HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HELP AND SUPPORT THE LGBT COMMUNITY

We can criticize social media for different reasons, we all know that they have not only positive but also negative aspects. However, even if social media developed bulling and harassment, they also became a mean of expression.

Many groups or communities who feel rejected or underrepresented use social media as a way to express themselves but also regroup among themselves. Besides,

For a little while know, we can see the emergence of the LGBT community on social media. This community is actually, thanks to social media, able to express, assume and accept itself. For example,

On YouTube for example, many youtubers did a “coming out video” and most of the time, the comments under these videos are really positive, mentioning the courage of the youtubers. Moreover, the use of hashtags such as #ComingOutMatters encouraged member of this community to share their personal coming out stories through social media, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube.

The presence of the LGBT community on social media inspire and give others the courage to accept themselves, not only speaking about coming out. It also helps the members of this community to help and support each other on global or their own social media such as Moovz.

We can also see an increase in the representation of the LGBT community through movies and series. For example, the serie Orange is the New Black which has been reported as Netflix's most-watched original series, represents many lesbian love stories and stars a transgender woman. Then, a lot of series have gay love stories such as Game of Thrones, Skins, Desperate Housewifes… Bisexuality is also represented in movies such as Black Swan.

The fact that the LGBT community is able to express itself and is more and more represented helps to educate and to support the community. In fact, it helps the movement to gain support and recognition.

-CHIARA