A big motivating force behind my dissertation is the desire to help bi+ people learn about our history (which is often erased or overlooked) and give people true information that helps them feel validated, affirmed, and more secure in their identities. While I could go about this by just writing my dissertation and then hopefully turning it into a book that the public can read (and I do hope to do that), it made more sense to me to make public-facing content the entire way.
TikTok is the booming new social media platform among Gen Z and millennials, and #BiTok is a fairly robust network of people talking about their experiences. There have been several articles written by women who realized they were bisexual through watching bi+ TikTok content. I’m also writing about bi+ TikTok for my dissertation. So, it made sense to create an account and start making educational videos about my research.
There are several TikTokers who focus on LGBTQ+ history/education, including @gia.sed, @rainbowhistoryclass, and @sy.the.gender.rebel. Rainbow History Class, in particular, gets tens of thousands and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of views on each video. So, the audience for this kind of content is definitely there on the platform.
I’ve been making videos for one week now (@bi_rhetorics), and currently have 77 followers with an average of 175 views per video. From my limited knowledge, this seems like a pretty good start. I’m also keeping a running sources Google Doc of where I got the information for each video, and I share the link in the comments to my videos.
My Goals For This Project
Share interesting information I learn during my research (including from my orals reading), primarily focused around bi+ people but also concerning other aspects of LGBTQ+ history and community
Document my research process (such as visits to archives, when allowed) to make the everyday experiences and steps of research/getting a PhD visible
Provide sources for all information in my videos so that viewers can pursue more info if they wish and have sources to refer to when discussing with other people
When people present false information or bigoted points of view in the comments, respond and/or argue back only to the extent that I judge this will be beneficial for my real audience. For example, so bi+ people reading the comments can see my replies and see counter-arguments to comments that might make them feel bad.