“WE’RE TEEN, WE’RE QUEER, AND WE’VE GOT EMAIL”
This article was steeped in information regarding, how gay teens (GTs) have used and are still using the internet as a means of establishing their identities and . Silberman makes the claim that GTs undergo a complete change in establishing their identities, “…the saga of gay teens online is one of metamorphosis, of “little mini” nerds becoming warriors in a hidden Stronghold of Power. For young queers, the Magic Ring is the bond of the community.” I think that the culture that media provides for GTs is essential in determining how they want to identify themselves to society. The subject of the article is described as being a voice for those that are not able or willing to speak for themselves. The anonymity of the internet allows many of them to engage with others that share in their beliefs and preferences without having to deal with the politics of justifying being a GT. The internet is their safe place where they can interact and just be themselves Silberman says, “ Online interaction gives teens a chance to unmask themselves in a safe place, in a venue where individuals make themselves known by the acuity of their thought and expression, rather than by their physical appearance.” The most important thing that I took from this article is that prior to the internet it was far more difficult for GTs to meet and congregate with other GTs. Silberman stated that prior to the internet GTs had to wait until they were of age to enter bars that were gay-friendly in order to engage in gay culture
I’m curious about your decision to abbreviate “gay teens” in this post, Karma. if there was a particular motivation behind it, I’d be interested to hear.
this article also reminds me of the other Wired piece we read earlier in the semester– The Long Tail. the wide open doors of the internet make a lot of things possible for non-mainstream audiences and media that weren’t so easy before.
you quote Silberman as characterizing the web as a “safer” space for queer teens– do you think that’s still the case today? or was it even always the case in the early 90s when this piece was written?
My abbreviation didn’t have any real meaning, I just thought that it would flow better than repeating “gay teens”. I don’t think that it’s a safer place for anyone anymore. I think that in order for gay teens or any teen for that matter to truly get a sense of someone’s true intentions they should meet in person as opposed to conversing behind a keyboard. There is no longer the old fashioned stigma (thank goodness for that) of being gay anymore, so in my opinion word of mouth, and spending time in person would probably be a safer option. Gay teens no longer have to resort to meeting in chat rooms, or other places of secrecy.
yes, it is good that the stigma has mostly faded away. maybe we can conclude that meeting like-minded people online hasn’t always necessarily been safer, but it has been a viable alternative to meeting via other means. for marginalized or outcast individuals, that outlet has been and can be valuable despite the risks.