My friend Ben Cohen, who is Technology Correspondent for Channel 4 News in the UK and who founded the gay news site Pinknews.co.uk, this week produced a report on how the Internet has changed gay society (broadcast last night on Channel 4’s sister station More4News). In the piece he explores how the gay dating site Gaydar in particular changed the lives of the gay community in the UK as part of a series of three reports marking ten years since the dot.com boom. He looks at how the Internet has changed gay men’s behavior and how social networking online has impacted on gay nightlife. Included in the report is an interview with openly gay British politician Chris Bryant MP who five years ago was “exposed” on Gaydar in the tabloid media, but who thinks it has played a liberating role for gay people in the UK by giving them the opportunity to meet people without having to flock to the big cities.
We all know people who have met online and are now in long-term relationships but this report also touches on the potential dangers of Internet networking including the use of sites to look, and find, unsafe sex. The ability of gay men to meet online whether they are looking for sex or looking for friendship (as we often see more with sites such as Facebook or MySpace) has been and continues to be a positive force in terms of widening social networks and allowing us all to meet new people. If this replaces a face-to-face social life then of course it can be unhealthy and even dangerous. If it helps to force gay businesses – including bars and clubs – to market themselves as offering something more than simply being labeled “gay” and to compete in a tougher market, then I think that will be something that will benefit everyone.
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I don’t think it’s fair to lay most of the blame for the demise or decline of gay businesses, particularly gay bars, clubs and restaurants, on the internet . As gays have become more “mainstream,” we simply no longer feel that the only safe/comfortable place we can eat, drink or hang out is a gay bar or restaurant.
In fact, I feel that it’s a sign of progress that we no longer feel we have to self-segregate ourselves from society as a whole.
I couldn’t agree more! I think that the Internet has played a role but the demise of the traditional “gay” ghettoized venue has far more to do with the integration of gay people into mainstream nightlife which is a fantastic thing. It is a sign of progress and it will also force gay venues, where many still want to go if not all the time, to offer something more than a rainbow flag outside and cheap rail drinks.
The brilliance of the internet is double-edged. As the report said, the small minority of people looking to engage in dangerous activities can connect much more easily than before. That’s the down side.
The upside is that it’s helping other minority groups within the community — transgender people, for example — find each other and build great support networks that weren’t possible before.
And I can only imagine how it’s helped young gays and lesbians, in rural communities particularly, to affirm their identities and to find messages of love and support.
Love your blog!