows: 67% due to ease of communication and communitybuilding, 42% due to the widespread use of the platform, 29% due to it being isolated from the participants’ family and acquaintances and 8% due to the possibilities of freedom of expression on those platforms. Due to increased site users
10
Because of the ease of communication with my networks
16
Because my relatives aren't use this particular site
7
Allows more freedom of expression
2
The Relationship between LGBTQI+ Advocacy, the Occurrence of Violence and Participants’ Reaction to it: 76% of the participants saw a correlation between their advocacy and their exposure to digital violence, whereas 29% saw no correlation, and 4% said a correlation may be possible. As for a correlation between the participants’ reaction to the incidents of violence and their advocacy, 58% of them saw a correlation while 42% saw no correlation. 15
54% of the participants agreed that those incidents did not deter them at all from online advocacy, 42% mentioned that they took a hiatus till things were cleared out and 4% mentioned that they took a break and came back under new profiles and started over. I fell for a limited time and then continued my activity after the situation calmed down
10
I partially withdrew and closed my account and another account was created and started again
1
I did not back down at all
13
The Participants’ Knowledge of Tools of Digital Security: 12% of the participants concurred that their knowledge is minor to nonexistent, and 75% had good to average knowledge. However, 96% of the participating population is willing to learn more about the tools of online safety and security. Very good
3
Good
8
Medium
10
Weak
2
I know but I do not practise what I know
1
Qualtitative Data The following tables and diagrams show the participants’ demographic representation; whether geographical distribution, SOGI and Sex, age and social background, in comparison with the time span when the incidents of violence happened.
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Governorates Numbers
Sex
SOGI
Male Female Intersex Gay Lesbian Queer Pansexual 7 3 5 3 2
Cairo
10
Alexandria
6
4
Beni- Suif
1
1
Dakahlia
2
1
Giza
2
2
1
Ismailia
1
1
1
Qena
1
1
1
Al-Sharqia
1
1
1
Total
24
18
17
1
1
3
1
1
1
1 1
5
1
1
13
1 1
5
4
2
Age
Occupation
Governorates Numbers 18-23 24-30 Employed Unmployed Cairo
10
5
5
10
Alexandria
6
4
2
3
Beni- Suif
1
1
Dakahlia
2
2
Giza
2
1
Ismailia
1
1
Qena
1
1
Al-Sharqia
1
1
Total
24
16
3
Education Average/ Bachelor Secondary 10 1
1
1 2
1
2
2
2 1
1
1 1
1 8
17
5
7
1 3
21
18
Governorates Numbers
SOGI
Time Span (For both 1st & 2nd incidents)
Gay Lesbian Queer Pansexual 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 5 3 2 3 1 7 1
Cairo
10
Alexandria
6
3
Beni- Suif
1
1
Dakahlia
2
Giza
2
1
Ismailia
1
1
2
Qena
1
1
1
Al-Sharqia
1
1
Total
24
13
19
1
1
1
1
1
5
2
1 1
1
2
1
1 1
2
1 5
4
2
4
1
1 5
2
19
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Activists’ Testimonials of Violence Cases There have been a lot of similarities between the various incidents of violence as observed from the participants’ testimonials; some of them are a result of online advocacy work while others are the result of the survivors’ sexual orientation and gender identities. The incidents were as follows: 1. One gay activist talked about the aftermath of a post he made about same-sex relationships as being normal, consensual relationships that society should acknowledge and approve of. He was met by a wave of hostile comments and hateful messages- especially from his friends and family- accusing him of advocating for sin and debauchery. The activist’s calm and poised approach of debating the idea was met by violence and unacceptance. He said the incident has caused a significant strain in the relationship between him and his family, not to mention its adverse psychological effect on him. 2. One gay activist who has been vocal about human and LGBTQI+ rights on social media since 2013 mentioned the time when he stood in solidarity with the community, when same-sex marriage was legalized in the USA, by adding the Rainbow flag filter to his profile picture. As a result, he received numerous threats, hate speech and sarcastic remarks that escalated to the point of publishing a picture of him with one of his ally friends in an effort to defame him and out him to his friends and family. He said that he felt in danger since he had some family members on his social media profile, and they were only aware of him being an ally and not a member of the community. Moreover,
he mentioned another attack during the aftermath of the Mashrou Leila incident. He had shared a post about it which opened a dialogue about pride in the LGBTQI+ community. The post started circulating and attracting a wave of strangers commenting to the point that he had to disable the comments due to the gruesome nature of some of them. Afterwards, he knew that his name was given to the National Security by one of the detainees from the concert, which made him feel jeopardized. He decided to temporarily deactivate his social media accounts as a safety precaution. He explained that he has been publishing frequently some academic papers related to the topic of LGBTQI+ which makes him a constant target for online bullying and violence. He said that the nature of his work as an activist makes accepting such resistance and hatred a prerequisite for success. 3. An intersex activist mentioned that she was threatened, defamed and slandered after a picture of her and another activist was shared by the Egyptian Police’s Facebook page in the wake of the Mashrou’ Leila incident in 2017. She said that after the page has outed her and divulged her real name, she received numerous death threats and verbally abusive messages on her own personal account. She said she did not take any action against the offenders even though the magnitude of this problem has reached her family and caused her problems with them. In 2016, she was subjected to another incident of a similar nature; it was done and orchestrated by a group of people who started bullying her, shaming her 20
