Tragically, a young queer artist has passed away by suicide following hateful comments on their Instagram Reel.
Pranshu, a 16-year-old self-taught queer makeup artist hailing from Ujjain, managed an Instagram account dedicated to showcasing their talent in makeup and beauty.
A 16-year-old queer artist from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, took their own life after being subjected to a barrage of hateful comments on an Instagram reel they had shared, as reported by an actor.
Pranshu, a 16-year-old self-taught queer makeup artist hailing from Ujjain, curated captivating content on makeup and beauty through their Instagram handle. On Diwali, the young artist shared a striking Instagram transition reel featuring a saree.
Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju, an actor from the web series ‘Made In Heaven,’ revealed that the artist’s comment section was inundated with more than 4,000 homophobic remarks, contributing to their tragic decision to take their own life. The artist had amassed a following of over 16,500 on their Instagram account, ‘glamitupwithpranshu.’
Actor Trinetra expressed concern, stating that platforms like Instagram, owned by Meta, have consistently fallen short in providing a secure environment for individuals from the LGBTQ community. Trinetra further noted that the hashtag #JusticeForPranshu seems to have no posts due to some violating community guidelines.
Numerous members of the LGBTQ community voiced their sorrow and criticized platforms such as Instagram, X, and Facebook for their perceived inadequacy in addressing cyberbullying.
KS Gehlot, the in-charge of Nagjhiri police station, mentioned that the precise cause behind the tragic incident is still under investigation. The Free Press Journal reported that authorities are actively looking into the matter.
Arthur Bejar, a former executive at Meta who resigned from the organization in 2021, asserted that Instagram is “fundamentally misleading” the public regarding the safety of its platform for teenagers. Bejar recently testified before US Senators, emphasizing that Instagram is “categorically not” suitable for children as young as 13.
“I personally witnessed them dismissing what can be characterized as statistically significant research,” he remarked, referring to evidence indicating that millions of teenagers were encountering safety issues while utilizing Meta’s apps.
