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EmelyCallejas
ProfessorJenniferRodrick
QSEnglish115
23September2016
QueerIdentityinSocialMedia
Hermitcrabsmovefromshelltoshelluntiltheyfindtheonethey'vebeenlongingforthe
onethatisjusttherightfit.Similarly,humansarejustlikehermitcrabsinthesensethatthey
alsowanttofindanidentitythatbestfitswhotheyare.However,pastgenerationsdon'tquite
understandhowsocialmediaprovidesatemporaryshellforyoungergenerationstofindtheir
trueidentity.WhileparentsaretryingreconnectwitholdhighschoolfriendsonFacebook,their
childrenaretryingtofindgroupsofpeopletheycanconnectwithonline.Socialmediapresents
thispresentgenerationwithagetawayoutlettoactasabarricadefromtheharshonlookersin
theirdailylives.Thisismostlytrueforthosethatidentifywithbeingapartofthequeer
community.SocialmediahelpstheLesbian,Gay,Bisexual,Transgender,Queer(LGBTQ)
communitymoldtheiridentitytotheextentwheretheycanfindsupportinggroupstogetadvice
from,socializingwithotherswholivesimilarorevenidenticallifestyles,andeventofinda
significantother.Unfortunately,thereisnowaytododgethechallengesthatcomealongside
socialmedia,butlifetreatseveryonethatway.
Socialmediaprovidesanextrapushanindividualneedstodosomethingcourageousthatthe
individualwouldneverdoaloneinperson.

TheFullSpectrumeditedbyDavidLevithanand
BillyMerrellgathersstoriesandpoemswrittenbyavarietyofauthorsaboutthequeer
community.InaparticularstorywrittenbyAllisonYoung,shedescribesaperfectsituation

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betweenagirlandherblogpostthatcontainedherfeelingsforanothergirl,whichcreatesaless
awkwardrejectioniftherewastobeone.IwroteastorylastnightIstart.Anothersigh.
AbouthowIfeelaboutKitty.AndIposteditonlinewhereshellseeit.Expectnowshellseeit
andhateme(Young151).Thegirlintheposttooktheriskofexpressingherromanticfeelings
knowingthatitmaycausehatredinreturn.Whendoingsomethingcourageouslikeexpressing
yourintimatefeelingsaboutsomeone,apersoncanhavetheirdoubtsaboutthewholeidea.
Usingsocialmediaisagoodwayforpeopletopostwhateverisontheirmindwithoutthefearof
rejectionorhumiliationlingeringinthebackoftheirconsciousness.Youngalsostateshow
beingbehindascreenkeepsuserssaneandpreventtheactionstheywouldlaterregret.For
once,I'mgladweareseparatedbyacomputerscreen,orIwouldhavepushedheragainstthe
wallandkissedheralongtimeago.I'msureitwouldhavebeendisastrous(Young147).The
narratortellsthereadersit'sasaferroutetobeonsocialmediawhentryingtoexpressones
personalfeelingsbecausetheotherpersonmightreactdifferentlyinperson.SimilarlytoAllison
Young,socialmediacanprovideaspacewhereLGBTQmemberscanexpresstheirfeelings
fromasafedistance.
TherewillalwaysbethefearofbeingforeveraloneforanLGBTQindividual.As
technologyprogresses,appslikeGrindrprovidesasaferwayforgaymentosocializetoacertain
extent.The article,ZeroFeetAway:TheDigitalGeographyofGaySocialMediabyYoelRoth
describeshowtheGrindrapphelpsusersmeetotherusersthroughtheircellulardatadevices.
Theprojectofgaysocialmedia,Manhuntseemstosuggest,isgaysociallife,comprehensively
cataloguedandavailablefromthecomfortofyourownhome(Yoel6).Nowadays,agayman
doesn'thavetowonderaboutiftheotherguyisgayornot.Thereisnoroomforembarrassment

