Abstract:

TGNC individuals turn to the internet to safely perform their identities and build safe communities. TGNC visual artists create art that highlights the lived experiences of TGNC people from this community. The deliberate positive visualisation of gender diverse individuals directly challenges dominant heteronormative discourse, as well as providing positive representation of TGNC in the media. Positive representation supports a more positive outlook on TGNC individuals by cisgender society as well as combating negative mental health outcomes for TGNC individuals.

Download PDF: Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Visual Artists using Art as Activism and Identity Affirmation on Instagram [T.Stoney 2023]

Art has a history of being used as a vehicle for political statements and Transgender and Gender non-conforming (TGNC) artists follow the tradition of using art to visualise lived experiences of marginalised communities to connect the public to the struggles of TGNC people. This form of art activism is further empowered by the affordances of social media platforms designed for image sharing, such as Instagram. TGNC artists share their art in an attempt to counter the damages done to their community by media and heteronormative discourse. Despite hard-won progress for equal rights, TGNC people still face much of the same discrimination today; having laws implemented that restrict the rights to their identities, bodies, and access to communities. The TGNC community suffer from a lack of support, an increase in physical violence, and a higher percentage of negative mental health outcomes than cisgender folk (The Trevor Project, 2022). The TGNC community have moved the fight for equality from DIY print media and secret code languages of history to internet forums and social media platforms, using them to connect with a worldwide community – living as their true identities, sharing their stories, raising awareness and protesting for equal treatment. Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) visual artists utilise Instagram to affirm their identities as a community, engaging in art activism to advocate for equal rights and raise awareness of gender inequalities & discrimination.

 

In 2023, identifying as transgender or gender non-conforming remains a criminal offence in over 35 countries (McElhinney, 2023). Despite TGNC people existing longer than the human ability to write and despite the years of protesting by TGNC people or the progress made on repealing the criminalisation of gender diverse identities, TGNC people still face persecution by both the general public and governing bodies (McElhinney, 2023; Taouk, 2023). Due to the consistent demonisation of their identities, TGNC youth have much higher rates of mental health struggles, higher rates of suicidal ideation, harder times accessing support and are routinely denied gender-affirming medical care at a higher rate than their cisgender peers (The Trevor Project, 2022). The war against TGNC people finds its roots in laws that date as far back as the twelfth century, stemming from religious origins with no basis in science or logic, just a fear of God and a lack of education (McElhinney, 2023). Information with the ability to combat these fears once existed; but many sources of research and records of TGNC experiences were targeted and attacked by hate groups such as the Nazis, or remain only in the form of arrest and criminalisation records (McElhinney, 2023; Kunzel, 2018). The history of TGNC oppression is important to acknowledge in order to reflect on how TGNC people have turned to social media, utilising the tools available to them to build new communities and perform their identities in a way that advocates for and brings awareness to their stories.

 

TGNC people’s determination to create visibility for their identities in the form of online queer identity performance reflects a form of resistance against the dominant heterosexual discourse, a form of everyday activism (Duguay, 2016; Labor et al., 2022). Instagram’s platform affordances give its users the power to perform their queer identities in an affirming manner, even if it is unsafe to do so in the physical realm (Baruah & Borborah, 2021; Labor et al., 2022; Papacharissi, 2010; Scolere et al., 2018). Instagram’s user profiles allow TGNC people to present as their ideal gender through the utilisation of profile pictures, bio descriptions and even a place to add a user’s pronouns (boyd, 2010; Instagram, n.d.; Papacharissi 2010). The ability to perform their true identity allows TGNC Instagram users to record and share their lived experiences, directly opposing the normative gender and sexual discourse and assisting in building empathy for and understanding of the struggles of TGNC existence (Duguay, 2016; Jurgensen, 2019; Labor et al., 2022; Leaver et al., 2020). Theodoor Grimes is a TGNC illustrator from New York City whose work highlights the diversity of bodies and personalities of queer people of colour (Grimes, n.d.; Baranova, 2020). Grime’s Instagram account creates a visual dictionary of the spectrum of queer identities, directly opposing the reigning heteronormative ideology of gender and identity performance by increasing the visibility of the queer community with his artwork, while also affirming the identities of the TGNC Instagram community.

