The aim of this study is to investigate gender performance, self-identification, and empowerment of gay users on Location Based Social Network Services (LBS). The current study uses the script approach to analyze correlated texts: App description, news interviews with the App founders, and news articles, aims to understand whether offline sexual hierarchy was pre-structured online; the study also uses interview method to explore how users choose photo sources to perform their gender, which are their strategic social intentions related to performativity, and how LBS empower gay community. The results show gay masculinity was pre-written within techno-scripts, users also realize the sexual hierarchy to decide gender performance with distinct social strategies. This study identified three strategies in relation to various gender identities of gay men: mainstream-acting of the non-mainstream, just-be-himself of the mainstream, or passively-fishing who’s willing to take the bait. LBS, as a new social venue for gay community, is a potential Gender Utopia for isolated gay individual to feel demarginalized, to be seen by one another; on the other hand, LBS is a Gender Dystopia, where offline sexual hierarchy is reproduced online and even enhanced by visualized interface of those applications.
中文關鍵詞
男同志社群、性別腳本、性感階序、性／性別／身體展演、賦權
英文關鍵詞
Gay community, Gender Script, Sexual hierarchy, Sexual/gender/bodily performativity, Empowerment.