Intersectionality and Hate: Understanding co-ocurrence in online discourse

This study aims to explore the intersectionality of online hate speech by analyzing the co-occurrence of different types of prejudices (racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim sentiment, antisemitism, LGBTIQphobia) in online discourse. We hypothesize that individuals who express hate towards one group are likely to exhibit hatred towards others, leading to significant co-occurrence patterns in online messages. The concept of intersectionality, as introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989), critiques single-issue approaches to discrimination and oppression, emphasizing the need to examine how multiple forms of prejudice interact and shape individuals’ experiences. Our study aligns with the growing body of research on intersectionality in hate speech, building on works such as Burnap and Williams (2016) and Kwarteng et al. (2022), which developed models to classify messages targeting multiple protected characteristics and analyzed co-occurring prejudices in online discourse.