Virtual Identity

One of the first projects I worked on in grad school is an artwork, or an avatar, that captures the essence of my primary academic interest coming into the CCT program: virtual identity.

Growing up queer, there was a time when I felt more myself behind a computer than in a playground and more at home in a digital avatar than in my physical body. This sparked my fascination in how identities are constructed online. It also brought up a research question that I explored throughout my time in CCT: “In what ways can online communities influence LGBTQ+ identity exploration, expression, and affirmation?”

Hence, my avatar: a Ken doll with visible subcutaneous mastectomy scars and a computer monitor for a head. His naked body (the subcutaneous scars and his lack of a penis) represents my interest in LGBTQ+ studies, as well as my own queer identity. The bulky late ‘90s/early 2000s monitor represents my interest in online communities and my Millennial childhood.

As I studied online communities and virtual identity, my research interests and academic foci has since expanded to include networked publics and counterpublics, participatory culture, popular culture, and the broader disciplines of media studies, critical theory, and queer studies.