Virtual invisibility : representations of "diversity" and "queerness" on LGBTQ political organization websites

This thesis explores the ways in which LGBTQ political organizations depict signifiers of "diversity" and visible queerness in the images on their websites. I examine visual representations of race, age, disability, gender variance, body modifications, and relationships, as well as the intersections of these representations, on the websites of a sample of 41 organizations. Using this data, I highlight the social significance and potential political implications of such representations, finding that the majority of these representations are problematic in that they signify a failure on the part of these organizations to take seriously issues facing non-dominant groups within the LGBTQ community (e.g., people of color, trans people, people with disabilities, youth). Ultimately, I look at a handful of organizations with truly intersectional approaches to both representation and political strategy, finding them useful to consider as we think about the future directions of queer politics.