Practicum - Kim

Something I tried to find in the last days of my practicum project was a social networking site (like Facebook) that are obviously intended for LGBT people only. I had spent the majority of my other research on forums, blogs, and other LGBT information sites. As I went through the “LGBT social networking sites” that came up in my Google search, I found many such as www.connexion.org, www.downelink.com, and www.pinkbananaworld.com. Although these sites do have more of an emphasis on the online profile, they still very much promote the option of viewing blogs, forums, news, events, etc., which I found less similar to the structure of Facebook. It also felt like there was a bigger focus on meeting new people and dating or finding romance, rather than Facebook’s focus on connecting with people you already know.

After handing in my paper, I wanted to use my last post to write about the extent of my participation, to reflect on how my ethnographic research resulted in my integration into the LGBT online community, and to share what I’ve learned from my “fellow” community members.

I went into the practicum project being very hesitant to participate, rather than just observe, on the sites due to my lack of identification with, or an extensive knowledge of, the LGBT community. I started with minimal comments on others’ posts and moved on to posting my own articles and questions to the community. I believe I was eventually able to become part of the community and gain trust and acceptance from other users.

It is fair to say that like any other online community, the minority group functions in a similar way to establish a feeling of belonging and intimacy. If anything, there seems to be more of an understanding, mutual interest, and caring about group members because they do share a very important aspect of their identity: their sexual identity. If for no other reason, this bonds the LGBT community as they feel true empathy towards other members and their experiences relating to this often sensitive subject.

This project proved to be a valuable experience and I'm happy I had the opportunity to expand my knowledge on online communities and the LGBT culture.