Swiping Against the Grain: Queer Online Resistance and the Politics of Participation

JANSOVÁ, Iveta. Swiping Against the Grain: Queer Online Resistance and the Politics of Participation. In BEYOND THE AUDIENCE Rethinking Participation and Power in the Age of Data Capitalism; 15 - 16 January 2026; IULM University Rome, Italy. 2026.

Základní údaje

Originální název

Swiping Against the Grain: Queer Online Resistance and the Politics of Participation

Autoři

JANSOVÁ, Iveta ORCID

Vydání

BEYOND THE AUDIENCE Rethinking Participation and Power in the Age of Data Capitalism; 15 - 16 January 2026; IULM University Rome, Italy, 2026

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Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Prezentace na konferencích

Obor

50800 5.8 Media and communications

Stát vydavatele

Itálie

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Ne

Organizační jednotka

Fakulta sociálních studií

Klíčová slova česky

queer sexting; activism; audiences; active audiences; produserism

Klíčová slova anglicky

queer sexting; aktivismus; publika; aktivní publika; produserismus

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Anotace

V originále

Research shows that queer adolescents, emerging adults, and adults engage in sexting and online dating more frequently than their non-queer peers (Gámez-Guadix & Incera, 2021). When consensual, these practices offer positive experiences, from exploring sexuality and identity to navigating consent (Aubrey et al., 2024). Online platforms also provide opportunities to form platonic or romantic relationships, often serving as safer alternatives for those living in non-queer-friendly environments (Van Ouytsel et al., 2019). Yet online spaces are not without risks: queer users are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual harassment, coercion, and other online dangers compared to their non-queer peers (Gámez-Guadix et al., 2015; Van Ouytsel et al., 2019). While prior research has examined sexting in relation to consent, sexual exploration, and relationship building, little attention has been paid to how queer people use these digital practices to actively cultivate empowerment, counter normative structures, and create self-authored spaces. This paper addresses that gap by highlighting an unexpected theme that emerged from a larger research project on queer digital practices: online sexting as a tool for empowerment and agency. The larger project explores queer digital intimacy broadly, focusing on desires, motivations, and satisfaction in online interactions. Preliminary analysis of the data revealed that participants were (also) using sexting and online dating to actively create safe and self-authored spaces for themselves. This insight led to the following research question guiding a return to the data for further exploration: How do queer people leverage online dating and sexting to subvert normative constraints and cultivate empowered digital spaces? In our research, we have already conducted interviews with over 20 participants who identified as queer, were above the legal age of 18, and had engaged in sexting within the last 12 months. Interviews will be anonymized, coded in Atlas.ti, and analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022). The preliminary findings demonstrate that queer communities engage with digital platforms not merely as tools for connection, but as sites for learning, negotiating intimacy, and cultivating agency, illustrating how participatory engagement in data-driven environments can redistribute power even within the logic of data capitalism.