Slurs in Positive Context
UPDATED JUN 16, 2026
Summary Decision 2026-036-IG-UA, 2026-037-IG-UA, 2026-038-FB-UA, 2026-039-IG-UA, 2026-040-FB-UA
We welcome the Oversight Board's decision today, June 16, 2026, on this case bundle, which deals with five Facebook and Instagram posts containing slurs used in a self-referential or positive context.
The first case concerns an Instagram post from Greece sharing a video clip promoting a podcast episode hosted by a drag queen. In the clip, a guest who is also a drag queen and transgender describes themselves using the Greek term “Πούστης,” a derogatory term for gay men that can be translated as the f-slur in English, in a self-referential and empowering context.
The second case concerns an Instagram video from Germany in which the user, walking through Berlin, refers to themselves using the Turkish term “ibne,” which can also be translated as the f-slur in English, while describing their experience as a Turkish-speaking gay person in the city.
The third case concerns a Facebook comment in Spanish posted in response to a photo featuring the band of an Ecuadorian singer. The user responded to another user with the term "cholo,” a word historically used as a derogatory term toward indigenous and mestizo individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in Ecuador and Latin American countries. While historically used to marginalize these individuals, the term has been reclaimed by those embracing their identity as a source of pride and sense of belonging.
The fourth case concerns an Instagram video from the United States featuring a rap battle between a white rapper and a Black rapper. The video includes a segment in which the Black rapper employs the N-word self-referentially in their lyrics, and the white rapper responds by substituting the N-word with “cracker,” a derogatory term directed at white individuals, in a comparable self-referential context.
The fifth case concerns a Facebook video from India recounting the story of Udaiya Chamar, a 19th-century revolutionary. The video repeatedly uses the word “chamar,” a term historically used as a derogatory casteist slur against Dalit communities that has been reclaimed in self-referential and empowering contexts, with the caption framing its use as an acknowledgment of historical resistance.
Upon initial review, Meta removed all five pieces of content for violating our Hateful Conduct policy, as laid out in the Meta Community Standards. However, after the Board brought the cases to our attention, we determined that we had removed the content in error and reinstated all five posts. Meta allows slurs when used “self-referentially or in an empowering way,” deployed in a positive context, or highlighting historical realities and fostering understanding.
There will be no further updates to this case.