"Beyond Words. Exploring Sexist Hate Speech Online and in the Multimodal Advertising System" in G. Balirano, R. Lawson and G. Scotto di Carlo (Eds.) Language Unleashed: The Anatomy of Hate Speech in Contemporary Discourse, special issue

Sexist hate speech is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon, deeply rooted in our society, which can take different and dangerous forms, difficult to identify and tackle. As language affects our perception of the world, it is crucial to raise awareness of the most silent, implicit and potentially oppressive aspects of gender identity hate speech. First, the paper analyses the reasons why sexist speech represents an instance of hate speech, being characteristically hostile and oppressive. Indeed, it aims at silencing, excluding, and degrading the addressees of hate, without necessarily being violent. Second, the intersections of hate speech, sexist hate speech, and gender identity discrimination, as they manifest in multimodal advertisements, is examined with an insight into the underlying mechanisms and societal impact of such practices. Third, a discussion of the most representative cases of how the discourse of sexist hate speech is conveyed in the advertising systems of three different countries – Italy, UK, and France – is provided. Finally, the paper includes an overview of the most recent and effective practices adopted by the EU to assist member states in preventing and combating hate speech.