Abstract
There has been a recent surge of interest in and research into the use of social media among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) communities in Malaysia. Most studies, however, tend to focus on the communities’ motivations for using social media, and much more needs to be known about their actual social media usage and impact—especially what “online-ness” means and why it matters to them, given the diversity within these marginalised communities. Therefore, this chapter examines social media usage among members of Malaysia’s LGBTQ communities, in terms of their positions on the spectrum and the particularities of their online-ness. Based on the findings of a nationwide survey of LGBTQ individuals regarding their social media experiences, it discusses what online-ness means to them, the ways in which it is managed, its benefits and drawbacks as well as their future use of social media. It ends with a summary of the ways through which open and supportive discussions of online-ness can be created between members of these communities and the mainstream Malaysian public. This chapter is not intended to cover any of these topics in great detail—rather, it lays the groundwork for future studies regarding the nuances that not only characterise local LGBTQ communities, but which also shape their social media realities and experiences.
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Notes
- 1.
Organised by members of the public, Justice raises public awareness about issues surrounding violence against and persecution of the Mak Nyah community. Notable figures in this initiative are renowned transgender activists Nisha Ayub, Thilaga Sulathireh and Sulastri Ariffin. See https://justiceforsisters.wordpress.com/about/.
- 2.
The survey was conducted online for 12 weeks from May to July 2019. A total of 132 LGTBQ individuals took the survey, primarily recruited through snowballing referrals, with the survey link sent directly to their distribution lists. The majority were Malay (43.1%, n = 57), followed by Chinese (31%, n = 41), Sabahan and Sarawakian Bumiputera (19.6%, n = 26), Indian (4.5%, n = 6) and Others (1.5%, n = 2). Informal talks and open interviews with 15 informants (six Chinese, five Malays, three Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputera, one Indian) were also conducted to further validate the survey findings. Most of the findings and quotes presented in this chapter come from these informants and are lightly copyedited if needed.
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Disclosure and Acknowledgement
This research was fully supported by the SHAPE-SEA Commissioned Research Programme 2019 (“Exploring the Nexus between Technologies and Human Rights: Opportunities and Challenges in Southeast Asia”). No potential conflict of interest was reported.
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Jerome, C.a. (2023). ‘Our Online-Ness Matters’: The Construction of Social Media Presences by Malaysian LGBTQ Communities. In: Loh, B.Y., Chin, J. (eds) New Media in the Margins. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7141-9_7
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