Alternative Sexualities and Virtual Communities

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze online participation on LGBT websites in Spain in order to contribute to the field of social networking site usage and the users' mode of participation with the aim of identifying their expectations and reasons to do it. The main concern is to focus on specific social network sites which are meant to ideologically and politically construct alternative sexual identities, such as lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals, which could have a difficult access to social recognition and which could be silenced on some heteronormative social networks. Uses and Gratifications Theory has been used as the basic model for the display of constructs, variables and hypotheses, to confirm the identity politics inherent in these practices, which are rather connected with social recognition than with some other needs as companionship or finding sexual partners.