The Emergence of LGBT Gatekeepers

As I was flipping though the October 26, 2004 edition of The Advocate, I was excited to find quite a few articles about how LGBT organizations are using new communication technologies as a strategy for online activism. One of the articles, titled "Bloggers Get Active," talked about how blogs have greatly amplified the voice of the community. From daily blog entries used to share personal thoughts and feelings all the way to politically fueled posts used to "out" LGBT politicians who support anti-gay legislation, the LGBT voice is being heard.

I feel it is important to mention the the act of "outing someone" who is closeted and in a position of power is nothing new. LGBT activists have used this tactic many times to increase the visibility of LGBT people. The most recent example would be the online "outing" of U.S. representative Edward Schrock on BlogActive.com. Or what about the beckoning of Mary Cheney (daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney) to speak out as a lesbian for LGBT rights? Online activists created the Web site, DearMary.com, in order to make a political point about silence.

This type of online activism is cutting-edge in the way it disseminates information at lightning speed and connects LGBT communities all over the world. Before the emergence of blogging, our gatekeepers were comprised mostly of the mainstream media. LGBT bloggers, who are now taking on the role of gatekeepers, are helping to bring us together as a community like never before and to educate us all on issues that effect us directly as part of the LGBT community. Blogrolls and links offer a unbelievable amount of resources and have in essence, breathed new life into many struggling LGBT organizations that had a hard time being heard.