The Effects of Social Media on LGBTQ+ Activism

Abstract

Social media platforms have reshaped the landscape of LGBTQ+ activism. It is now easier than ever for LGBTQ+ activists to share information, organize events, and promote social and political change (Dhoest & Szulc, 2016). Social media has opened up a space for the creation and maintenance of interpersonal connections and community that had previously been difficult to achieve at a distance. Technology and social media, in particular, allow people to maintain a connection with a place that may be far away, or help them to create a temporary space that represents their community. This is important not only for those who are unable to participate in in-person demonstrations, for example, but also for those whose broader social milieu is not supportive of their involvement. Participating in LGBTQ+ activist events in person and/or IRL can feel dangerous for many people, and technology enables LGBTQ+ people to stay connected with these movements without putting themselves at risk. However, there is also ample evidence that it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between real life and online activism, and the norms and expectations for how activists are able to remain connected and stay involved are shifting away from more traditional modes of activism. On the one hand, online platforms can be empowering and helpful for amplifying marginalized voices. On the other hand, the nature of social media means that activist efforts might be unable to create the kind of deep political change that is possible through in-person actions. For example, clicktivism or hashtag activism are easy ways to perform a certain kind of social justice engagement that might not actually accomplish anything. In the case of certain identity groups or social and political situations where IRL activism is off-limit for many reasons, online activism can still be a really valuable tool. However, it’s also true that online activism means that activism is now a space that is mediated by the private companies who own these platforms, and as such there is a lot that can be done to both amplify and marginalize certain efforts. Like any of these examples of the dual nature of social media in organizing/conducting activism, it compels a deep engagement with what activist methodologies are and why/how/where they work. Ultimately, these are the points this essay will explore. This piece then speaks to a significant gap in current activist discourse, where the inherent merits of online activism are consistently called into question because it fails to live up to broader societal norms of what good activism is or should be. This critique is often levelled at work surrounding LGBTQ+ rights and builds on a larger conversation in activist academia that judges good activism using white, middle class, liberal, western standards. While far from perfect, it is vital to the progression of these social justice movements that a richer dialogue around the changing scope of activism occurs. This essay represents a starting point in deepening this dialogue.

Keywords: LGBTQ+ activism, social media, online engagement, clicktivism, community building, political change, marginalization, activist methodologies