Social media platform Facebook has been flooded with accounts pumping out fake images generated by artificial intelligence that claim a wide range of celebrities are taking a stance against “LGBTIQA+ indoctrination”.

The posts which appear like news reports suggest that a particular celebrity is facing calls for the work to be boycotted and their careers cancelled because they’d made statements arguing that LGBTIQA+ related content should not appear in children’s cartoons.

- Advertisement -

Actor Kurt Russell, comedian Rowan Atkinson, country music stars Reba McEntire and Dwight Yoakham, rocker Marilyn Manson, rapper 50 Cent, actor Billy Bob Thornton, music legends Neil Diamond and Robert Plant, and Journey front man Steve Perry are just a few of the celebrities featured.

Another series suggests a range of professional ice-hockey players and football players are taking a stance against wearing Pride flag coloured arm bands.

Canadian hockey star Connor Bedard is one player depicted in the stories, Swede Gabriel Landeskog who is the captain of the Colorado Avalanche is also featured, as is footballer Baker Mayfield who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kyle Connor from the Winnipeg Jets and Auston Matthews from the Toronto Maple Leafs are two more professional ice hockey players who have been included.

None of the stories are true, but that doesn’t stop a whole bunch of gullible people praising the star for their anti-LGBTIQA+ stance, or fans declaring they’ll no longer support the individual.

Artists have also been featured in posts suggesting they support US President Donald Trump, including Pink, Cher, and actor Pedro Pascal.

The proliferation of disinformation has thrived since Meta, the company that runs Facebook, announced it was abandoning fact-checking processes shortly after Trump returned to The White House. Meta’s CEO said fact-checking led to “too much censorship.”

Meta are yet to comment on the influx of fake images and stories.