Facebook announced Thursday that it is teaming up with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to help stop cyber bullying by trolling for and responding to hateful anti-gay speech on the popular social-networking site.

"This violent, hateful speech has no place in our media- whether it in print, on the airwaves, or online," GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios said in a statement. "Facebook has taken an important first step in making social media a place where anti-gay violence is not allowed. Our community needs to continue to be vigilant and report instances of hateful comments and images across the site to Facebook moderators as well as post messages of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth."

In the wake of the suicides of several gay teens, an event was posted Facebook inviting people to wear purple on Oct. 20 in memory of those who had died. Although the event got a lot of support, it also incited some inflammatory, anti-LGBT comments. Immediately, GLAAD contacted Facebook, and the social-networking site responded that it would monitor the "R.I.P.;; In memory of the recent suicides due to gay abuse, wear purple" event page very closely.

"Educating people about the lasting and damaging impacts of ignorant and hateful comments is a responsibility shared by parents, educators, organizations like GLAAD, and services like Facebook," said Facebook spokesperson Andrew Noyes. "We take our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities very seriously and react quickly to reports of inappropriate content of behavior."

This response follows YouTube's statement condemning intolerance earlier this month.

"We will not stand by and allow for the egregious violations of user privacy to threaten a vibrant creative online community," YouTube wrote wrote on its blog. "YouTube will always prioritize the safety of our users. We encourage you to reach out and let us know if you or someone you know is in need of help."

The post came in response to the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi. The student took a fatal jump from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate and another friend posted a video of Clementi's sexual encounter with another man.

There are a number of channels on YouTube that reach out to LGBT youth. The It Gets Better Project also invites LGBT individuals and others to share their stories.

Facebook and GLAAD said this is just the beginning of their partnership and that they intend to continue to work closely together.