With a ban on TikTok likely to go into effect on January 19, many of the platforms estimated 150 million active monthly U.S. users are looking for an alternative. For LGBTQ+ users, finding a similar platform that is both free of censorship and queer and trans friendly may prove challenging.Last year, President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (H.R. 7521). The law stems from bipartisan concerns from U.S. legislators and intelligence officials that TikToks Chinese parent company, ByteDance, may give Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities access to the apps user data, suppress content critical of China, or push pro-Chinese propaganda to users. It gave ByteDance nine months to sell the app to an American buy or be banned in the U.S. Related How will the TikTok ban affect the massively popular apps LGBTQ+ users? Joe Biden signed a bill to ban TikTok, but itll affect way more people than just apps video creators. The company refused to sell, taking the case to the Supreme Court. But as Time reports, the justices seemed skeptical of ByteDances arguments last week. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today While American competitors like Instagrams Reels and YouTube Shorts would seem like a viable alternative for TikTok refugees, Time reports that users have expressed dissatisfaction with those options.Unless you pay Meta to promote your posts, theyre not really going to show it to peopleso Ive seen a significant drop in engagement on both of those platforms, TikTok user and entrepreneur Christina Shuler told the outlet.For LGBTQ+ TikTokers who have found community and affirmation on the platform, the Meta-owned Instagram Reels may be less attractive as well. Last week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would no longer fact-check posts on Threads, Instagram, and Facebook. The company also updated its community standards to allow users to describe LGBTQ+ people as mentally ill and to allow the use of anti-trans slurs. The move led LGBTQ+ advocacy organization GLAAD to brand Meta an anti-LGBTQ company. TikTok user angry about the U.S. ban have also reportedly been seeking out a Chinese-owned alternative. As Time and other outlets have reported, social media app Xiaohongshu, referred to as RedNote in English, saw a dramatic influx of TikTok users this week, propelling it to the No. 1 position on Apples App Stores Top Free Apps chart for both iPhone and iPad.It was a bit of a spite thing, Shuler told Time of her decision to join the platform this week. Hopefully I can be part of the crowd that maybe can change how our government views this whole situation.It remains unclear how LGBTQ+ friendly RedNote actually is, however. According to Time, U.S. users have expressed concern that the Chinese-owned app may censor queer content along with political and overtly sexual posts. On Monday, The Advocate reported that at least one TikTok refugee had claimed that shed been banned from RedNote for a video mentioning trans plight. However, on Threads, some RedNote users said they routinely see LGBTQ+ content on the app and that censorship fears are overblown. Regardless, RedNote may not be a viable refuge for TikTokers for long. As Time notes, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act applies to all foreign adversary controlled applications not just TikTok. Meanwhile, as the January 19 deadline looms, The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Chinese officials have floated the possibility of Elon Musk no LGBTQ+ ally taking control of TikToks U.S. operations. Under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, ByteDance would have an additional 90 days to secure a deal with any U.S. buyer. But given Musks hard pivot to the MAGA right and transformation of Twitter into the cesspool known as X, its hard to imagine TikTok would be a safe and welcoming place for LGBTQ+ users under his control.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.