LGBT and Human Rights - Day Four - Safety and Social Media

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Jun 06, 2013
by Louise Hallman
LGBT and Human Rights - Day Four - Safety and Social Media

Uses of old and new media for the LGBT community

Nazeeha Saeed (second left) chairs the panel ‘Social Media and LGBT Identities in the 21st Century’

The debate surrounding the value and impact of online vs. print media concerns much more than just the LGBT community, but what does it mean for access to and distribution of content, LGBT identities and new social spaces, and what are the limitations?

Moderated by Bahraini journalist Nazeeha Saeed, the panel on ‘Social Media and LGBT Identities in the 21st Century’ featured Jordanian author and blogger, Fadi Zaghmout; blogger Lesego Tlhwale from South African lesbian website Inkanyiso; and American, UK-based writer and broadcaster, Amy Lamé.

All the panelists agreed they turned to online media as a place where they could share their content on LGBT issues - something unlikely to happen in the mainstream media, especially in Zaghmout’s native Jordan.

But with online comes the decision: to anonymous or not. Both have their draw backs.

Being anonymous might mean greater safety, but it can also carry less legitimacy and fewer followers, and thus less impact.

Zaghmout started out his Arab Observer blog anonymously, but realized he’d have greater reach if he was “out”.

He received threats following the publication of his book, Aroos Amman, making him question his decision.

“For years I wanted my voice to be heard but when my book was published I got scared,” admitted the Arab blogger.

“I have to remind myself why I am doing this,” he added.

Tlhwale, together with some other like-minded South African lesbians, set up Inkanyiso.org to provide daily coverage of the lesbian community in the country after realizing that lesbians were only ever covered in mainstream media for either rape incidents or pride ralleys.

“We have daily lives!” she declared, somewhat exasperated. Although Tlhwale has been targeted, she doesn’t blame her blogging - lesbians are targeted in South Africa regardless.

For Lamé in the UK, being out was never a problem and on her former mainstream radio show for BBC London she and her male co-host would both talk about their female partners.

Online, both blogging and podcasting however means she can focus on covering LGBT issues, with social media proving essential to spreading the word about her work.

Online certainly gives opportunity to cover these less mainstream issues, avoiding dealing with hostile publishers and printers, but as another Fellow pointed out, it doesn’t stop a government from blanket censorship - or from gathering data to use again its population.