Over the past decades, the fight for social and gender equality has been especially intense in numerous countries. Some developed countries, such as Canada, have succeeded in promoting a culture of acceptance and tolerance. Others, namely, Japan and China, remain to be hostile toward gender and sexual minorities. I selected the topic of LGBT because, in Japan, many LGBTQ people are still not accepted by their community, and there are still many people in Japan who only know little about LGBTQ. A similar situation to the one in Canada can be achieved in Japan and China by utilizing social media channels, particularly Instagram, to change the judgmental attitude of the people.
LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) is a movement that opposes gender and sexual discrimination and focuses on achieving a culture of tolerance towards such minority groups. This campaign has had a dramatic rise in recent decades, especially in western countries. The LGBT activists are not only those who comprise the marginalized groups but also heterosexual people who seek justice for and acceptance of the affected.
To understand the topic of LGBTQ deeply, I searched online for information about LGBTQ in Canada. Canada is an LGBTQ-friendly country, and it has legalized many laws for LGBTQ, for example, same-sex marriage, same-sex adoption, and the right to change legal gender. I also contacted an LGBTQ organization in Canada called Eagle Canada. I sent them emails and asked them to learn more information about LGBTQ in Canada. I went through their collection of resources about LGBTQ on their website and followed them on various social media to stay up to date on their latest resources, events, and news. With a perfect understanding of the LGBTQ issue in Canada, my team and I started to compare LGBTQ in Canada, China, and Japan. My initial thinking has changed due to my research and comparing LGBTQ issues in three different countries. Namely, Canada appeared to be an LGBTQ-friendly country, whereas China and Japan are rather hostile.
For this project, we have used social media, Instagram, to help people find out more about the LGBTQ topic. We have strived to create colorful images and posts to attract more people to follow us on social media and learn about LGBTQ. Our Instagram account is called “lgbtq. ginos”; the most important thing about using Instagram to spread information is to create a good picture with text or images to draw attention. In my view, our group has worked hard to come out with excellent Instagram posts. Since we have used Instagram to spread information about LGBTQ, all we had to do is create a gripping and attractive post to draw the attention of those who wish to learn more about LGBTQ issues.
Our project is: (a) grounded in the lives of students; (b) critical; (c) multicultural, anti-bias and pro-justice; (d) participatory and experiential; (e) hopeful, joyful, kind and visionary. We have used Instagram due to its popularity among students; we have posted critical information about LGBTQ in Japan, China, and Canada. We have also created a survey called âattitudes towards LGBTQ communityâ to ask our followers about their opinions towards LGBTQ. The survey results have been significantly more positive than we had previously thought. Our project needs to improve in being (f) activist; (g) academically rigorous; and (h) culturally sensitive.
My feeling has changed quite a lot from the beginning to now. I think this project required proper communication between the group members. Working together as a team has been invaluable to make the project perfect. One thing our group lacked is cooperation which has slowed down our progress. In the beginning, I was not supposed to be a person who is managing the Instagram account; my duty was to find information and come out with exciting ideas to post on Instagram. However, I had to learn how to make a post using PowerPoint and Photoshop because of the slow progress the team was making. At that time, I learned how to make a post attractive and then post it on Instagram. Sometimes it was challenging, but the good thing is I learned how to create a post to spread my knowledge on LGBTQ on social media. I think life sometimes is full of challenges, and you must push yourself to challenge new things. Instead of relying on other people to help you or do something for you, you have to learn it yourself and become more knowledgeable. We also learned how to help each other out as a team when people were busy.
Overall, this project has been beneficial for both the organizers and the participants. The teammates have gained valuable insight into how such projects are realized. Namely, they have realized the significance of cooperation, wise task allocation, and proper group coordination. In parallel, the participants have been enriched with new material and alternative views regarding gender and sexuality. In a nutshell, the development of the Instagram account related to LGBT can be highly productive in educating the population about gender issues. Notably, Instagram and other social media channels provide a powerful platform for encouraging individuals to consider alternative worldviews and ideas.