Jennifer Rodrick

QS115 Approaching University Writing

Jasslean Bracamontes
9/24/16
1st Draft of Project Web Essay
Because I didnt have any queer, lesbian, female role models, I hated my own femininity
and had to look deep within myself to create an identity that worked for me., said Beth Ditto.
Growing up the majority of us had someone to look up to and learned from their experiences, but
a leader for the queer community did not rise until social media started expanding and creating a
bigger impact on the world every day. With social media becoming more viral, the LGBT
community has been affected by it confidently. The internet has shaped queer identity into a
more positive, strong profile for society, as it helps with their acceptance and create more role
models to not only allow them to share their personal stories but so others can also learn from all
the resources they have to find their own identity.
Unlike Beth Ditto, young individuals from the queer community now have hundreds of
role models to admire for their attitudes and values. People understand how powerful social
media can be and how their image can help create a beneficial influence on others. Cammie
Brennan states in her journal, Queer Comrades, Queer China: Hybrid Lesbian Identities in an
Age of Social Media (2013, pg. 3): I argue that QCs online format is highly relevant to both
gay and straight individuals-specifically young, educated urbanites. QCs lesbian-related talk
shows often utilize comparison and contrast between both the heterosexual perspective and the
gay male perspective to emphasize the importance of sex, identity within the lesbian community,
and social support and networking. These new models participate in hybrid dialogue, drawing
from both traditional Chinese and Western rhetoric, to demonstrate emerging sexual and gender
identities. With the QSs talk show webcast, individuals can have someone to aspire and not feel

alone in the world because with the power of the internet, one can find millions of role models
that are helpful for everything. This gives people a feel of acceptance towards the queer
community, owing to others putting themselves out there on social media to hopefully create
more role models. If this were to continue gradually then the following generations can feel safer
to come out and try to find their identity within the queer community.
In the beginning of the coming out process for young LGBTQ individuals, they are
commonly unsure of how to find themselves and their mind is full of doubts or uncertainties
about transitioning. Jesse Fox and Rachel Ralston claimed in their article, Queer Identity
Online: Informal Learning and Teaching Experiences of LGBTQ Individuals, how people try to
retrieve straight from online sources, majority of the time they research identity labels and
meaning; identity overlaps across the LGBTQ spectrum; and issues related to transitioning to
that identity, such as making community connections or what to expect from hormones or
surgery (2016). As a result, the article demonstrated how resourceful the internet can be for the
LGBTQ community: Even if participants were not sure how to label their experience at first,
they were able to identify general LGBTQ resources, blogs, and online forums that opened their
eyes to different possibilities. Several participants noted that online information seeking helped
them understand that sexual and gender identity was much broader than being gay, and that
having language to describe their identities in more fluid terms helped them to feel less out
there both in mainstream and LGBTQ communities. Before the internet was mainstream, the
queer community did not attain certain tools that were a guide for them but in this new
generation, those tools can be found anywhere. These tools are useful, as they help the LGBTQ
society understand the full spectrum of identity and can make it easier for them with deciding
their own identity. As we all know, transitioning cannot be easy, especially with how others have

the power to destroy individuals and make them feel inferior with just words posted on the
internet. We have to strive to let social media evolve to a great use for the queer community
instead of it becoming a threat.
Some may argue that social media can instead silent voices within the queer community.
In addition, social media can be so overpowering that the minority group, LGBTQ community
will fear voicing their opinion due to possible rejection or isolation of others. Although I
understand how this can be a great hazard to the queer community, the article, The Digital
Storytellers Stage: Queer Everyday Activists Negotiating Privacy and Publicness (2012),
exemplifies how safe it is to share your story and how effective it can be for others. Soja
Vivienne and Jean Brugess state in their article: we outline how queer storytellers balance
privacy with the desire to have a voice and to be heard in public debates. This sharing of personal
stories in public spaces in pursuit of social change is an example of everyday activism
(Vivienne, 2011a; 2011b). Clearly people can comprehend how essential it is when one from the
queer community is being bullied and what they have to go through throughout their life so by
sharing our stories, we are significantly helping individuals use social media as a positive tool to
voice their opinions and gain support for the LGBT community. Positively, with more people
realizing that there are others out there who only want to change the queer community into
something better, then those individuals can turn to social media to make that change happen.
Social media can mentally aid those from the LGBTQ community and change others
perspectives over the queer community.
Social media has been used in multiple ways to help the LGBT community hear each
others personal struggles and how they can come together to exemplify more on queer identity.
YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook each have their own way of reaching out to diverse groups.

YouTube videos have greater purposes than just funny baby or cat videos. As one individual,
named Chase, used YouTube to share his story about his struggles over transitioning from a
lesbian identity to coming out as a transsexual. The video, losing/retraining queer identity,
comforts those who are on the same stand as him and how an individual can go through a lot just
to find their identity. With Chases story up on YouTube, others can contact him for advice or just
as a listener. Social media is everything now so it is being used for good within the queer
community.
This encourages how social media keeps creating a goodness with the LGBT community.
The queer community has had one of the most affecting changes from social media and it keep
increasing every single day. Social media has portrayed a huge role in shaping our attitudes
toward LGBT issues and we need to recognize how important it is for us to continue the positive
viewpoints over this matter. The internet has allowed for those who are out to be role models
for others and let them grasp the full aspect of being a part of the queer community. Fortunately,
now any LGBTQ individual has all the resources they need about finding their own identity
(understanding that theres more than just gay, straight, lesbian etc.) and how to overcome any
situations they are in. Individuals have access to multiple social media channels and how these
channels are changing more and more lives from the queer community. With technology
advancing every year, and with the progress of positive sharing on social medias, the queer
community will soon become so strong that not one person can impair or shatter a LGBTQ
individual.

References
Vivienne, Sonja, and Jean Burgess. "The Digital Storyteller's Stage: Queer
Everyday Activists Negotiating Privacy and Publicness." Journal of
Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 56.3 (2012): 362-377.
Brennan, Cammie. "Queer Comrades, Queer China: Hybrid Lesbian Identities
in an Age of Social Media.", (2013): .
Fox, Jesse, and Rachel Ralston. "Queer Identity Online: Informal Learning and
Teaching Experiences of LGBTQ Individuals on Social Media." Computers in
Human Behavior, (2016): .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvSpaAWSW_o