Description
Book SynopsisInterweaving personal interviews with empirical research, Personal but Not Private examines how queer women mediate their digital identities across Tinder, Vine, and Instagram to form relationships, increase their social and economic participation, and counter intersecting forms of oppression.
Trade ReviewDuguay's compelling and original framework of identity modulation brings a critical lens to the everyday creative choices that LGBTQ+ women make as they assert their rights to visibility, safety, and playfulness on digital platforms. Her incisive analyses are supported by careful and generous empirical investigation. This book will be welcomed by undergraduate and postgraduate scholars interested in gender and sexualities, media studies, contemporary queer cultures, and digital intimacies. * Kath Albury, Swinburne University of Technology *
Focusing specifically on queer women, Personal but not Private fills an important gap in the literature on LGBTQ+ issues in the media. It expertly addresses the ways technologies facilitate self-making and the complicated relationship queer women have with self-disclosure and social media. Rooted in the lived experiences of her study participants, Duguay offers a timely, lively, and intimate portrait of queer media experiences. * Andre Cavalcante, University of Virginia *
Digital platforms can quickly shift from de facto public squares to places for intimate exchange. Duguay's narratively powerful and analytically rigorous book breaks new ground by showing us what this kaleidoscopic jumble of private, public, and self-identity feels like. By drawing on the lived experiences of queer women coming out and connecting online, Personal but Not Private lays out what is at stake when digital platforms further rupture the possibility of crafting a sense of self 'in private.' In doing so, Duguay makes one of the strongest cases yet that determining where and how our personal identities 'travel' is foundational to creating who we are and connecting with others. * Mary L. Gray, Microsoft Research and Indiana University *
Personal but not Private is essential reading for anyone invested in discussions at the intersection of technology, gender, and sexuality. Duguay offers a nuanced analysis of the contemporary digital lives of queer women with an approachable and engaging style that belies the depth of research and critical thinking behind this book. * Sharif Mowlabocus, Fordham University *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Prologue 1. Digital Mediations of Sexual Identity and Personal Disclosure 2. Queering Tinderella: Personal Identifiability in Platform-Generated Identities 3. #Lesbehonest: Reach through Self-Branding 4. Beyond the Gated Community: Salience in Publics and Counterpublics 5. Conclusion: Identity Modulation as Integral to Digital Citizenship Appendix: Methods of the Study
