This project is an English Honors thesis, a historiography of queer and trans* social spaces. The aim of this project was to critically examine an archive that maps the contours of spaces that have enabled queer and trans* sociality over time. Beginning with queer urban enclaves, or “gayborhoods,” I track the evolution of queer space from the physical to the digital, discussing early internet space, the microblogging platform Tumblr, the dating app Grindr, and the social media app TikTok. Overall, I trace the companion story of gentrification, as forces outside (and sometimes within) these communities displace queer and trans* people from their social locales.
Melissa Jones was super helpful with showing me how to use research tools and Lau's various databases! Wouldn't have been able to navigate any of these without her help.