@rice @gid There's good evidence that moderation does reduce hate speech. If someone says horrible things about women or about people with disabilities, clear words and actions from moderators that these statements are not welcome do a lot to reduce them overall.
https://gizmodo.com/study-finds-banning-reddits-bigoted-jerkwards-worked-1803766754
Without these moderator words and actions, the nasties proliferate and even encourage each other.
We have evidence that you don't have to tolerate the bad to keep the good.