 

Communities on Instagram made up of user accounts that are loosely connected to each other through the utilisation of hashtags, comments, tagging, direct messaging, or following other user’s accounts, whose content aligns with one’s own interests (Leaver et al., 2020). These tools allow the TGNC community of Instagram to connect to others within their community, enabling a sense of belonging through shared experiences and knowledge (Delanty, 2018; Moreno, 2022). The online TGNC community often bond over shared traumas that include sexual assault, gender violence, and violence from governing bodies – but they also utilise the act of sharing the damage society causes them to raise awareness of and organise actions that protest these too-common occurrences (Labor et al., 2022; Moreno, et al., 2022). Queer activists were early adopters of the internet as a tool for community building and awareness to lessen the harm caused to them; utilising the anonymity of online forums to communicate as a replacement for methods such as hidden meet up spots, secret queer languages and dress code symbology (Hartley, 2008; Labor et al., 2022; McElhinney, 2023). There is a sense of moral panic that flares up when considering whether social media is doing damage to traditional notions of community (Hampton & Wellman, 2018). However, TGNC people were historically barred from creating safe spaces within traditional communities (McElhinney, 2023). The affordances of social media sites such as Instagram give the TGNC community a platform for them to come together to take charge of their safety and their lives. Instagram as a place for TGNC communities to form safe spaces gives the community the ability to advocate for their rights and promote acceptance.

 

Visual artists who want to share their work with the world often utilise social media such as Instagram due to its prioritisation of visual content sharing (Leaver et al., 2020; Scolere et al. 2018). Artists such as Ashley Lukashevsky utilise Instagram to share the art that they create in the hope of raising awareness for issues such as racial, immigration, and climate justice as well as mental health awareness and queer liberation (Baranova, 2020; Lukashevsky, n.d). An artwork of Lukashevsky labelled “Let’s Surf not TERF” depicts TGNC surfers sharing a wave as they surf together joyfully (Lukashevksy, 2022). “Let’s Surf not TERF” calls out transphobia in the surfing community while simultaneously affirming the existence of TGNC individuals that also surf. Practitioners of the arts throughout history have often utilised their artistic processes to create art that attempts to challenge political powers, explore sexuality and stereotypes, question the concept of identity and contemplates issues of race (Hartley, 2008). TGNC artists can utilise their chosen art mediums to produce art important to their community; art that destabilises the concepts of sex and gender, and empower bodies, identities and practices that are not always accepted by the dominant culture (Egala & Sola, 2016; Hartley, 2008). During the HIV/AIDS epidemic, artists such as Keith Haring and the artistic offshoot of the activist group ACT UP, Gran Fury, utilised art and visual design to bring attention to and demand help for those suffering from HIV/AIDS (Hartley, 2008; McElhinney, 2023). Whether intentional or otherwise, TGNC artists continue the history of art as a vehicle for encouraging political conversation around difficult topics. TGNC artists continue to employ art activism in online spaces such as Instagram to advocate for acceptance of their identities and community.

 

The affordances of Instagram – both the technical aspects and the socially accepted uses of the platform – allow the TGNC community to present as their true genders online in relative safety, even when being out in public could be dangerous (boyd, 2010; Labor et al., 2022; McElhinney, 2023; Scolere et al., 2018). Instagram has enabled its users that identify as part of the TGNC community to sustain a sense of connection and expand the networks of their found community (Papacharissi, 2010). The freedom to present as their true selves and connect with community begins to fill in a gap of awareness around the existence of TGNC people as well as creating new, queer safe spaces that have not historically been given the spaces to exist peacefully (McElhinney, 2023). TGNC visual artists harness social media platform affordances to share their art, attempting to directly oppose heteronormative ideologies around gender and sex and acting as a focus for a conversation that  politicises TGNC identities. (Egana & Sola, 2016; Hartley 2008; McElhinney, 2023). This is a form of art activism and reflects historical instances of art as political protest (Hartley, 2008; McElhinney, 2023). The visual acknowledgement of the existence of TGNC people, drawn from the lived experiences and identities of the TGNC community and their struggles in the form of visual art works to heighten society’s awareness of inequality of rights and the discrimination levied at TGNC people.

 

The work of TGNC visual artists adds to the work of activists attempting to document the TGNC experience, rebuilding the TGNC historical literature for future generations of queer people (McElhinney, 2023). This is in direct contrast to the focus by the loudest proclaimers of heteronormative ideology and their concerns surrounding the supposed damage to society caused by TGNC people’s existences (Badge & Marrugo, 2019). Increased positive representation of TGNC people in the media has a direct positive affect on society’s perceptions of TGNC individuals and whether they deserve equal rights as their cisgender counterparts (Duguay, 2016; Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2022). Visual art depictions of TGNC bodies directly counter the orchestrated invisibility of TGNC people, working to dismantle the stigma and misinformation that surrounds TGNC identities (Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2022; McElhinney, 2023). Heightened awareness leads to heightened acceptance – acceptance that increases positive mental health outcomes for TGNC youth (Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2022; The Trevor Project, 2022). TGNC Visual artists highlight the struggles of TGNC people that are more than how pronouns work or what bathroom people should be using; focussing instead on themes of exploitation, violence, traumatisation and traumatisation faced by a disproportionate number of TGNC folk (Falk, 2021; Moreno, 2022; Taouk, 2023).

