Queer Identity, Gender Performance, and Body (Dis)Satisfaction
Intersections of Queerness and Body Positivity
Gender Fluidity on the Internet
A contributing factor to body positivity and satisfaction is self-presentation and self-perception. In a binary-oriented world, many LGBTQ+ and nonbinary people are not granted the same security and freedom to express their gender identities. However, SNS and online communities alleviate some of the stress and risks of LGBTQ+ and nonbinary self-presentation, allowing individuals a space to explore and express their gender identity. Traditional feminine and masculine gender roles dominate Western society, and anyone who deviates from this gender binary faces unsolicited and, often, violent ridicule. However, gender exists on a continuum rather than a binary.
Queer theorist Judith Butler famously writes in her theoretical work, Gender Trouble, “gender reality is performative which means, quite simply, that it is real only to the extent that it is performed” (1999, p. 278). In line with Butler’s argument, the physical manifestation of gender and gender expression is ultimately up to the individual. Nonetheless, the discourse surrounding gender fluidity remains controversial, as many do not recognize gender as the social construct it is. In turn, many nonbinary (NB) and gender-nonconforming (GNC) individuals are forced to conceal their gender identity and “perform gender.”
Performing Gender
By having to shield a major component of their self-image, NB, GNC, and genderfluid individuals experience gender dysphoria; this disconnect between the body and the mind increases body dissatisfaction and worsens psychological well-being. While “performing gender” in real life contexts lessens threats of external violence and ridicule, it damages both self image and body satisfaction. Researchers Klaudia Kondakciu, Melissa Souto, and Linda Tuncay Zayer investigate in their 2021 study “Self-presentation and gender on social media: an exploration of the expression of ‘authentic selves’” how social media and the internet can influence people of all gender identities and expressions as they express their “authentic selves,” a thoroughly-researched, well-established concept in the field of Cyberpsychology.
Prior research suggests that expression of the “authentic self” yields higher self-esteem, more openness to experience, and higher physical and psychological well-being. Though minimal empirical research has been conducted to explore the personal impacts of performing gender identity, the presentation of the “authentic self” rings eerily similar: both are outwards, uninhibited expressions of a person’s traits and identities that, when embraced, help cultivate more positive, secure self and body images. Further, this study examines the engagement of “self-presentation of [one’s] gender [identity] on social media” (Kondakciu et al., 2021). Social media and other online platforms can serve as a shield for NB, GNC, and genderfluid individuals to safely navigate and express their gender identity. The anonymity of SNS allows for controlled self-disclosure, ultimately fostering a low-threat environment in which to express gender identity. Self-expression creates a deeper, more satisfying relationship between the body and mind, which aids in the improvement of body image and positivity.
Diversity & Body Positivity: A Brief History
Need for Inclusivity
While body positivity movements and social media platforms can be greatly beneficial to LGBTQ+, NB, GNC, and genderfluid individuals in expressing the body and the self, they are often excluded from the mainstream conversation.
There exists even less inclusion amongst empirical research surrounding NB and GNC body image; those studies that do explore the relationship between the Internet and body image satisfaction seldom utilize gender-inclusive sample pools, ignore pertinent sociopolitical factors, and exclude people with intersectional identities (Kondakciu et al., 2021). Excluding those who do not subscribe to the White, Western gender binary defeats the purpose of body positivity movements. The Internet and social media platforms have granted us the ability to connect with those we relate to and to build connections with those we do not. In order to fully promote and advocate for body positivity, it is essential that research surrounding and movements dedicated to body positivity include, uplift, and acknowledge the beauty of difference.