Sydney Sauna Lost Its Instagram… So Did 100 Other LGBTQIA+ Accounts
Sydney Sauna, the sex venue of choice for Oxford Streeters, says Meta permanently suspended its Instagram account in March without warning. The account had more than 5,000 followers. No content was flagged, no policy was cited, and no appeal has worked. The suspension is one of more than 100 LGBTQIA+ and sexual health account removals tracked by watchdog Repro Uncensored in April 2026 alone.
No warning, no clear reason, no way back
Sydney Sauna’s team says they had no notice and no path to recovery.
“At no point did we use the platform to solicit or promote harmful or illegal activity,” the venue said in a statement to the Star Observer. “We operate as a licensed hospitality venue, providing a safe, inclusive environment for consenting adults to connect.”
“As a long-standing LGBTQ+ venue in Sydney, we believe there needs to be greater clarity and consistency in how platforms apply their policies, particularly when they impact queer spaces and businesses.”
The business has since started new Instagram and Facebook accounts and says its audience is already rebuilding.
Sydney Sauna is one of more than 100
Repro Uncensored, a group tracking content moderation across major platforms, says Meta suspended more than 100 LGBTQIA+ and sexual health accounts on Instagram in April 2026 alone. The list spans queer communities, sexual health advocacy, art and culture. US toy retailer Bellesa Boutique, which had more than 700,000 followers, lost its account in the same wave. Bellesa later said the account had been flagged for using the word “clitoris”. Meta has not directly addressed that claim.
“These cases demonstrate a broader pattern affecting queer communities, women’s and sexual health content, artists, cultural spaces, and even music festivals,” Repro Uncensored said. “These accounts function as arteries of community and infrastructure.”
Across 2025, the watchdog logged more than 200 incidents involving LGBTQIA+, sexual health and abortion-related organisations in the UK, Europe, Latin America and the United States. In December, more than 50 queer advocacy groups accused Meta of one of the biggest waves of censorship in the company’s history.
What Meta says
A Meta spokesperson told Mashable the suspensions are not targeted. “Every organization and individual on our platforms is subject to the same set of rules, and any claims of enforcement based on group affiliation or advocacy are baseless.” The company also says many of the suspended accounts have since been restored, and that some removals were issued in error.
For Sydney Sauna, that has not yet meant the return of the original account. The team is rebuilding from zero. If you were one of the 5,000 who followed the original account, the new handle is worth finding.
