Sexual and gender identity work on social media

Bibliographic Data

ID12912348
AuthorsR Colosi (0000-0002-8408-4189, University of Lincoln, corresponding author), Nick Cowen (0000-0001-7039-8999, University of Lincoln), Megan Todd (0000-0002-4274-8469, University of Lancashire)
Year2023
Volume17
Issue6
Publication date2023-01-27
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociology Compass (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-9020 • E-ISSN: 1751-9020
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/soc4.13073
OpenAlexW4319790826
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited59

How do sexual and gender minorities use social media to express themselves and construct their identities? We discuss findings drawn from focus groups conducted with 17 sexual and gender minority social media users who shared their experiences of online harms. They include people with gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, non‐binary, pansexual, poly, and kink (LGBTQ+) identities. We find that sexual and gender minorities face several challenges online, but that social media platforms provide important spaces for them to feel understood and accepted. We use Goffman's work to explore how sexual and gender minorities engage in ‘front region’ performances online as part of their identity work. We then turn to Hochschild's concepts of ‘feeling rules’ and ‘framing rules’ to argue that presentations of self, or front region performances, must include the role of feelings and how they are socially influenced to be understood

Aesthetics · Construct (python library · Face (sociological concept · Feeling · Framing (construction · Human sexuality · Identity (music · Lesbian · Political science · Queer · Sexual identity · Sexual minority · Sexual orientation · Social constructionism · Social media · Social science · Sociology · Transgender · Computer Science · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology

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