The Rainbow Connection

Pride on the Internet

Disclaimer: I will be using the word "Q*eer" as an identity in this chapter but keep in mind this is only for those who themselves identify with this word. I would never use it for someone who does not feel comfortable being called such.

As a bit of a bonus chapter before our lightning round, I will be briefly talking about some lgbtq+ youtubers because who doesn't love Youtube. Obviously, I don't have the time or knowledge to list all of them but here are some I think people should be aware of.

Youtubers: From those who you know well to those you've probably never heard of

Tyler Oakley: The original gay icon as far as youtubers are concerned, he's been out for quite some time and has been on youtube since forever as well. I personally don't watch his videos but I know he makes collabs and lgbtq+ friendly videos.

Thomas Sanders: You probably know him as the Story Time guy from Vine but he has since moved to youtube. Now he's very well known for his series, Sanders Sides where he deals with problems like procrastination, lying and growing up with the help of different facets of his personality, all played by him. He identifies as gay despite much confusion online because he's played straight characters in his vines before, and is just generally a delight to watch.

Ash Hardell: They are a channel mostly focused on making lgbtq+ content, mainly focused on what it's like to be trans as they are AFAB and non-binary. They are also queer and have a partner who I'm pretty sure is trans and NB as well. They also make a lot of sex-positive videos and aren't afraid to make educational videos on topics many would shy away from.

Dodie Clark: She is a bisexual youtuber who makes mostly music related videos. She's got plenty of songs that are absolutely gorgeous and I highly recommend you go take a listen. Some of my personal favourites are Monster and Sick of Losing Soulmates. She also does duets with other youtubers.

Lilly Singh: A longtime promotor of girl love and equality, Lily Singh is a beacon of positivity and joy. Most of her content is in the form of skits and parodies, usually with her playing multiple characters. Some of the most popular reoccurring characters on her channel are her parents, both of whom are played by her although they have actually made appearances in her videos before. She recently came out as bisexual and is also Canadian like me!

Echo Gillette: I only discovered her channel recently but I enjoy her content very much. She is an artist and nearly all her videos are about her displaying her art. She is very talented and part of the reason I like her so much is that, not only is her aesthetic so similar to mine, but she also identifies as asexual, much like yours truly.

Watts The Safeword: This channel is actually run by a couple of different people but the main channel owner, at least currently, is a youtuber who goes by the name of Amp. He along with his partner and friends run this sex education channel focusing largely on kink and how to practice various kinks in safe and consensual ways. Their goal is to make these topics less scary and taboo to the general public. They also throw in some fun challenges every now and then, mostly to mess with another frequent member of the channel, Mr Kristofer.

Eugene Lee Yang: One of two big names blowing up the internet recently. His coming out video was absolutely stunning. Like, goddamn he looks good in a dress. And also he can really dance?? Talent?? But yeah. Eugene Lee Yang, a member of the Try Guys known for his perfect hair recently came out as gay with an interpretive dance video. He had previously identified as queer but has since decided to commit to the label of gay.

Dan Howell: And finally, the reason I wanted to include youtubers at all. Daniel Howell, originally known as Danisnotonfire (read Dan is not on fire) came out just this month with a 45-minute masterpiece where he talks about his traumatic childhood, his healing friendship with fellow youtuber Phil Lester and how he finally came to terms with the fact that he is most certainly not straight. He also expresses his personal dislike for labels, whilst still respecting those who like labels, and finally settles for simply "queer". All while acknowledging that yes this is a slur but he feels like it defines him and makes him happy.