Research Proposal

Building Personal Identities within a Community

The main objective of my research is to determine the overall global impact that new communication technologies will have on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities across the world. To really focus in on my particular areas of interest, I will break the research down into specific categories:

1. Sense of Identity – There is no universal definition for what it means to be LGBT and it is unfair to assume that everyone uses a “westernized” model as the standard. If we walk around with the labels that other people pin on us, how do we ultimately create an identity for ourselves and what does it mean to be LGBT within different societies?

2. Sense of Community – Often, it is hard as a member of the LGBT community to feel accepted into the rest of society. “Virtual” communities are a great way to create new support systems because they allow us to interact with people who share the same interests, ideas and values. What are LGBT people doing to create these new communities and how do they interact with each other?

3. Personal Activism – The fight for freedom and equality takes on many different forms. One of the most important ways to participate in social justice movements is to become involved in activism. What does it mean to be an activist and in what ways are LGBT activists using new communication technologies?

4. Niche Marketing – Recent trends in advertising indicate that mainstream companies are now specifically targeting the LGBT consumer. What type of impact does “mainstreaming” have on the LGBT community and what message is being sent to majority consumers?

I feel that it is extremely important to raise the level of awareness that the general public has about various LGBT communities. Day in and day out, sexual minorities face many obstacles because of perceived sexual orientation and are often subjected to multiple oppressions. As a lesbian, a veteran of the armed forces and the executive director of a nonprofit organization, I feel that I can offer not only insight, but also a unique perspective to these issues.

Here are some of the keywords that will be used in my research: “LGBT advertising”, “LGBT social movements”, “LGBT communities”, “online activism” and “mainstreaming”.

Title: International Lesbian and Gay Association
Web address: http://www.ilga.org/index.asp
Brief description: This site includes information about LGBT movements across the world and acts as a forum for activists to participate in the fight for equality. It relies heavily on the participation of member groups and international media.

Title: The Commercial Closet
Web address: http://www.commercialcloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/index.html
Brief description: This site offers a collection of advertisements that have been targeted specifically at the LGBT community. It gives detailed information about the company, publication date, the product and the medium that was used.

Title: Planet Out
Web address: http://www.planetout.com/
Brief description: This site contains the latest news, politics, entertainment, fashion trends and places of interest while serving as a forum for building communities.

Title: International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Web address: http://www.iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/
Brief description: This site presents information about human rights violations from all over the world. The organization primarily focuses on discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and HIV status.

Title: Amnesty International USA - OUTfront
Web address: http://www.amnestyusa.org/outfront/index.do
Brief description: This site provides the latest reports and publications that deal specifically with international LGBT issues. It focuses on legislative action and gives information on how to get involved.