Abstract
Social media has become synonymous with every day communication in our technologically advanced society. Individuals use it to share information, make plans with friends and keep up with folks geographically dispersed from them. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) individuals often use social media to find other individuals with whom they can share about their sexual orientation. In this study we use qualitative methods to examine the role of social media in the coming out process and the experiences of individuals who self-identify as LGBQ. We focus on one emergent theme: feelings of decreased risk in sharing online.
Recommended Citation
Albert, Connie and Bettez, Silvia, "Opening the Closet Door: Exploring the Role of Social Media in the Coming Out Process for Individuals who Self-Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Queer (LGBQ)" (2012). AMCIS 2012 Proceedings. 17.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2012/proceedings/SocialIssues/17
Opening the Closet Door: Exploring the Role of Social Media in the Coming Out Process for Individuals who Self-Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Queer (LGBQ)
Social media has become synonymous with every day communication in our technologically advanced society. Individuals use it to share information, make plans with friends and keep up with folks geographically dispersed from them. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) individuals often use social media to find other individuals with whom they can share about their sexual orientation. In this study we use qualitative methods to examine the role of social media in the coming out process and the experiences of individuals who self-identify as LGBQ. We focus on one emergent theme: feelings of decreased risk in sharing online.