and threatening to out her wherever she goes. It reached the extent of being a security breach since they impersonated her online and threatened to physically attack her. 4. One gay activist mentioned that in the wake of the Mashrou Leila concert in 2017, he had participated in online debates and discussions about the subject, siding with the LGBTQI+ people, which invited a wave of hate speech, death threats and verbally abusive comments threatening to out him, follow him and physically harm him. Some of the comments were made by self-proclaimed police officers who threatened to arrest him as well. The incident made him feel unsafe and compromised due to the intensity of the threats he received. He mentions another incident that happened in 2014, when he met someone who didn’t divulge his true identity but managed to convince him that he was an ally, till he was able to collect some important information about him such as his place of residence and some family members. At that point he revealed himself to be a police officer, threatened him and extorted him for sexual intercourse. The survivor mentions that he has been bullied, stalked and threatened in order to agree to have intercourse with him. 5. One Lesbian activist mentioned that in 2014, during a time when she was struggling with accepting her own orientation, she made a post about LGBTQI+ rights which was met by hate speech, verbal harassment and sending unsolicited pornographic materials to her. One person posted on her own page in order to defame her. The incident left her unable to react- despite of its adverse psychological effect on her- as she thinks nothing will change if she 21
reacts. 6. One pansexual activist mentions that in 2017, an anonymous person created a fake account on Facebook and used it to get some personal data, including family members, about the activist. Then he threatened to out him and send his pictures to family and friends. The activist showed his indifference towards such a threat, and was able to log into some of his family members’ accounts (as they were all linked by the same email address) and indeed he found some messages sent to them that would out him, so he deleted the messages and blocked the fake account. Yet those pictures and messages made their way to his own brother who confronted him, but he denied and used his political activity as an excuse to justify why somebody would try to defame him. Yet still this incident caused his family’s attitude to change; they started keeping him under surveillance and violating his privacy. He mentions another incident that took place in 2014 when he was still exploring his own sexuality and starting his activism in the LGBTQI+ rights field, he had a friend who started preaching against his actions, then he started a smear campaign against him in their mutual social circles. The situation was aggravated and reached the level of physical altercations in the area where he lives. He had to eventually deactivate his social media accounts temporarily. And even though he fought his offenders back, whether verbally or physically, he is still affected by the incident. 7. One activist fell victim to an online scam where he met someone who managed to win his trust and know about him and his sexual orientation. It started off as a friendship but soon this person started to extort the activist
sexually; threatening to out him and publish his personal photos unless he agrees to having sexual relations with him. The activist succumbed for years in fears of being outed and facing even more shame and stigma. But after a while he had to stop, so his offender did out him to all his friends and family and published his personal data and pictures online. The survivor had to seek some psychological assistance, get in touch with the Cyber Police and seek the support of his more-accepting friends and a local LGBTQI+ organization. Eventually he deactivated his account and had to live for quite some time with the fear of stigma, police prosecution and arrest. 8. One gay activist mentions that after the Mashrou Leila incident in 2017, one anonymous individual posted a picture of him in the concert, accompanied by his own name which was an extreme compromise to his safety especially since he hails from a small town where everyone knows everyone. A lot of people saw the post and reacted negatively and aggressively, resulting in propagating false information; that he himself was the one who raised the Rainbow flag. The picture itself had some flamboyant features which resulted in him having to confine himself to his home for 2 months in fear of being pursued or attacked. He mentions another incident that happened in 2017, when he kept receiving threats on his personal mobile number regarding outing and arresting him. He soon found those messages shared on Facebook which triggered a bigger wave of threats of notifying the State Police, with continuous questioning about his religious beliefs and sexual orientation from various, unknown people. He was psychologically traumatized by the incident that he had to deactivate and
seek his friends’ support. 9. One gay activist recalls an incident in 2018, when he made a post in a closed group that insinuated his nonconforming sexual orientation. As a result, he received a wave of insults, mockery and threats from various group members and even the admins. He received unsolicited pornographic material, but he did not react to the offenses in any way since he believed it was futile to try to change anything. He mentions another incident in 2017 when a Facebook friend shared a post of his in a Facebook group, prompting other members to start a smearing campaign against him. The incident was so aggressive and intense that he had to take a hiatus from online presence and LGBTQI+ advocacy altogether. 10. One gay activist reflects on the origin behind all the hate speech against the LGBTQI+ community online. He says that conservative Egyptians habitually attack anyone of nonconforming sexual orientation of gender identity as they are perceived as a threat to those conservatives’ religiosity and masculinity. It might be nothing beyond boredom and thinking it to be the only “natural” thing to do. Yet he recognizes a clear increase in the rate of attacks following the infamous Mashrou Leila incident in 2017; when he himself has been subjected to endless threats, insults and attacks online. He said that he fell victim to continuous psychological stress and fear of being recognized in the streets by accident, while he maintained a strong, unrattled face in front of his offenders. 11. One gay activist mentioned that while using Grindr in 2017, he found a stranger sending him his own personal photos and telling him some sensitive, personal data about him. He sent him 22
unsolicited pornographic material, threatened to out him, stalked him and blackmailed him. He found no resort but to deactivate all his accounts out of fear of being outed and the social stigma that follows. 12. One queer activist mentions that after the Mashrou Leila incident in 2017, a picture of them holding the Pride flag in the concert was circulated on Twitter which forced them to leave their parents’ home for a while and deactivate all accounts. Even though their brother was not on Twitter, the picture had reached him and resulted in him attacking his sibling, calling them godless and immoral, and using their mother’s illness as a pretext for shaming them before cutting all ties with them. The survivor felt abandoned and scared of the social persecution and stigma, even after they went back to their parents’ home, they still felt unsafe as their brother could out them any moment. The incident has taken a great psychological toll on the survivor, but they did not react towards it as they think that nothing would change in case they did. 13. One gay activist mentions that in 2017, someone impersonated him on Grindr and used his own personal details and photos, which forced him to deactivate any online profile he had and seek assistance from his friends to report it. He mentions that this specific type of violence is so widespread in the community and has already happened to many of his friends from the community. 14. One queer activist who is living with HIV mentions that in 2015, when some people became aware of their infection, they were insulted and shunned by many of their acquaintances on social media. They were psychologically affected by the incident and deactivated their online 23
