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Combating hate speech and prejudice

There are many things you can do if you see hate speech or want to combat it.

What can I do if I see hate speech?

  • Be there for victims of hate speech.
  • Help report hate speech to the police or to the Equal Rights Complaints Committee.
  • Do not make light of the speech or the problem or tell victims how to deal with it.
  • Do not engage in hate speech by liking comments or approving it in other ways.
  • Use the report button on social media. All media services offer a way to report hate speech.
  • Notify website owners if hate speech is in public areas of their websites (such as in comment systems). At the bottom of most websites there are ways to contact them.

What can I do to combat hate speech?

  • Take a stand against hate speech in public.
  • Do not take part in "locker room talk" or other justifications people may have for using hate speech.
  • If you see a comment that is not okay, report it or reply to the comment.
  • State that hate is not okay in Iceland. Show in action that you support those who are the subject of the comment.
  • Find out more. People who spread prejudice often say the same misinformation repeatedly. If you find the correct information, then you can copy and paste it whenever you see that misinformation in a comment.
  • Correct inaccuracies with facts.
  • Share links to websites with information about hate speech and restrictions on freedom of expression (like this one).

Courses

Samtökin '78 - A course in counter-dialogue
A course for queer people and their supporters who want to work against dangerous discourse. The course will be monthly during the winter of 2024-25.

Stígamót – A course for men
A course on sexual violence against women, non-binary people, and other marginalized groups, and what men can do to combat it.

What can organizations and companies do to prevent hate speech?

It is important for organizations and companies of all sizes to have clear procedures in case of issues. The procedures must be followed whoever is involved. Issues need to be dealt with quickly and openly.

Rainbow certification
Workplaces within the City of Reykjavík can apply for Rainbow Certification. It includes training and evaluation to help employees make the workplace more queer-friendly.