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whenusingthisappbecauseeveryonehasthesamesexuality,itmakeshookupsanddating
easierandsimpler.Anotherworryofthegaycommunityincludestheirinformationbeing
accessibletothepublic.Yoelalsostatesthattheusergetstoprovideasmuchinformationasone
wants.TappingonanyphotointheGrindrgridbringsupamoredetailedviewofthatusers
profileoratleast,aviewthatcontainsasmany(orasfew)detailsastheuserchosetodivulge
(Yoel4).Theappprovidesuserswithmorefreedomwhenitcomestoselectingpotentialdates.
Itallcomesdowntotheusersapprovalwhethertopursueornot.Frompersonalexperiences,a
friendhasusedthisparticularappandthepersonontheothersideofthescreenalwaysturnsout
tobethepersontheysaytheyareorevenbetter.Thissocialmediaappmakesdatingforgaymen
lessstressfulandputsthemonestepclosertomeetingtheirdesirablesomeone.
Wheneveronethinksthey'realoneandthatnooneunderstandsthem,thereisalways
someoneouttheregoingthroughthesamething.InavideoonYouTubecalledMovingVideo
forGlobalLGBTQEqualityGoingAllOutshowsmultiplepeopleholdingupsignsfromall
overtheworldthatifLGBTQcommunityunites,theywillnotbesilence.Videosonsocial
mediacanhelpamovementspreadworldwide,inamatterhoursitcanreceiveoverthousandsof
views.InanotherYouTubevideocalled#LoveAlwaysWinsisabouthowaRussianOlympianice
skaterwinsagoldmedalbutshehastofakebeingstraightandresisttemptationwhenshesees
hersecretlesbianloverinthecrowd.ThisisaefficientwaybecauseeveryonegoesonYouTube.
Intheendofthevideo,thepassageshownsaysSharethis.SpeakoutagainstRussia'santigay
laws.#lovealwayswins.Throughsocialmedia,wecannowsharevideosorpostsaboutthe
equalityforallmovementandhelpgetriddiscriminationagainstqueerindividuals.However,
scrollinginthecommentsection,therewillalwaysbenegativepeoplecommentinghateful

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words.Sotoanextent,peoplewillalwaystrytogetothersdownbutitisuptotheindividualto
keepongoing.
Whenbeingopenlygayonsocialmediashowsthereonelessinsecuritytofight.Inarecent
article,QueerIdentityManagementandPoliticalSelfExpressiononSocialNetworkingSites:A
CoCulturalApproachtotheSpiralofSilencebyJesseFoxandKatieM.Warberwriteshow
thereissocialmediasitesthatsupporttheLGBTQrights.Indeed,earlyresearchrevealedthat
LGBT+usersoftenfoundsafeandacceptingenvironmentsonline,andthattheseinteractions
wereoftenbeneficialtouserspsychologicalwellbeing(Fox&Warbar2).Thesesocialmedia
outletshelpthemfindwelcominggroupstoactasasupportingbackboneaboutbeinginthe
LGBTQcommunity.Theyresultinhavinggreaterselfacceptanceandfindtobelesssocially
isolated.Supportinggroupsonlinewillalwaysbethere,they'rejustafewclicksaway.
Astechnologyevolvesandbecomesmoreefficient,humankindwillseemoreandmoresocial
mediasitesinfavoroftheirviewedorsexualorientation.Socialmediahashelpthequeer
identityinavarietyforms.FromvideosonYouTubeaboutbringingawarenesstoantigaylaws
toblogpostsonTwitteraboutcomingoutorevenatrendlike#loveislove,thesearejust
specificwayssocialmediahasmoldedthequeeridentity.Withgenerationstocome,onehopes
therewillbemoreacceptancesespeciallythroughsocialmedia.Socialmediaisanessential
factortotheLGBTQcommunityofthisgenerationbecauseitcanassistnotonlyqueer
communitiesinAmericabutalsoallaroundtheworldwheresocietiesarestilldevelopingor
wheretherearestillactiveantigaylaws.Neverthelesstherewillbecons,buttheprosoutshine
them.Plus,ithelpsanindividualdevelopthickerskin.Justlikethehermitcrabseventuallyfind
theirperfectmold,onetoomustmoldonesidentity.

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WorksCited

AllOutOrg.MOVINGVideoforGlobalLGBTEquality:GoingAllOut.OnlineVideoClip.
YouTube,24Nov.2010.Web.25Sept.2016.
AllOutOrg.#LoveAlwaysWins.OnlineVideoClip.Youtube,4Nov.2013.Web.25Sept.
2016.
Fox,Jesse,andKatieM.Warber."QueerIdentityManagementAndPoliticalSelfExpression
OnSocialNetworkingSites:ACoCulturalApproachToTheSpiralOfSilence."
JournalOfCommunication65.1(2015):79100.Communication&MassMedia
Complete.Web.17Sept.2016.
Levithan,David,andBillyMerrell.TheFullSpectrum:ANewGenerationofWritingabout
Gay,Lesbian,Bisexual,Transgender,Questioning,andOtherIdentities.NewYork:
Knopf,2006.Print.
Roth,Yoel."ZeroFeetAway:TheDigitalGeographyofGaySocialMedia."Journalof
Homosexuality,63.3(2016):437442.