profiles in fear of the social stigma that follows those who are HIV+ 15. One Lesbian activist recalls receiving numerous unsolicited pornographic materials from strangers on social media in 2017. She kept blocking the accounts that send her that stuff, but she felt powerless to do anything beyond that as the majority of people condone attacking LGBTQI+ people in Egypt. 16. One gay activist mentions that in 2018, he received some threats on Saraha.com website from an anonymous individual who was aware of his sexual orientation. He was threatened to be outed and verbally abused by the anonymous sender. Yet he did not react as he could not figure out who his attacker was. 17. One lesbian activist says that in 2017, her ex-partner threatened to out her to her friends and family in efforts to get her back after they broke up. The survivor felt a continuous psychological stress and anxiety that lasted for a considerable amount of time even after she deactivated and sought her friends’ support. 18. One queer activist mentions that in 2017, he was subjected to online bullying and threats to be outed to his friends and family by another LGBTQI+ individual over a difference in opinion. Soon enough the situation turned into an online battle between the survivor and his friends against the attacker and his friends, where they published personal photos and led bullying campaigns against each other. This episode of online bullying has greatly affected the survivor’s self-image and self-confidence. He mentions that he was subjected to a similar incident of bullying after going out on a date with someone, who did not find him attractive
and ended up bullying and mocking him online. 19. One gay activist mentions that in 2017, he met someone who studies with him in the same university on Grindr. But that colleague started to insult him due to his nonconforming gender identity. He also recalls that the same attacker used the same techniques with other community members of the same gender identity. He suffered from anxiety and fear of what this attacker could do since they both go to the same university which means that he could hurt him in real life. 20. One lesbian activist mentions that she fell victim to an online scam where a man impersonated a woman and started chatting with her, sending her photos until she started sending her own photos. That was when he revealed his true identity and started insulting her and threatening to out her and publish her photos. She blocked him, deactivated her account and was psychologically traumatized by the incident. She says that ever since then she must take extreme cautionary measures in her online presence. 21. One lesbian activist mentions that she was emotionally blackmailed for two years from 2015 to 2017 by a man impersonating a woman. He tried to extort her sexually and when he failed, he threatened to out her to family. He created various fake accounts to keep on stalking her, he tried to hack her profile and kept sending her unsolicited pornographic material. She felt oppressed and powerless and isolated herself which led her to depression. 22. One gay activist recalls that in 2017, one of his acquaintances got in touch with his sister and outed him to her anonymously. He was psychologically traumatized by this incident and started
being paranoid of all his friends who knew about his sexual orientation. 23. One gay activist who is known for offering medical assistance was contacted by a person for medical advice. He then confessed his love to him, told him that he would like to absolve him from the sin of homosexuality, and that they could start a completely platonic relationship. He then took pictures of this conversation and forwarded it to his heterosexual acquaintances who cut all ties with him as a result. He also sent those snapshots to the activist’s family who was luckily aware and accepting of their son’s sexual orientation. The activist’s father started negotiating giving “hush money” to the offender. The activist was massively affected by the incident and had to seek psychological assistance. 24. One queer activist mentioned that they found out by accident that there was a person impersonating them on Grindr in 2017 and using their own personal photos. The incident took a massive toll on the activist’s psychological wellbeing and they had to seek support from friends.
24
Secondly: LGBTQI+ community members facing Digital Violence The survey on digital violence was shared and sent online within the social circles of Mesahat and the researchers in this study. 94 individuals have responded, yet after initial sorting of replies, only 50 samples- 18 of which belonged to activists- only were completed accurately and taken into account in this section.
Data Analysis Quantitative Data Geographical Representation: 49 out of the 50 samples received belonged to people living inside Egypt, with only one Egyptian participant currently resides outside Egypt. Cairo had the majority of participations (22 individuals, or 45% of the participating population), followed by Giza (5 individuals, 10% of the population), then Daqahlia and Damietta (3 individuals each, 6% of the population). 2 individuals (4% of the participating population) represented each of Alexandria, Monofia and Aswan, while 1 individual (2% of the population) represented each of Asuitt, Behaira, Sharqya, Qalyobia, Menya, Bani Suif, Port Said, Qena and Kafr Al Shaikh.
25
Sex: Participation in the study by males has exceed that of females, 44 males to 8 females.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Most of the participation was led by gay men (33 individuals), followed by bisexual individuals (7), Transgender individuals (4), and finally both lesbian women and pansexual individuals (3 individuals from each).
Age: Participants’ age varied from less than 18 years until 40 years old. Most of the participants belonged to the (1823) age bracket at 26 participations, followed by the (24-30) age bracket at 17 participations. Only 5 individuals from the (31-40) age bracket have participated, while 2 individuals were below 18 years old.
