Don't Forget the Rest of Us

The emergence of new global communication technologies will forever change the way we interact as a society. What was once a medium accessible only to the computer savvy has now opened its doors to the general public. The introduction of user-friendly e-mail, chat rooms, web sites and weblogs has created a storm with new communities springing up all over the “virtual” map, but who is being left behind?

Those of us who are fortunate to have access to these technologies are no longer held back by the identities created for us in a socially constructed society. In the real world, our identities are often put on us by others and are based solely on the preconceived notions of what it means to be a certain sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, class, religion, age, etc. In the virtual world, we are represented solely by our minds and creativity. There is a space for all of us to be heard and we are allowed to voice our opinions, feelings, and ideas in any way that we want without the fear of stepping beyond our “roles” in society. I can think of no better way to do this than with a weblog.

According to Rebecca Blood, “Free-style blogs are nothing less than an outbreak of self-expression. Each is evidence of a staggering shift from an age of carefully controlled information provided by sanctioned authorities (and artists), to an unprecedented opportunity for individual expression on a worldwide scale. Each kind of weblog empowers individuals on many levels.” (weblogs: a history and perspective, Rebecca Blood)

With the click of the button, we are allowed to transport ourselves to places unimaginable, meet people we never thought could exist and, in a small way, allow diversity into our lives. Weblogs are a great way for us to share our opinions and to learn about people, places and things much different from what we already know. At the same time, we are able to build new communities and support systems while focusing our energies on the people and things we find most interesting.

These new “virtual” communities are nothing like we’ve ever seen before because they are transnational. In a sense, they exist by virtue of common interests and influences and are not at all regulated by the barriers created by political tensions, geographic locations or economic hardships.

One of the things I am greatly interested in is the increased visibility of social movements in underdeveloped countries. It is true that social movements here in the United States, such as the women’s rights movement, the civil rights movement and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights movement have greatly influenced the far corners of the world, but by how much? It is incorrect to assume that movements in the Third World are a recent phenomenon and were primarily ignited by “westernized” movements. A more reasonable explanation of the increased visibility would be cultural globalization and the advancement and impact of new global communication technologies.

By doing some research, I have been able to find some really good weblogs that deal specifically with LGBT politics and social movements. As a sexual minority and a veteran of the armed forces, this is something that is really important to me. Josh Michael’s blog contains links to all the top LGBT news stories from around the world. QueerFilter allows you to search for personal blogs by state, country, language, gender and/or sexual orientation.

Sexual minorities are often pushed to the margins of society in varying degrees, but with access to new communication technologies, no one has to be left behind. LGBT Americans have to deal with the prospect of an anti-gay federal marriage amendment, but other sexual minorities around the world have to deal with a crime punishable by death if their orientation is found out. Often, finding a community that is truly accepting of us is a difficult thing to do in the real world, but weblogs just might be a way to make a space of our own.