Blog post for the week of October 21st, 2012

Theme: The manifestations of LGBT culture on the Internet

In this week’s readings, the authors discuss the ways in which online “queer” identity is maintained or created in online spaces and in video games. The readings also examine the dichotomies between online and offline production of culture and identity. Yip notes that “online and offline communities are often posited against each other in a zero-sum game” (p. 410). Shaw asks “how homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender identities can be represented in the medium [of video games]” (p. 228). Mitra and Gajjala discuss “queer” blogging and note that “queer personal Web sites have begun to move away from queer-identity-as-core-of-self model to a queer-identity-integrated-into-self model” (p. 408).

In this week’s blog post, using these three articles as a starting point, you should discuss the ways in which online production of identity can disrupt or reinforce offline social and cultural boundaries related to the presentation of “queer” identity. You should focus on the online space you’re most comfortable or familiar with – games, blogs, social media, web development, or whatever. As usual, cite the authors when appropriate and useful and make connections between the readings and your own experiences when necessary.