Level of Education: 70% of the population (35 individuals) were college graduates, which comprises the majority. Only 7 participants were of middle school education, and 6 participants held a post-graduate degree. One participant did not receive any formal education and another one was educated till the preparatory stage. 26
Occupation: The number of employed participants is equal to that of unemployed ones, at 25 individuals each. Those who are employed work in various fields, such as: Civil society, public and private sectors, at similar organizational ranks.
Social Media Platforms & Dating Apps which the Participants Frequently Use: Facebook led the list of the platforms with 43 participants mentioning their activity on it, followed by Instagram with 23 participants using it. Both dating apps Tinder and Grindr came next at 12 and 10 participating users, respectively. 9 participants use Twitter, 8 use YouTube and 3 use Growlr. Finally, each of Scruff, Saraha.com, and Ask. fm came with 1 user each.
Facebook Twitter
27
43 9
23
Snapchat
4
Youtube
8
Tender
12
Grinder
10
Hornet
3
Growlr
2
Saraha
1
ASK
1
SCRUFF
1
Analysis of Cases of Violence: Participants in the survey were asked to share a maximum of 2 stories documenting the incidents of digital violence they were subjected to. 24% of the participants (12 of them) shared two stories, which were merged together in the cases’ analysis to facilitate drawing any comparisons or conclusions about the two of them and to make the point of sharing more than one story clear to the reader. Social Media Platforms and Dating Apps where the Incidents of Digital Violence Occurred: In the 1st incident mentioned by participants: 31 of the incidents took place on Facebook, which came at the top of the list. Grindr came second at 7 incidents, followed by Instagram at 6 incidents, WhatsApp at 3 incidents, Twitter at 2 incidents, and 1 incident for each of YouTube, Saraha and Ask. In the 2nd incident mentioned by participants: 9 incidents took place on Facebook, which once again led the list. Instagram came second at 2 incidents, followed by each of Twitter and WhatsApp at 1 incident each.
6
2
Grinder
7
31
Youtube
1
ASKFM
1
Sarahah
1
3
Time Span: In the 1st incident mentioned by participants: Slightly less than half of the incidents recorded occurred in 2017 (21 cases), followed by 2018 at 17 cases, then 2015 at 6 cases, 2016 at 5 cases and finally 2014 at only 1 recorded incident of violence.
28
In the 2nd incident mentioned by participants: 2017 came first at 5 cases, followed by 2018 at 4 cases, then 2015 at 2 cases and finally 2016 at only 1 recorded incident of violence.
Patterns of Violence Inflicted on the Participants: The participants were subjected to various forms of digital violence, the most prominent among which was verbal harassment (14 cases), followed by threatening to be outed to family and acquaintances (13 cases). The rest of the forms are shown in the diagram below: Sending pornographic material without consent
3
My account has been hacked
1
Verbal harassment
14
My profile has been smeared on a group
1
My profile has been smeared on a page
3
My character was impersonated
4
My photos have been published and I was at risk
2
I was chased
5
A scandalous threat amid my contacts
13
Threatening to post my photos or videos
2
Other
5
Bullying
1
All the above
1
Most of the above
2
Insult
1
29
As for the 2nd incident mentioned by participants, verbal harassment also came first (4 cases), followed by threatening to be outed to family and acquaintances (2 cases). The rest of the forms are shown in the diagram: Sending pornographic material without consent
1
Verbal harassment
4
I was chased
1
A scandalous threat amid my contacts
2
Threatening to post my photos or videos
1
A murder threat
1
All the above
1
Most of the above
1
The Perpetrators: In the 1st incident mentioned by participants: The majority of perpetrators (in 32 cases) were strangers to the survivors, followed by their friends and acquaintances (in 10 cases), school colleagues (4 cases), parents (2 cases) and work colleagues (1 case).
Group Admin
1
Friends / Relatives
10
Unknown person
32
Parents
2
Education Colleague
4
Work Colleague
1
30
In the 2nd incident mentioned by participants: Strangers also came at the top of the list (at 9 cases), followed by 1 case for each of the survivors’ colleagues, parents and siblings.
Sibling
1
Friends / Relatives
1
Unknown person
9
Parents
1
The Survivors’ Reaction towards Digital Violence: The most common reaction among the survivors was psychological trauma (22 cases), followed by deactivating their profiles (12 cases). 8 survivors offended their offenders, whilst 6 others sought help from various organizations (4 contacted a local organization, 1 regional and 1 international). Only 4 survivors sought the assistance of their friends and 2 sought psychological help. As for seeking a partner’s help, contacting Cyber Police and not doing anything at all, only 1 survivor resorted to each of those reactions.
I reported the Internet police
1
I closed my account
12
Psychologically affected
21
I asked for help / support from friends
4
I asked for help / support from my partner
1
I requested psychiatric support
2
I insulted the person who cause me violence
8
I did not react
1
Requested assistance / support from an Organization
6
31
In the 2nd incident mentioned by participants: There is a similar pattern in the survivors’ reactions; as psychological trauma and seeking help from a local organization led the list at 4 cases each, followed by not doing anything at all at 3 cases. Only 2 survivors offended their offender and 1 survivor managed to block the offender’s account. I closed my account
1
Psychologically affected
4
I insulted the person who cause me violence
2
I did not react
3
Requested assistance / support from an Organization
1
I Blocked them
1
As for the reason behind not taking any reactionary steps, 35 participants have replied to this question although only those who specified that they had no reactions were the only ones instructed to answer this question. This could be attributed to misunderstanding the question or the fact that some survivors still feel the same feelings mentioned in the question regardless of their reactions to the incidents of violence. The participants’ answers were as follows:
Fear of discrimination against me
2
Fear of punishment or prison
2
Fear of scandal / stigma
10
If I react, the situation will not change
10
I had no choice empty I wanted to be a role model for accepting others
6 15 1
32
In the 2nd incident mentioned by participants: 9 out of the 12 participants who shared a second stories have replied to this question. Their answers were as follows: Fear of discrimination against me
1
Fear of punishment or prison
1
Fear of scandal / stigma
1
If I react, the situation will not change
2
I had no choice
2
Ignorance
1
Fear of Getting worse
1
In the 1st incident: 45 out of 50 participants confirmed being psychologically affected by the incidents of violence.
