| dc.description.abstract | Despite the increasing number of individuals who identify as both lesbian and non-binary, accepting them into the larger lesbian community remains a topic of debate among some individuals – a discourse that is largely hosted on TikTok. This dissertation examines these videos, posts, and the discussion around them as a rich site for understanding identity negotiation among a split lesbian community. Using identity negotiation theory, I focus on how gender-diverse lesbians use social media to communicate about their non-normative gender and sexual identities. From this, I develop a two-fold argument. First, I argue that gender-diverse lesbians can successfully use TikTok to construct, negotiate, validate, and educate about their lesbian identity because of the platforms video-based format. Individuals can both produce content as video, and respond to comments as video, almost replicating face-to-face interaction unlike other text-based and photograph-based social media platforms. When entertainment media failed them, gender-diverse lesbians found the value of social media as more than just entertainment - it became a way to validate and communicate about their identity. Representation opportunities presented themselves in their own hands through their phones and social media profiles. Second, I argue that to combat the disappearance of lesbian identity, individuals must embrace this expansion of the community to include gender-diverse lesbians. | |
