{"id":{"repo_id":"uwo","oai_identifier":"oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/28352"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uwo/oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/28352","repository":{"repo_id":"uwo","name":"Western University","base_url":"https://uwo.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Transgender YouTubers and the Power of Coming Out: Existentialism, Gender Performance, and Self-Actualization","abstract":"The transgender community has historically faced discrimination and oppression. However, the internet has emerged as a preeminent resource for transgender people to seek community and visibility, with YouTube acting as an especially valuable visual repository of self-representation. The present research is concerned with examining how transgender YouTube creators use the platform for self-actualization through the lens of existentialist and gender performance theory. Employing a qualitative content analysis of gender disclosure videos to explore this problem, this study shows how transgender YouTubers seek personal authenticity and self-disclosure, especially with the help of and in relation to their audiences. Further, having come out as transgender on YouTube, these creators use their content to help others in their community with their self-representation to promote positive change. This research adds to an increasingly rich body of knowledge of the trans community more generally and their use of YouTube more specifically.","abstract_html":"The transgender community has historically faced discrimination and oppression. However, the internet has emerged as a preeminent resource for transgender people to seek community and visibility, with YouTube acting as an especially valuable visual repository of self-representation. The present research is concerned with examining how transgender YouTube creators use the platform for self-actualization through the lens of existentialist and gender performance theory. Employing a qualitative content analysis of gender disclosure videos to explore this problem, this study shows how transgender YouTubers seek personal authenticity and self-disclosure, especially with the help of and in relation to their audiences. Further, having come out as transgender on YouTube, these creators use their content to help others in their community with their self-representation to promote positive change. This research adds to an increasingly rich body of knowledge of the trans community more generally and their use of YouTube more specifically.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Miller, Meghan"],"institution":"The University of Western Ontario","degree_name":"MA","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Sociology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Schaffer, Scott"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-10-01","date_published":"2018-10-01","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:56:13Z","subjects":["transgender","YouTube","YouTubers","existentialism","gender performance","social media"],"languages":["en_ca"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/28352","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Schaffer, Scott"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Miller, Meghan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-10T16:10:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-07-10T16:10:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2018-10-01"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["The University of Western Ontario"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["transgender","YouTube","YouTubers","existentialism","gender performance","social media"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_ca"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/28352"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["The thesis cover page in the PDF document includes references to Western University’s previous institutional repository platform, known as Scholarship@Western, and links to that platform (beginning with ir.lib.uwo.ca). In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The transgender community has historically faced discrimination and oppression. However, the internet has emerged as a preeminent resource for transgender people to seek community and visibility, with YouTube acting as an especially valuable visual repository of self-representation. The present research is concerned with examining how transgender YouTube creators use the platform for self-actualization through the lens of existentialist and gender performance theory. Employing a qualitative content analysis of gender disclosure videos to explore this problem, this study shows how transgender YouTubers seek personal authenticity and self-disclosure, especially with the help of and in relation to their audiences. Further, having come out as transgender on YouTube, these creators use their content to help others in their community with their self-representation to promote positive change. This research adds to an increasingly rich body of knowledge of the trans community more generally and their use of YouTube more specifically."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Transgender YouTubers and the Power of Coming Out: Existentialism, Gender Performance, and Self-Actualization"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Schaffer, Scott"],"dc:creator":["Miller, Meghan"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-10T16:10:16Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-07-10T16:10:16Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2018-10-01"],"dc:description":["The thesis cover page in the PDF document includes references to Western University’s previous institutional repository platform, known as Scholarship@Western, and links to that platform (beginning with ir.lib.uwo.ca). In citing or referring to this thesis, use the DOI or handle from this page instead. Sample citation: Author name, \"Thesis title.\" (Year). Western University Open Repository. https://doi.org/10.71858/123456."],"dc:description.abstract":["The transgender community has historically faced discrimination and oppression. However, the internet has emerged as a preeminent resource for transgender people to seek community and visibility, with YouTube acting as an especially valuable visual repository of self-representation. The present research is concerned with examining how transgender YouTube creators use the platform for self-actualization through the lens of existentialist and gender performance theory. Employing a qualitative content analysis of gender disclosure videos to explore this problem, this study shows how transgender YouTubers seek personal authenticity and self-disclosure, especially with the help of and in relation to their audiences. Further, having come out as transgender on YouTube, these creators use their content to help others in their community with their self-representation to promote positive change. This research adds to an increasingly rich body of knowledge of the trans community more generally and their use of YouTube more specifically."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/28352"],"dc:language.iso":["en_ca"],"dc:publisher":["The University of Western Ontario"],"dc:subject":["transgender","YouTube","YouTubers","existentialism","gender performance","social media"],"dc:title":["Transgender YouTubers and the Power of Coming Out: Existentialism, Gender Performance, and Self-Actualization"],"dc:type":["thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Sociology"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:56:13Z"}