In the 2nd incident: 10 out of 12 participants confirmed being psychologically affected by the incidents of violence.
33
Qualitative Data The following tables and diagrams show the participants’ demographic representation; whether geographical distribution, SOGI and Sex, age and social background, in comparison with the time span when the incidents of violence happened.
Age Governorates
Aswan
Occupation
Under
18-
24-
31-
18
23
30
40
1
1
Assiut
Employed
Alexandria
1
Buhaira
1
Giza
3
Dakahlia
3
Al-Sharkia
1
Cairo
10
AlQaliobia
1
Minofia
1
Minya
Unemployed Uneducated
2
1 1
2
1
2
Education Up to
Middle/
prepatory
Secondary
1
11
1
1
2
1
1
3
1
1
1
3
1
2
1
1 11
3
1 1
Graduate
1
1 2
15
1
2 1
Beni Suef
1
1
Port Said
1
1
1
Damietta
1
2
3
Qena
1
Kafr Elshiekh Didn't Mention
1
1 1
1
1
1
1 1
1
4
1
1
2
Post
1
3
10
Bachelor
1 1
1
1
34
35
Governorates Aswan
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 1
2
Assiut
1
1
Buhaira
1
Giza
5 2
Al-Sharkia
1
Cairo
3
1
2
10
3
Minya
1
1
1
1
1
3
2
2
1
11
16
2
1
1
2
1
3
1
1
1
2
1
Port Said
1 1
1
3
1
2
1
1
1
Kafr Elshiekh Didn't Mention
Bisexual
1
Minofia
Qena
Pansexual
1
1
AlQaliobia
Damietta
Lesbian Transgender
1 3
Dakahlia
Gay 1
Alexandria
Beni Suef
SOGI
Years in which violence happened including those who mentioned 2 cases
1
1 2
1
1 1
1
36
37
Governorates
Number
Aswan
Sex
SOGI
Male
Female
Gay
2
2
0
1
Assiut
1
1
0
1
Alexandria
2
1
1
1
Buhaira
1
1
0
1
Giza
5
5
0
3
Dakahlia
3
3
0
2
Al-Sharkia
1
1
0
1
Cairo
22
18
4
16
AlQaliobia
1
1
0
1
Minofia
2
2
0
2
Minya
1
1
Beni Suef
1
1
Port Said
1
Damietta
3
3
2
Qena
1
1
1
Kafr Elshiekh
1
1
Didn't Mention
2
2
Lesbian Transgender
Pansexual
Bisexual 1
1
2 1
1
3
1
1
1 1 1
1 1
1 1
1
38
Conclusions There is an obvious pattern of similarity among the incidents of digital violence due to the predominant social context that is against any nonconforming sexual orientation and gender identity. Conservative societies, such as the Egyptian one, tends to be controlled by misogyny and patriarchy that any deviation from that set course is regarded as debauchery and godlessness. The survivors of that violence were attacked for both their online activity and them being LGBTQI+. Most of the survivors felt powerless to stop those attacks due to its widespread and for the fact that they are condoned, and sometimes led, by the State Police itself. It is also noticeable how most of those incidents were never reported to Cyber Police since the survivors themselves are the only ones viewed as criminals in the eyes of the Police, who uses the same techniques as their offenders sometimes to prey on the LGBTQI+ individuals. It is worthy of noting that most of the survivors feel hopeless when it comes to leading a safe digital existence and completely eradicating that form of violence. There has been a consensus that such matters are only dealt with individually, over the same platform as nothing else of a more significant effect or a further outreach could be done, that is why most of them resorted to their friends’ support and seeking psychological help.
39
Most of the participants responded to those incidents with anxiety and fear; fear of stigma, fear of legal prosecution and fear of discrimination. All of that feeds back into the social context that is hostile to any form of difference or deviation from the misogynistic culture that controls the majority of people. Facebook came on the top of the list of platforms used by the survivors and where these forms of violence took place. This is due to the popularity of the platform itself among Egyptians generally and the Egyptian LGBTQI+ community specifically, since it eases socializing, community-making and expressing one’s views. It is also evident the rise in the public hate narrative after the Mashrou Leila incident correlated with a rise in the frequency of the individual incidents of violence against LGBTQI+ individuals.
