Introduction

Since Tim Berners-Lee’s creation of the World Wide Web in 1989, many advances have been made to bring the Internet to where it is today (Johnson, 1995). Then came a plethora of social media platforms. Instagram, which is one of the most well-known platforms was founded by two university friends, Systrom and Krieger, back in October of 2010. And later, Facebook took possession of it. Platforms like Instagram provide essential tools for people to interact, communicate, and build communities that are centered on their way of life. These groups are designed to bring people who have similar interests together and to help them communicate. According to Oldenburg (2006), a third place is described as the location people go to in between their home and their place of work: to a mall or a coffee shop for example. This is the situation with today’s LGBTQ people who frequently deal with issues of bullying and ostracization. They have built online communities where they can go and connect with people who are like them in terms of traits and interests. Additionally, being a part of online communities has aided in the development and protection of their identities. This paper examines how social media sites like Instagram have aided the LGBTQ community in overcoming issues of bullying and exclusion.  

 

Instagram and it’s benefit to the LGBTQ community.

 

At its inception, the Internet had the main purpose to allow netizens to freely express themselves on whatever platform they want to do so. In contrast to TikTok, whose primary content is video sharing, Instagram started out as more of a photo-sharing platform. But until recently, Instagram format has added a lot more tools such as reels and notes which make communication easier. Because Instagram, unlike most platforms, has decided to go with a more participatory culture in which communication flows in two directions, it allows its users to communicate their thoughts and feelings by sharing pictures, through recorded videos or even by doing a live, sharing the present moment with their followers. Instagram’s participatory nature makes it possible for users to communicate with one another through comments and likes. This new interaction concept is what differentiates new from old media. The participatory culture as well as the freedom of expression on the Internet today, has become a medium for one to communicate one’s identity in the online world. (Putri & Prihandari Satvikadewi, 2017). The LGBTQ population is more comfortable presenting their real selves via the Internet and knowing that everyone can disclose who they are as individuals on social media websites. 

 

There are still precolonial issues present in this day and age, despite the Internet’s rise to prominence and integration into our daily lives. Even though society has advanced, and people are better educated, issues like homophobia persist. Many nations still dispute the existence of homophobes, and some, like Nigeria, have even passed strict laws outlawing same-sex relationships and marriages (Alichie, 2022). A homophobe is someone who harbors prejudice or fears gay people. However, this issue has a serious effect on the queer community because it redefines their experience and frequently makes it more difficult for them to come out or to be authentically themselves in public.  

But thanks to the creation and development of the World Wide Web along with the plethora of social media websites that exist, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community uses these media creation for advocacy practices and especially to be more visible. According to Venzo and Hess (2013), actively engaging in new media culture can lead to the social realization of gender and sexuality. As youth spend more and more time using these various applications and as they enter the age of discovery, many young people become aware that their emotions and sexual orientation differs from what society typically accepts. Thus, social media sites like Instagram give this community access to a deeper social and cultural conversation that could help them draw their identity (Wargo, 2015).  Therefore, it can be said that the fact that LGBTQ individuals express their identities on Instagram is a direct result of their sense of safety there.   

 

Social media tools provide distinctive new avenues for exploring and expressing one’s identity in a setting very different from that of previous generations. Building one’s identity is an ongoing adventure, especially for teenagers who are still discovering many aspects of their bodies and life. People do not always share the same identity across various platforms because of the quick changes that take place in the online world. Communities should carefully select their platform as content and audience varies. For instance, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community is less likely to be drawn to create a community on Facebook because there, prejudice and discrimination are more prevalent than efforts to safeguard and raise awareness of the said minority group.   

 

Social media also becomes a crucial platform for LGBTQ people to share their experiences with the rest of the community as well as with other users on the Internet to raise awareness of this kind of ‘unusual’ relationship. In other words, these Web 2.0 platforms have made it easier for LGBTQ youth to freely express their passionate and sexual preferences than they would have been able to do in offline settings, as those environments are frequently characterized by homophobia and stereotypes (Bates et al., 2020).  

 

In addition to all the advantages that social media sites like Instagram offer the LGBTQ community, there is also the theory that these sites serve as a safe space where they can display their true selves without fear of repercussions (Lucero, 2017). The third place is the name of this concept. Oldenburg, a social scientist, defined a third place as a place where people go to unwind and strengthen relationships in between home and work or school (Soukup, 2006). The idea of a third place was once restricted to actual spaces, like a library, for example. However, as the Internet developed and communities were introduced, it later spread to the online space as well. Virtual reality comes to mind when we consider the concept of a third space online. Virtual reality refers to spaces or objects created from technological means that foster a sense of presence in the online community (Bolter & Grusin,1996).   

 

 

Instagram being a third place, enable the queer community to find social support or even sexual partners that they would not have been able to find offline. It provides a welcoming and secure online environment where they can easily access information about their community and connect with other people from different places around the globe to find like-minded people. 

 

Covid- 19 + coming out.   

 

A global pandemic of COVID-19 recently swept the globe, forcing people to spend months indoors in many nations. Since many of them were compelled to live in homes that were hostile to their sexuality, this was a particularly difficult time for queer youth. To find support, they turned to online social networks.  

Because of problems like loneliness during the period of confinement, the LGBTQ youth were encouraged to make their coming out and assume their identity and relate to like-minded people (Quathamer & Joy, 2021). But it’s crucial to understand that the decision to come out is very personal and that making the decision ultimately depends on the individual. Additionally, throughout the pandemic period, the focus was primarily on people’s mental health, which is why a lot of advocacy organizations and online community events were organized to raise awareness and give the LGBTQ population the confidence to speak out. 

Although the LGBTQ community gains a lot from social media, including Instagram, there is still a negative aspect to it. Even though it serves as a neutral ground for some, it serves the opposite purpose for others especially now that trolls are still active online. Being a minority group makes it is more difficult for the queer community because they attract hateful attention.   

 

Conclusion  

To conclude, this paper has argued that the social platform Instagram is indeed a vital tool for the LGBTQ community to combat issues of harassment and ostracization and for the expansion and development of the group. It provides a safe and secure place for them to showcase their identity through pictures, videos and through written content as well. The different functions and advances of the platform contribute largely to the advocacy and raising awareness campaign. It also points out that the Covid-19 pandemic with the high participation rate on Instagram was a convenient way for the queer youths to escaped and make their coming out to the population and to their family as well.   

 

Reference list

 

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Alichie, B. (2022). Communication at the margins: Online homophobia from the perspectives of LGBTQ + social media users. Journal of Human Rights, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14754835.2022.2104116

 

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Venzo, P., & Hess, K. (2013). “Honk against homophobia”: Rethinking relations between Media and Sexual Minorities. Journal of Homosexuality, 60(11), 1539–1556. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2013.824318 

 

Wargo, J. M. (2015). “every selfie tells a story …”: LGBTQ youth lifestreams and new media narratives as Connective Identity Texts. New Media & Society, 19(4), 560–578. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444815612447