Navigating Online Spaces as an LGBTQ+ Individual
Hello everyone, my name is Frankie (they/she), and I’m excited to be sharing my first blog post for FlippGen during Pride Month! 🥳 Like most twenty-somethings, I spend way too much time on my phone scrolling through social media - I dread to see what my screen time stats are! However, such widespread behaviour like this is why I think organisations like FlippGen are so important - not only has being involved with the Digital Rebels Club helped me think critically about my digital well-being, but it also gives me the opportunity to support others in changing their habits.
Whilst it is important to reflect on how we engage with the online world and practice digital detoxing (see Digital Rebel Ikhlas’ post for advice on this), I strongly believe that online communities can contribute positively to mental wellbeing. My particular interest in this area comes from being a member of the LGBTQ+ community who has accessed many queer spaces. A report from HopeLab, which studied LGBTQ+ young people’s experiences in online spaces, provides more insight into this area. They highlighted the pros and cons of being online whilst queer, which myself and another Digital Rebel discuss in this blog post.
✅ The Pros:
Based on my personal experience, following queer creators in particular has been crucial in helping me navigate my own LGBTQ+ identity, connect with likeminded people, and feel less alone. Representation is important - if you don’t feel seen and represented within your local community, seeing yourself in others online may be the next best (and most accessible) thing! HopeLab’s findings support this - they report that online spaces serve as environments where individuals can explore labels for their identity and find reciprocal support from other community members.
HopeLab’s findings also show that the existence of online spaces helps LGBTQ+ individuals feel safe to express their identities authentically. A key finding was that 44% of queer people feel safe to be ‘out’ online, compared to only 9% in person. My lived experience mirrors this statistic - although I am open about my identity now, it has taken years to get to this point (and this is a journey I will continue for some time). I was open about my sexuality to queer strangers on the internet before I was comfortable coming out to those in my personal life. This was because I felt protected from direct judgment, and knew my shared characteristic with these strangers would help them understand my journey.
Therefore, it appears that LGBTQ+ online spaces can be beneficial because they give people the courage to exist authentically, facilitate the formation of supportive friendships and identity affirmation, and provide protection from judgment.
❌ The Cons:
However, HopeLab’s research also highlights that navigating online spaces as an LGBTQ+ individual is not without its challenges. More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced homophobic/transphobic bullying and teasing due to their identity in the past year.
Reflecting on this, fellow Digital Rebel Kaz (they/them) and I discussed the downsides of online communities, especially from the perspective of being transgender/genderqueer. Kaz felt it was important to share that it is “really difficult to find a safe online space as a queer person, especially if you’re trans in the current political climate”. They’ve found forum platforms such as Reddit to be especially toxic - “subreddits are often scraped by tabloid journalists and transphobes to mock and demean the posts and conversations there.” I agree with Kaz’s comments - there seems to be a rise in transphobic rhetoric online that I have seen for myself.
Because of this rise, it can be hard to navigate the online world healthily when so many headlines about the community are negative. Like many Gen Zs, I partly use social media as a way to keep up with current events (although the accuracy of this and the importance of critically evaluating information from online sources could be a whole other blog post)! I find it to be an accessible way of staying informed about LGBTQ+ experiences across the world, and I read through a few trusted, fact-checked Instagram accounts regularly. Unfortunately, a lot of the headlines about the community we’ve seen recently are not positive, with many policies and opinions threatening rights and safety. As such, when navigating the online world as an LGBTQ+ individual, it is important not to let the stress of negative information build up and to take steps to protect your well-being.
🤔 So, how can we protect our well-being in online spaces? Here are some tips!
🫂 Find safe communities
Try and engage with community spaces that are moderated and created for LGBTQ+ individuals, such as TrevorSpace
This reduces the chance of running into trolls and ensures you are connecting with those who will support and accept you
🚫 Don’t engage with trolls
Most social media platforms have tools to block and report accounts that harass or threaten you - make sure to do this
You can report harmful comments on others’ posts
Don’t engage with harmful comments - it can be tempting to argue with trolls or try and educate them, but engaging with them just adds fuel to the fire, and it is not your job to educate everyone
🧠 Protect your mental health
Take breaks from the internet when needed, as constant exposure to negative opinions and headlines can be incredibly draining
Follow accounts that affirm your identity (this links to the first tip of finding safe communities)
If you are feeling unsafe or overwhelmed, reach out to a trusted friend, an adult or an LGBTQ+ support organisation
I recommend looking at this useful contact list that Mind has created
🖥️ Educate yourself about online safety
Educating yourself about general online safety will help you to navigate queer spaces with more safety and confidence
Ask how you can protect your personal information, recognise and avoid scams, and set better boundaries
✌️ Improve your digital well-being
Take some time to read through FlippGen’s blog posts to learn more about digital wellbeing
FlippGen plans to launch its first educational toolkit to educate young people about digital security and good netiquette - stay tuned to read this when it’s published!
👉 Takeaway:
If there is anything that you take away from this blog post, please let it be this: remember that there are always others who understand what you are going through. You are not alone. The online world is an amazing space to find support and recognition - I’ve certainly found so! However, remember that this is a nuanced topic - there are always trolls and negative headlines lurking. Protect your well-being by taking time for yourself and stepping away from your screens and the news cycle. If you are lucky enough to be able to do so, connect with members of the community in person and create and celebrate moments of queer joy. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️✌️