Appendices Appendix 1: Tables for the field work related to LGBTQI+ activists Governorate
Number
%
Cairo
10
42%
Alexandria
6
25%
Beni- Suif
1
4%
Dakahlia
2
8%
Giza
2
8%
Ismailia
1
4%
Qena
1
4%
Al-Sharqia
1
4%
Total
24
100%
SOGI
Number
%
Gay
13
54%
Lesbian
5
21%
Bisexual
0%
Transgender
0
0%
Trans-sexual
0
0%
Queer
4
17%
Asexual
Education
Number
%
Uneducated
0%
Up to primary
0%
Up to preparatory
0%
Middle / Secondary
3
13%
Bachelor
21
88%
Post Graduate
0
0%
Total
24
100%
Occupation
Number
%
Employed
17
71%
Unemployed
7
29%
0% 8%
Platform
Number
%
Questioning
0%
22
92%
Other
0%
10
42%
100%
16
67%
Snapchat
2
8%
YouTube
3
13%
Tinder
8
33%
Grinder
8
33%
Hornet
3
13%
Growlr
2
8%
Pansexual
Total
2
24
Sex
Number
%
Male
18
75%
Female
5
21%
Intersex
1
4%
Total
24
100%
Age
Number
%
Under 18
0
0%
18-23
15
63%
24-30
9
38%
31-40
0
0%
41-50
0
0%
Above 50
0
0%
Wapa
2
8%
ask.fm
1
4%
Tumblr
1
4%
40
1st Incident of Violence
Platform
Number
%
Perpetrators
Number
%
18
75%
Sibling
1
4%
Family
1
4%
Twitter Instagram
Partner
1
4%
Snapchat
1
4%
Education Colleague
1
4%
YouTube
Friends / Relatives
5
21%
Strangers
20
83%
Grinder
Tinder 1
4%
Group Admin
2
8%
Waba
1
4%
Other
1
4%
2
8%
Sarahah
1
4%
Reaction to digital violence
Number
%
I did not react
7
29%
5
21%
Year
Number
%
I insulted the offender
2014
2
8%
Psychologically traumatized
20
83%
2015
4
17%
I reported the incident to Cyber Police
1
4%
I sought psychiatric medical assistance
3
13%
I sought assistance / support from an Organization
1
4%
2016
1
4%
2017
15
63%
2018
4
17%
The Form of Digital Violence
Number
%
29%
15
63%
I asked for help / support from friends
7
A threat to out me to friends and family
4%
6
25%
I sought help / support from my partner
1
Threatening to post my photos or videos
I deactivated my account
8
32%
My profile has been smeared on a page
5
21%
My profile has been smeared on a group
3
13%
The reason for not reacting
Number
%
Fear of scandal / stigma
1
4%
Verbal harassment
13
54%
Fear of discrimination against me
1
4%
My account has been hacked
2
8%
Fear of punishment or prison
1
4%
I was impersonated
2
8%
I have no choice.
1
4%
If I react, the situation will not change
5
21%
I was stalked
5
21%
My photos have been published and I was at risk
8
33%
Sending unsolicited pornographic material
6
25%
Threats of physical violence
1
4%
Threat to be arrested
1
4%
41
Affected by the accident
Number
%
Yes
23
96%
No
1
4%
2nd Incident of Violence Total number of participants = 8
Platform
Number
%
6
75%
Perpetrators
Number
%
Grinder
1
13%
Education Colleague
1
13%
Mobile SMS
1
13%
Friends / Relatives
2
25%
strangers
5
63%
%
Page Admin
1
13%
Other
1
13%
Year
Number
2014
2
25%
2015
1
13%
2016
1
13%
Reaction to digital violence
Number
%
2017
4
50%
I did not react
2
25%
2018
1
13%
I insulted the offender
2
25%
Psychologically traumatized
4
50%
I asked for help / support from friends
3
38%
I deactivated my account
5
63%
I blocked the account of the abuser
1
13%
The Form of Digital Violence Number
%
A threat to out me to friends and family
3
Threatening to post my photos or videos
1
13%
My profile has been smeared on a page
1
13%
My profile has been smeared on a group
2
25%
Verbal harassment
5
63%
I was stalked
4
50%
My photos have been published and I was at risk
1
13%
Sending unsolicited pornographic material
2
38%
25%
The reason for not reacting
Number
%
I have no choice.
1
13%
If I react, the situation will not change
1
13%
Affected by the accident
Number
%
Yes
23
96%
No
1
4%
42
What kind of advocacy do you do?
Number
%
Individual digital activity
16
67%
Individual field activity
14
58%
activity with an organization
15
63%
Digital group activity as admin or moderator
7
29%
Other
1
13%
Has your visibility as an activist affected the form Number or the magnitude of digital violence you face?
%
Yes
16
67%
No
7
29%
Maybe
1
4%
Has your visibility as an activist affected your reaction to the digital violence you face?
Number
%
Yes
14
58%
No
10
42%
On which platform are you more active? Number
%
22
92%
2
8%
Wapa
1
4%
What are the reasons for your activity on this platform?
Number
%
Due to its popularity among users
10
42%
Because of the ease of communication with my networks
16
67%
Because my relatives aren't using this site in particular
7
29%
it allows more freedom of expression
1
4%
Easy to get into discussions and debates
1
4%
After you have been subjected to digital violence, have you decreased your LGBTIQ+ advocacy activity?
Number
%
I took a little hiatus and then continued my activity after the situation calmed down.
10
42%
I partially withdrew and closed my account, then another account was created and started again
1
4%
I did not back down at all
13
54%
How would you rate your knowledge of digital security and protection tools?
Number
%
Very good
16
67%
Good
14
58%
Medium
15
63%
Weak
7
29%
I have some knowledge, but I do not practice what I know
1
13%
if you gave weak or nonexistent as response, does your lack of knowledge impact your vulnerability to digital violence?
