Trans Activism Against Disinformation on Social Media

Communication Strategies of Advocacy Organizations on Instagram in Spain

Abstract

This article examines how three trans organizations in Spain – Plataforma Trans, Euforia. Familias Trans-Aliadas, and Chrysallis – addressed disinformation and hate speech on Instagram during 2023. Through a content analysis of 383 posts, the study identifies predominant themes, the framing of hostile narratives, and the communicative strategies deployed in response. Findings reveal that organizations perceive disinformation and hate speech as a unified field of hostility, prioritizing the defense of human rights over systematic fact-checking. The results suggest that the limited use of explicit verification is not a deficiency but a strategic adaptation: organizations prioritize confrontation, pedagogy, and community support to challenge what they frame as the “epistemic violence” of disinformation. By highlighting how digital activism constructs counter-narratives that empower the trans community and mobilize allies, the article engages with broader debates on the tension between activist logics and journalistic verification norms.