The LGBTQQIA Community has been notoriously silenced since before the dawn of time. People have been speaking FOR and AGAINST Queer folk in the media for as long as I can remember, yet Queer Folk are rarely ever allowed the space to speak on their own behalf, so our media ends up looking a lot like this...
Okay, so "since before the dawn of time" is not necessarily a correct allotment of time - but still. Queer folk have been shouting from behind closed doors for decades. We can all agree that anyone outside of the heteronormative societal script is pretty much left out of public rhetoric. However, social media has become a new platform for Queer folk to join the conversation, and perhaps, even dominate it.
With the increase of social media sites and the interconnected world wide web, now so more than ever Queer voices are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Queer folk are more comfortable coming out, speaking up, and standing strong in the face of adversity online.
Social media is a great tool, not just for disseminating information to a wide variety of people, but also as a way of providing better and more realistic representation of marginalized groups. Individuals and groups use social media to gather, physically and virtually, to promote and support LGBTQ+ issues and rights — and they have done so in countries that are both are tolerant and intolerant of LGBTQ+rights.
According to a study done by the Salzburg Academy of Media and Global Change, "In the United States, LGBT rights have expanded rapidly with the recent legalization of same-sex marriage. With the surge of support for LGBT rights, there has been a surge in LGBT social media campaigns."
The It Gets Better Project was one of the first social media campaigns that successfully reached out to teens, of all intersectional identities. The 2010 campaign started after Justin Aaberg and Billy Lucas, two American teenage boys, committed suicide after intense bullying for being gay. Dan Savage, a sexual health columnist and his partner Terry Miller used YouTube to post an eight-minute video describing Savage’s own struggles as a gay man and how he overcame harassment and unacceptance. He was joined by young and old gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied supporters, speaking out about their own experiences and how their lives as adults “got better” — even with their hardships. Within months, dozens of other celebrities created their own videos calling for support of LGBT teens and the end of bullying. Within three years the project has gathered more than 50,000 user-created videos in support of LGBT teens, including videos from President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
On the Campaign's webiste Savage states, "Growing up isn’t easy. Many young people face daily tormenting and bullying, leading them to feel like they have nowhere to turn. This is especially true for LGBT kids and teens, who often hide their sexuality for fear of bullying. Without other openly gay adults and mentors in their lives, they can't imagine what their future may hold. In many instances, gay and lesbian adolescents are taunted — even tortured — simply for being themselves.While many of these teens couldn’t see a positive future for themselves, we can. The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach – if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone — and it WILL get better."
It is through projects like this, and people who care, that we can foster a community of compassion and acceptance - both online and in reality. Creating more safe spaces that seek to raise people up rather than tear them down will lead to a more well-rounded and respectful environment for all of us to enjoy. So I urge you to use your social media to:
SPEAK OUT- SPEAK CLEARLY- SPEAK SWEETLY
oh, and to crush the patriarchal oppression of marginalized communities
I always love your posts and how you explain everything. It is all factual and I know that what you say I have also noticed. You do a great job!
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