GRSJ224TransOnline

Transgender Online Communities

Until not too long ago, transgender people would live isolated lives, hiding their true selves and feelings from those around them, sometimes even from their closest friends and family. Today, due to more resources and open conversations, people are likely to be more open-minded about trans people, but a stigma still exists. Online resources and communities play an important role in changing this. The presence of online communities means not just self-exposure but also the creation of a space in which trans people can come together, but also a means through which education happens.

Horak (2014) notes that this is the first time in history when "media created by trans people is being produced, distributed, and consumed on a mass scale" (p. 572). The data supports this idea, as, on August 2, 2014, there were 240,000 videos on YouTube labeled "ftm," 209,000 labeled "mtf," and 21,000 videos labeled "gender-queer" (Horak, 2014, p. 572). Jackson et al. (2018) argue that the creation of online spaces was in large part a response to "several high-profile murders and suicides of queer and trans youth," events which pushes some people to become more outspoken activists (p. 1868).

The Role of Online Communities

The main role of online communities is of support - which is exactly what is lacking in the lives of many transgender people. Responding to a survey for Penn Live, 81% of transgender readers said they came out online (Larsen, 2015). Actress Hari Nef was cited praising the Internet for helping her to openly talk about her experiences.

Many people credit TQ Nation and Livejournal communities for providing resources and support. Reddit was also helpful in starting conversations regarding various subjects using the “/r/ transgender” subreddit. There are also numerous other forums where transgender people can connect with others dealing with the same issues, who can best answer questions and offer advice. Being part of a minority, it is not easy to find people dealing with the same problems, who can openly discuss them. The internet bridges the distances and connects people who may not be close geographically but are close in terms of their shared experiences.

Social media has also been great in providing support to transgender people. Facebook’s nature of connecting people provides the same service to the transgender community. Trans people from around the world can connect and share their stories. Each person contributes something new to the community and finds an audience that may not be available in the real world. Groups like Facebook Transgender Alliance offer a network to people who look for transgender peers. Facebook offers tremendous support especially to Millennials who are used to finding all of their resources on social media.

YouTube is another resource that puts faces to the transgender community and a great platform on which people can document their transition. Sometimes a person cannot put a name to what they are feeling, and it is on YouTube they see a transgender person for the first time and hear about common topics in the community. Popular beauty vloggers who speak openly about their transitions can help thousands or even millions of viewers with through sharing their own journeys (Lubitz). Delicate issues such as makeup for trans women are exactly the sort of topics that thrive on Youtube, and can become fun and engaging. Youtubers like teenager Brendan Jordan, documents his life and tackles various delicate issues for his viewers (Adams). With more than a quarter million followers, he / she (Brendan identifies as gender fluid) tackles topics as makeup, wardrobe choices and terminology.

The transgender community also gets a huge support online from transgender celebrities as well. Transgender celebrities, such as actress Laverne Cox, continue the conversation online and make sure the voice of the community is heard even louder. Janet Mock, former editor for Marie Claire, was the first to use the hashtag #GirlsLikeUs went from about 3,000 followers to a huge following, taking on roles such as defender of human rights, supporting beauty pageant contestants and imprisoned trans people, all while raising awareness about gender transition issues (Jackson et al., 2018, p. 1869).

Trans Communities as Counterpublics

The creation of trans communities online is a great example of individuals using online platforms to fight against or challenge community norms. What the media shows about trans people is limited, as heteronormativity continues to be the norm in our society. The online world however has the potential to be a liberating space, one in which people can come together and create a counter-narrative to the norm. "Counterpublics" are public spheres which "emerge not only in reaction to oppression from the state or dominant public spheres, but also in relation to the internal politics of that particular [counter] public sphere and its material and cultural resources" (Squire, 2002, as cited in Jackson et al., 2018, p. 1870). What is means is that trans people live at a very precarious intersectional point, as they are part of and yet distinct from other people in the LGBTQ community. The experience of trans people is different from the experiences of lesbian or gay people; and the experiences of trans women are different from the experiences of trans men. This is why, even within the larger LGBTQ community, trans people are often facing rejection and criticism, as there is a "painful patterns of derision" against trans people, whose critique of an unfair and violent system is seen as "disruptive" (Jackson et al. 2018, p. 1870.

Further Resources

This is a very interesting movie about a Canadian transformation story, and its impact. not just on those undergoing the transformation but also on those around them:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/shesaboyiknew

YouTube: Kayla's coming out story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8UIf_zPRfA

References

Adams, C. (March 28, 2017), “Social media, celebrities and transgender youth”. CBC News https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-celebrities-and-transgender-youth/

Horak L. (2014). Trans on YouTube. Transgender Studies Quarterly, 1(4), 572-585.

Jackson, S. J., Bailey, M., & Foucault Welles, B. (2018). GirlsLikeUs: Trans advocacy and community building online. New Media & Society, 20(5), 1868-1888.

Larsen, K. (November 17, 2015), “Transgender and non-binary people: ‘Thank God for Wikipedia and Google’”. Penn Live https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/11/transgender_people_and_the_int.html

Lubitz, R. (February 23, 2016), “Why makeup matters to transgender people – and how the internet is helping”. Mic Network https://mic.com/articles/135822/why-makeup-for-transgender-people-matters-and-how-the-internet-is-helping#.2Zn7D2Juz

Lyons, K.(July 10, 2016), “Transgender stories: ‘People think we wake up and decide to be trans’”. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/10/transgender-stories-people-think-we-wake-up-and-decide-to-be-trans