NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today responded to the Trump Administration’s Federal Communications Commission’s vote to overturn the 2015 net neutrality rules, allowing broadband providers the ability to control your experience online by giving them the power to change what you can see on the internet, the speed at which you see it, and the quality of your connection.

“Stripping away net neutrality is the latest attempt by the Trump Administration to silence voices of already marginalized communities and render us invisible,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “The internet is a lifeline for LGBTQ people to build community support networks and access LGBTQ resources on history, suicide prevention, and health—allowing broadband providers to regulate access is a direct and unconscionable attack on freedom of expression.”

GLAAD previously assembled leaders from LGBTQ digital media to weigh in on net neutrality on the internet-wide day of action to save net neutrality. GLAAD also filed a comment with the FCC in support of net neutrality and published a guest post on TheAdvocate.com urging others to follow suit and shedding light on net neutrality’s impact on LGBTQ Americans. 

The fight for net neutrality does not stop at the FCC, it is time for Congress to step up and listen to advocates who are leading the fight to preserve this lifeline. GLAAD will be collecting testimonials from the LGBTQ community about how the open Internet has affected their lives. Head over to GLAAD’s Twitter to read their stories thought out the day.