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Victoria Cendejas
Jennifer Rodrick
Queer Studies 115
September 23, 2016
How has social media helped the acceptance of the queer identity, and to what
extent?
Social media, particularly Twitter, have given a greater voice to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender (LGBT) communities around the world. Social media has been an amazing
tool for all of us; however, I believe that it has helped the LGBTQ+ community more than it has
helped us. It has given the LGBTQ+ community a sense of safety and security. It allows them to
speak their mind and actually feel like they belong in this society. Social media empowers the
LGBTQ+ community because it allows others to find themselves and it creates a support system,
which has positively shaped the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.
Ever since Ellen DeGeneres made television history by coming out of the closet on her
popular primetime sitcom Ellen in 1998, gay and lesbian characters have become increasingly
prominent in the media. Social media creates a domino effect for all of us. If we see that one
person does something and gets positive feedback for it, then we all eventually do the same and
hope for the same outcome. For example, when Ellen DeGeneres came out as lesbian on her
show, she got a lot of positive feedback from her supporters. This causes her fans to come out
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and hope for the same outcome. When Ellen came out as lesbian on her show, she made her fans
realize that it is okay to not be normal, she showed them that it is okay to be different and
happy. Therefore, when she motivated those from the LGBTQ+ community to finally come out,
they did. The LGBTQ+ community has become larger and more known because she allowed
them to feel a sense of safety.
Social media helps people connect with others who are experiencing common situations
and those connections foster hope. Social media provides hope and support for those who are in
need of it, especially for those in the LGBTQ+ community. If anyone ever needs support or
someone to talk to, they automatically turn to social media to talk about their problems. For
example, my best friend didnt know how to come out to his parents, but when he did, he finally
felt comfortable and accepted. That was when he decided to turn to social media for their
approval as well, and as expected all he got were positive comments from his friends and
family. By turning to social media, he felt safe and accepted by everyone, however when he was
out in public places he felt uncomfortable and never acted like him. Now, he turns to social
media in order to show everyone who he really is, instead of whom he isnt.
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Earlier this year in Orlando,
there was a shooting in a gay club; there
were 300 people in the club,
unfortunately, 50 people were shot to
death that night. Many people decided
to show their support to those in the
LGBTQ+ community and to those whos
loved ones who passed away that night
on social media. They started a trend on social media with a hashtag, #LoveWins. It went viral
on Twitter and Instagram; it was all of the LGBTQ+ supporters showing that those in the
LQBTQ+ community were not alone and that they were loved. All of the supporters wanted them
to feel loved and we wanted them to know that even when tragedies like this happen, there will
always be people who are going to be there to support the at the end of the day.
Even though social media helps people from the LGBTQ+ community, I believe there is
also a down side to it. For example, there are times when people can say they are one thing;
however, they turn out to be the exact opposite. One day, my best friend thought he had met
another gay boy online, and they decided they wanted to meet. They scheduled a time and place
to meet each other and the other boy turned out to not be gay. The other boy had a girlfriend, he
just wanted to experiment with another guy and see if he would like it. My best friend declined
his offer and politely began to leave, that was when the other boy wanted to force my best friend
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into doing something he did not want to do. Luckily, they were in a public place so others began
to help my friend leave and find some help. Although there are some down sides to social media,
there are more supporters for the LGBTQ+ community than there are attackers.
Social media has shaped the LGBTQ+ community in a positive way. It has helped the
queer community find a place to feel comfortable and accepted. It has also made more people
want to come out instead of staying on the closet and have people not know who they truly are.
Where there is support, there is also hate; however, there is more support for those who need it.
If there are still people who have not come out as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, then I
suggest that you should come out. This is because there are a lot of people just like you and
thanks to social media, they can now feel safe, hopeful, and happy.
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Works Cited
1. Social media and the LGBT Community. The Salzburg Academy on Media and Global
Change. Creative Commons Attribution, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.
2. Nenga, Sandi, Jacqueline Muir-Broaddus, Abigail Riggs, Ryan Guiliano, Jason Dolloff,
and Travis Norton. Journal of Homosexuality. The Influence of Media Role Models on
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Identity:: Vol 58, No 3. Sarah C. Gomillion and Traci A.
Guiliano, 25 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.
3. Hoffman, John. Sharing Our Way towards Equality: Social Media and Gay Rights.
Nonprofit Information Networking Association. Nonprofit Quarterly, 14 May 2012. Web.
23 Sept. 2016.
4. Mailonline, Alexander Robertson For. Our Thoughts and Prayers Are with All Those
Who Have Been Affected: The Queen Leads Tributes as Britain Reacts to Terror Attack
after Gunman Kills 50 in US Gay Club. Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 13 June
2016. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.