Millersville University
LGBTQ+ Gender Performance in Social Media: Observations Regarding Gender Expression,
Identity, and Performance from TikTok and Instagram
A Senior Thesis Submitted to the Department of English In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the University
By Abigail Risser
Millersville, Pennsylvania
April 2021
Committee Signature Page
This Senior Thesis was completed in the Department of English,
Defended before and approved by the following members of the Thesis Committee:
_____________________________________________
Dr. Emily Baldys, Ph.D. (Thesis Advisor)
Assistant Professor of English/British Literature
_____________________________________________
Dr. Katarzyna Jakubiak, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
_____________________________________________
Dr. Jessica Hughes, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communication & Theatre
MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY
MILLERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA
LGBTQ+ Gender Performance in Social Media: Observations Regarding Gender Expression,
Identity, and Performance from TikTok and Instagram
By Abigail Risser/Spring 2021
Abstract
The theory of gender as performance, or “doing”, was introduced by Judith Butler as a
means of differentiating between sex, gender identity, and gender expression. Focusing
specifically on the gender performance that exists in the LGBTQ+ community on social media,
posts from TikTok and Instagram were used as examples for analysis of gender performance and
other visual themes shared between the posts. Five posts from each platform were selected using
#queer and #lgbtq to narrow down the search for queer content. Using gender theory and queer
theory as a lens for analysis, observations and assumptions were made regarding the presence of
feminine-masculine dynamics within queer gender performances, reflecting influence from
cultural ideologies surrounding gender.
Introduction
Whether we acknowledge it or not, gender is communicated through much of day to day
life. Ranging from product advertisements to how we express ourselves through appearance, the
masculine-feminine binary is a widely normalized unit of gender expression. For generations,
society has determined norms for many aspects such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and
even gender expression, often connecting sex to expression and using sex and gender
interchangeably. The LGBTQ community in and of itself has historically been labeled as
deviant from what is considered normal in our society and often challenges these norms, not only
by existing but by making a conscious effort as well—especially when it comes to expression. In
the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and shut-down, the use of social media, while already widely
popular among various younger generations, has grown significantly and arguably has shifted the
function of social media in gender expression. Although the LGBTQ community is a deviant
group in society, the gender binary remains evident in many ways. Theorist Judith Butler calls
forward the notion of the “gender performance”, that gender expression is something that we
perform, and the queer community is not exempt from this.
With this notion in mind, I believe that gender performance and social media go hand in hand in
a variety of respects. From Facebook to TikTok, social media thrives off of user showing off—or
“flexing”—to those who follow them and/or view their accounts. Even if we’re not necessarily
conscious about it, we’re always branding ourselves for others to see when we make posts to our
social media accounts; we perform for our audience. As we perform out lives via post, the gender
that we express is also performed on these platforms. Moreover, social media is not merely an
outlet for gender expression but now functions as a form of performance as well.