 

Identifying as transgender or gender non-conforming remains dangerous to the TGNC individual, both physically and mentally. This danger stems from historical laws with no scientific backing that have been maintained by the heteronormative ideology pushed through to society by media outlets. The deliberate destruction and ignorance of TGNC identities contributes to the negativity associated with the TGNC experience. Despite the concerted efforts to maintain this inequality, TGNC individuals utilise social media to interact with their communities as their authentic gender identities. This ability to make space for community and be visibly out directly challenges the attempt at keeping TGNC people invisible and beaten down. The social networking site Instagram is one such platform who’s affordances allow for both identity performance and community building, and there are TGNC activists utilising Instagram to advocate for and raise awareness of the struggles faced by TGNC people. With a focus on visual communication, visual artists find Instagram to be a good platform for supporting their works that focus on the struggles of TGNC people. Artwork created by TGNC amplifies the voices of the community, raising awareness of the spectrum of TGNC identities and the inequalities they face. Positive representation of TGNC individuals directly improves the perception of TGNC folk to cisgender, heteronormative society and also has positive mental health affects on TGNC individuals.

 

References

Badge, J., & Marrugo, A. G. (2019). Here’s proof that trans people are the new target of ‘The Australian’s war on queer people. Junkee. https://junkee.com/the-australian-trans-coverage/235282

Baranova, I. (2020). 15 queer artists you should be following on Instagram. Supermaker.  https://supermaker.com/articles/top-lgbt-ig-accounts

Baruah, C., & Borborah, P. (2021). A re-imagined community: Pandemic, media, state. India Review, 20(2), 176-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/14736489.2021.1895562

boyd, D. (2010). social network site as networked Publics: affordances, dynamics, and implications. In Z. Papacharissi (Ed.), A networked self: identity, community, and culture on social network sites pp 39-58. Routledge.

Delanty, G. (2018). Virtual community: Belonging as communication. Community (3^rd Edition). Routledge.

Duguay, S. (2016). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer Visibility Through Selfies: Comparing Platform Mediators Across Ruby Rose’s Instagram and Vine Presence. Social Media + Society, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305116641975

Egana, L., & Sola, M. (2016). Hacking the body: A transfeminist war machine. Transgender Studies Quarterly, 3(1-2), 74-80. https://doi.org/10.1215/23289252-3334223

Falk, M. (2021). Trans activism isn’t just about pronouns and bathrooms. It’s about class struggle. Ope n Democracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/trans-activism-isnt-just-about-pronouns-and-bathrooms-its-about-class-struggle/

Grimes, G. (n.d). [@ggggrimes]. Instagram. https://instagram.com/ggggrimes?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Hampton, K, N., & Wellman, B. (2018). Lost and saved… Again: The moral panic about the loss of community takes hold of social media. Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 47(6). https://doi.org/10.1177/0094306118805415

Hartley, E. (2008). Art & today. Phaidon.

Human Rights Campaign Foundation. (2022). Trans lives & positive visibility: How news & media can positively cover trans and non-binary stories. https://reports.hrc.org/trans-lives-positive-visibility

Instagram. (n.d). Add pronouns to your Instagram profile.  https://help.instagram.com/3936623839758564/?cms_platform=android-app&helpref=platform_switcher

Jurgensen, N. (2019). The social photo : On photography and social media. Verso.

Kunzel, R. (2018). The power of queer history. The American Historical Review, 123(5), 1560-1582. https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhy202

Labor, J. S, Rosel, M., & Pascual, S. (2022). Online Discourse Framing of LGBTQIA+ Student Activism in the Philippines. In P. Pain (Ed.), LGBTQ Digital Cultures, pp 24-47. Routledge.

Lukashevsky, A. [@ashluka]. (n.d). Instagram. https://instagram.com/ashluka?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Lukashevsky, A. [@ashluka]. (2022, February 13). In the wake of a certain washed up (no pun intended) surfer and her transphobic stance [Description]. Instagram.  https://www.instagram.com/p/Col1HwDrzYN/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

McElhinney, H. (2023). Rainbow history class. Hardie Grant Publishing.

Moreno, L. H. (2022). Alighting on the digital: Trans migrant testimonios. In P. Pain (Ed), LGBTQ Digital Cultures, pp 77-88. Routledge.

Papacharissi, Z. (2011). A networked self: identity, community and culture on social network sites. Routledge.

Scolere, L., Pruchniewska, U., & Duffy, B. E. (2018). Constructing the platform-specific self-brand: The labor of social media promotion. Social Media + Society, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118784768

Taouk, M. (2023). Trans activists say they face a new frontier of hate crimes ahead of WorldPride Human Rights Conference. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-01/trans-activists-say-they-face-a-new-frontier-of-hate-worldpride/102035716

The Trevor Project. (2022). 2022 national survey on LGBTQ youth mental health.  https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/