Number
%
Yes
14
58%
No
10
42%
Do you wish to have access to knowledge and tools for security and digital protection? Number
43
%
Yes
14
58%
No
10
42%
Appendix 2: Tables for the online survey taken by LGBTQI+ individuals Governorate
Number
%
Cairo
22
45%
Giza
5
10%
Dakahlia
3
6%
Damietta
3
6%
Alexandria
2
4%
Minoufia
2
4%
Aswan
2
4%
Assiut
1
2%
Buhaira
1
2%
Al-Sharqia
1
2%
AlQlyiobia
1
2%
Minya
1
2%
Beni Suef
1
2%
Port Said
1
2%
Qena
1
2%
Kafr Elsheikh
1
2%
Didn't Mention
1
2%
Total
49
100%
SOGI
Number
%
Bisexual
7
14%
Transgender
4
8%
Pansexual
3
6%
Gay
33
66%
Lesbian
3
6%
Total
50
100%
Sex
Number
%
Male
44
88%
Female
6
12%
Age
Number
%
Under 18
2
4%
18-23
26
52%
24-30
17
34%
31-40
5
10%
Total
50
100%
Education
Number
%
uneducated
1
2%
Up to preparatory
1
2%
Average/ Secondary
7
14%
Bachelor
35
70%
Post-Graduate
6
12%
Total
50
100%
Occupation
Number
%
Employed
25
50%
Unemployed
25
50%
Total
50
100%
Platform
Number
%
43
86
9
18
23
46
Snapchat
4
8
YouTube
8
16
Tinder
12
24
Grindr
10
20
Hornet
3
6
Growlr
2
4
Saraha
1
2
ASK
1
2
SCRUFF
1
2
44
1st Incident of Violence
Perpetrators
Number
%
Platform
Number
%
Group Admin
1
2%
6
12%
Friends / Relatives
10
20%
32
64%
2
4%
Strangers
Grindr
7
14%
Parents
2
4%
31
62%
School Colleague
4
8%
YouTube
1
2%
Work Colleague
1
2%
ASKFM
1
2%
Sarahah
1
2%
Reaction to digital violence
Number
%
3
6%
Psychologically traumatized
21
42%
I deactivated my account
12
24%
8
16%
Year
Number
%
I insulted the offender
2014
1
2%
6
12%
2015
6
12%
I sought assistance / support from an Organization
2016
5
10%
4
8%
2017
21
42%
I asked for help / support from friends
2018
17
34%
I sought psychiatric support
2
4%
I reported it to Cyber Police
1
2%
The Form of Digital Violence
Number
%
I asked for help / support from my partner
1
2%
Verbal harassment
14
28%
I did not react
1
2%
Threatening to out me to family and acquaintances
13
26%
I was chased and stalked
5
10%
Number
%
Other
5
10%
Sought assistance / support from an Organization
Someone impersonated me online
4
8%
Local NGO
4
8%
Regional NGO
1
2%
Sending unsolicited pornographic material
3
6%
International NGO
1
2%
My profile has been smeared on a page
3
6%
The reason for not reacting
Number
%
didn't mention
15
30%
10
20%
Most of the forms mentioned
2
4%
Fear of scandal / stigma
My photos have been published and I was at risk
2
4%
If I react, the situation will not change
10
20%
Threatening to post my photos or videos
2
4%
I had no choice
6
12%
Fear of discrimination against me
2
4%
All the forms mentioned
1
2%
Fear of punishment or prison
2
4%
I wanted to be a role model for accepting others
1
2%
I was bullied
1
2%
My account has been hacked
1
2%
Someone started a smear campaign against me
1
2%
I was insulted
1
45
2%
Affected by the accident
Number
%
Yes
45
90%
No
5
10%
2nd Incident of Violence Total number of participants = 12
Platform
Number
Perpetrators
Number
%
Sibling
1
8%
%
Friends / Relatives
1
8%
9
75%
1
8%
2
17%
Strangers
1
8%
Parents
9
75%
1
8%
Reaction to digital violence
Number
%
Psychologically traumatized
4
33%
3
25%
Year
Number
%
I did not react
2015
2
17%
I insulted the offender
2
17%
2016
1
8%
I deactivated my account
1
8%
sought assistance / support from an Organization
1
8%
I Blocked them
1
8%
2017
9
75%
2018
1
8%
The Form of Digital Violence Number
%
Verbal harassment
4
33%
A threat to out me to my friends and family
2
17%
Sending unsolicited pornographic material
1
8%
Being stalked or chased
1
8%
Threatening to post my photos or videos
1
8%
A death threat
1
8%
All the forms mentioned
1
8%
Most of the form mentioned
1
8%
The reason for not reacting
Number
%
didn't mention
3
25%
If I react, the situation will not change
2
17%
I had no choice
2
17%
Fear of discrimination against me
1
8%
Fear of punishment or prison
1
8%
Fear of scandal / stigma
1
8%
I did not know what to do
1
8%
Fear of aggravating the situation
1
8%
Affected by the accident
Number
%
Yes
10
83%
No
2
17%
46
Appendix 3: The survey Sample Number: ......................... Governorate: ......................... City: ......................... This survey is intended to be a research tool for Mesahat Organization for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Egypt and Sudan to learn more about the types and magnitudes of violence facing the LGBTQI+ community in Egypt since 2014 till the present day. All the information shared here will be used strictly for research purposes in order to produce a report utilized by Mesahat and other allying organizations without the use of any personal details given in the survey whatsoever. Digital Violence: Any hostile act against any individual done via social media platforms (such as: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.…) or dating apps, that results in an apparent or perceived harm, whether physical, sexual or emotional harm. This also includes threatening violence, coercion or preemptive deprivation of freedoms, violation of privacy, publishing private pictures or personal data without consent or prior notice, whether done within the public or the personal sphere of the individual themselves. *** Please tick the most suitable answer for the following questions: 1Have you been subjected to digital violence inside Egypt since 2014 till the present day?
