Dreaming of a Queer Internet
Added 2024-08-30 15:00:03 +0000 UTCI think this may be the best video I'm ever made...
In the liminality between desire and technology–there is room for new imaginings. It is no surprise then that technology, which had always been promised as the horizon of the future, had placed into it the dreams of those who hoped for a new future beyond the limitations we had today. As the queer and trans community found new connections and language to express our imaginations on this new digital frontier, we expanded beyond the boundaries of others' expectations for our bodies. Our lives began to push and break the limits of what others said we could become. Is it surprising, then, that the internet has become a space for our collective queer imagination of a future horizon?
Comments
I've watched a number of your long form videos, and you are probably one of the best at taking a topic that can be somewhat depressing sometimes and ending in on a really strong and positive message. Also 1 hour 59 minutes 50 minutes, you did TECHNICALLY keep it under 2 hours but boy was that close lol.
Tavis Comee
2024-09-06 15:44:19 +0000 UTCYour skepticism of AI has been the thing that finally got me to join. I see AI (or more accurately, digital learning systems) are an existential threat to humanity and their development need to be banned. I don't think you have my extreme stance, but still.
David Meier
2024-09-05 20:52:41 +0000 UTCWhat true artisty and a profound message!
Maria Santangelo
2024-09-03 12:31:15 +0000 UTCI got misty-eyed near the end there. Whew! Powerful! The examination of the life cycle of the internet dovetails really well with a book I recently read about TV. "When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today" by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong. The similarities between what happened to TV and the events you described on the development and commoditization of the Internet was really striking. As TV emerged as a new technology it changed how we communicated and saw ourselves and others. Women and people of color were at the forefront of those efforts, often because they were the only ones willing to give this untested field a chance. As TV's influence and profitability became apparent, straight white men actively moved in and displaced those early pioneers. Combine that with the bludgeon of McCarthyism (which used accusations of communism as an excuse to target and remove from air minorities and people aligning with civil rights and labor rights movements) and TV went from a revolutionary space to one of the "safest" (ie: unwilling to go against restrictive conservative norms) places in media. All to sell an imaginary version of the "traditional family" that pundits today say we should "return to." Seeing the similarities between those times and now has been really eye-opening. Your discussion about how identity has become increasingly boxed and policed in Internet spaces at the expense of in-person spaces made me think of a recent experience I had at my local LGBTQ+ center. I generally don't go to in-person events of any kind. I'm bi and non-binary, two identities that I see getting erased/dismissed constantly online. Every time I pictured going to an in-person event, my mind would crowd with hostile figures saying I didn't belong in a queer space. However, when the LGBTQ+ center ran a Make Friends Speed Dating Style event, I pushed myself to go. When there, not a single person made me feel like I didn't belong. In fact, the only person invalidating me was me, compulsively adding things like "I'm bi...if you think that counts." The Internet's elevation of bi-phobia and trans-phobia had embedded a negative fantasy that I struggled to get out of, but it couldn't hold up to the warmth and acceptance of actual human beings. I am certain there are terrible bigots out there, but without the bullhorn and anonymity of social media, none showed up to the physical space. I felt like my entire understanding of the world got re-wired that day. ANYWAY SORRY FOR THE LONG COMMENT. THE VIDEO GAVE ME LOTS OF THOUGHTS. THANK YOU!
Robin Childs
2024-08-31 23:59:24 +0000 UTCI'm halfway in so far and yes, wow, this may be your best yet (if you don't count Identiteaze). The content, art direction, insight, just incredible. And a personal thank you for so much knowledge about the early trans history of the internet that you've shared.
Kizyr
2024-08-31 03:22:44 +0000 UTCOk I'm only like 7 minutes in but god *damn* this production quality! Impeccable vibes. So psyched for the next hour or whatever of my life 😎🔥
Bear
2024-08-31 02:34:50 +0000 UTCI agree. This is among your best! Was awesome to see mah handle in the cool exec producer credits. Much Luv Jessie!
SuperDezzy
2024-08-30 23:36:50 +0000 UTCSo it turns out the glitch is [our employer's fault]
Ariel Haymarket
2024-08-30 22:44:49 +0000 UTCDang Jesse you went and moved us to tears again and we can't even put into words why. But that does remind me it's why I'm still supporting you on patreon.
Sylvia Eastburn
2024-08-30 18:58:17 +0000 UTCThe illustration on this title card is stunning. I'm going to wait to watch until after work so I can really give the video my full attention.
Erin Rae Watson
2024-08-30 18:46:06 +0000 UTCIt may be a desktop issue. On Google Chrome and Firefox the video embed doesn't load and it briefly brings up the Video Unavailable screen before disappearing. The irony of a glitch on a post regarding glitch identity.
Ariel Haymarket
2024-08-30 16:50:32 +0000 UTCstrange. I can access it even on an off account. Maybe try reloading and that may help?
Jessie Earl
2024-08-30 16:47:24 +0000 UTCIt shows as "video unavailable"
Ariel Haymarket
2024-08-30 16:43:15 +0000 UTCDammit, why'd you have to drop this now?! Now I gotta wait till after work to watch it!
Matt (not that one)
2024-08-30 15:39:04 +0000 UTCI agree this is some of your best work. It brings me so much joy that I get to be a part of projects like this. 💕💕💕
Miranda Ketita
2024-08-30 15:06:23 +0000 UTC