Yes No
If you haven’t, please refrain from completing the rest of the survey as any answers will not be taken into account. 2-
Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation: Gay Lesbian Bisexual
Transgender Transsexual Queer Asexual Pansexual Other
47
3-
Sex: Male Female Intersex
4-
Age:
Under 18 18- 23 24 - 30 31 - 40 5-
Level of Education: Illiterate Up to preparatory Average/ Secondary
Above Average (2 years after secondary) Bachelor Post Graduate 6-
Occupation Employed Unemployed
Occupation type 7-
Do you currently reside in Egypt? Yes No
Specify where
48
8Do you have a profile where you disclose your identity as an LGBTQI+ individual on any of the following social media platforms? Facebook Twitter Instagram Snapchat YouTube Tinder Grinder Hornet Growlr Waba ask.fm Tumblr Other (please specify) For the following questions, please specify 1 or 2 incidents where you were affected the most 1st incident of violence: 9Have you been subjected to digital violence while using an online profile with your identity as an LGBTQI+ individual? Yes No Please mention the details of the incident
102014 2015 2016 2017 2018
49
When were you subjected to digital violence?
11-
On which Platform did the incident happen? Facebook Twitter Instagram Snapchat YouTube Tinder Grinder Hornet Growlr Waba ask.fm Tumblr
Other (please specify) 12-
What kind of digital violence were you subjected to? Verbal harassment Threatening to out me to family and acquaintances I was chased and stalked Someone impersonated me online Sending unsolicited pornographic material My profile has been smeared on a page Please specify the name and link to the page Most of the forms mentioned My photos have been published and I was at risk Threatening to post my photos or videos I was bullied My account has been hacked
Someone started a smear campaign against me on a group Please specify the name and link to the page I was insulted
50
13-
Who were the people who subjected you to that incident? Sibling (specify) Family (specify) Partner Education Colleague Friends / Relatives strangers Group or Page Admin
Please specify the name and link to the page/group Other (please specify) 14-
What was your reaction to the violence you were subjected to? Psychologically traumatized I deactivated my account I insulted the offender
I sought assistance / support from an Organization (please specify) I asked for help / support from friends I sought psychiatric support I reported it to Cyber Police I asked for help / support from my partner I did not react Other (please specify) 15-
If you did not react at all, please mention why you did not: Fear of scandal / stigma If I react, the situation will not change I had no choice Fear of discrimination against me Fear of punishment or prison
I wanted to be a role model for accepting others Other (please specify)
51
16-
Have you been affected negatively in any way due to the incident?
Yes No
2nd incident of violence: 17- Have you been subjected to digital violence while using an online profile with your identity as an LGBTQI+ individual? Yes No Please mention the details of the incident
18-
When were you subjected to digital violence?
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 19-
On which Platform did the incident happen? Facebook Twitter Instagram Snapchat YouTube Tinder Grinder Hornet Growlr Waba ask.fm Tumblr
Other (please specify) 52
20-
What kind of digital violence were you subjected to? Verbal harassment Threatening to out me to family and acquaintances I was chased and stalked Someone impersonated me online Sending unsolicited pornographic material My profile has been smeared on a page Please specify the name and link to the page Most of the forms mentioned My photos have been published and I was at risk Threatening to post my photos or videos I was bullied My account has been hacked
Someone started a smear campaign against me on a group Please specify the name and link to the page I was insulted 21-
Who were the people who subjected you to that incident? Sibling (specify) Family (specify) Partner Education Colleague Friends / Relatives strangers Group or Page Admin
Please specify the name and link to the page/group Other (please specify)
53
22-
What was your reaction to the violence you were subjected to? Psychologically traumatized I deactivated my account I insulted the offender
I sought assistance / support from an Organization (please specify) I asked for help / support from friends I sought psychiatric support I reported it to Cyber Police I asked for help / support from my partner I did not react Other (please specify)
23-
If you did not react at all, please mention why you did not: Fear of scandal / stigma If I react, the situation will not change I had no choice Fear of discrimination against me Fear of punishment or prison
I wanted to be a role model for accepting others Other (please specify)
24-
Have you been affected negatively in any way due to the incident?
Yes No
54
25- Do you consider yourself an activist advocating for LGBTQI+ rights in Egypt?
Yes No
If you answered yes, please respond to the following questions:
26-
What kind of advocacy do you do? Individual digital activity Individual field activity activity with an organization
Digital group activity as admin or moderator
28- Has your visibility as an activist affected your reaction to the digital violence you face? Yes No How? Please mention details
29-
On which platform are you more active? Facebook Twitter Instagram Snapchat YouTube Tinder Grinder Hornet Growlr Waba ask.fm Tumblr
Other (please specify)
55
30-
What are the reasons for your activity on this platform? Due to its popularity among users
Because of the ease of communication with my networks Because my relatives aren't using this site in particular Other (please specify) 30-
What are the reasons for your activity on this platform?
I took a little hiatus and then continued my activity after the situation calmed down. I partially withdrew and closed my account, then another account was created and started again I completely stopped my advocacy activities I did not back down at all Other (please specify) 32-
How would you rate your knowledge of digital security and protection tools?
Very good Good Medium Weak Nonexistent 33- if you gave weak or nonexistent as response, does your lack of knowledge impact your vulnerability to digital violence? Yes No How? Please mention details
34- Do you wish to have access to knowledge and tools for security and digital protection?
Yes No 56
