Facebook LGBTQ Pictivism: The Effects of Women’s Rainbow Profile Filters on Sexual Prejudice and Online Belonging

Abstract

Facebook’s rainbow profile filter represents a popular display of activism (“pictivism”) commonly used by women, yet little is known of pictivism’s potential for creating social change. We tested whether women’s group status (belonging to a dominant vs. marginalized group) and filter use influenced viewers’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. We conducted a series of 2 (target sexual orientation: queer or heterosexual) × 2 (filter use: filter or no filter) experiments with heterosexual ( N 1 = 198, N 2 = 186) and LGBTQ ( N 3 = 290) participants. Participants rated women who used rainbow filters as more activist than women who did not engage in pictivism. Although neither target sexual orientation nor filter use influenced participants’ ally behavior (donations), heterosexual people who viewed a woman using a filter reported greater closeness to LGBTQ people and greater intentions of supporting LGBTQ people when the woman was queer than heterosexual. Exposure to rainbow filters caused LGBTQ participants to express greater online and societal belonging than when filters were absent. Taken together, women’s pictivism and the online visibility of queer women yielded some psychological benefits for heterosexual and LGBTQ viewers. If the goal of pictivism is to enhance marginalized groups’ feelings of support, it works as intended. We thus recommend that both heterosexual and LGBTQ people who care about LGBTQ rights and seek to affirm LGBTQ individuals’ sense of belonging embrace opportunities on social media, specifically through profile picture filters, to communicate their support. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684320930566

The Identity Construction of Young Gay on Instagram

“…Settings are profiles that are displayed on Instagram. The purpose of this setting is necessary to provide a sense of security, especially for psychological (Matsick et al, 2020). Appearance is an activity to update status and upload photos on Instagram.…”

A Taxonomy of Identity Safety Cues Based on Gender and Race: From a Promising Past to an Intersectional and Translational Future

“…Identity safety cues can also elicit belonging (e.g., Johnson et al, 2019;Murphy et al, 2007). Even in relatively low-stakes environments like on social media, a symbol of support for a stigmatized group can enhance perceived belonging (Matsick et al, 2020). Though some identity safety cues may be initiated by well-intentioned individuals or organizations (e.g., as deliberate effort or intervention; Albuja et al, 2019;Howansky et al, 2021), other cues are more naturally occurring and spontaneous (e.g., demographic ratios of workplaces; Murphy et al, 2007;.…”

“…In doing so, cue use may require people to resist the urge to depoliticize themselves and their environments (e.g., schools, workplaces, healthcare). That is, some identity safety cues might be read as activism and confrontation politics (e.g., Black Lives Matter sign, rainbow flags; Matsick et al, 2020;Rickford, 2016), and this may interfere with people's beliefs that places of learning, work, and health are apolitical. However, feminist philosophers and sociologists assert that experiences of everyday life are never apolitical for those who are oppressed and lacking power (Harding, 2004;Smith, 1987).…”

“…Nevertheless, people who encounter stigma based on other identities, such as sexual orientation, social class, and weight, display vigilance to their environments and navigate spaces keenly aware of situational cues that influence their belonging (e.g., Cipollina & Sanchez, 2021;Matsick et al, 2020;Oswald et al, under review;Trawalter et al, 2021). The neglect of people's identities beyond gender and race constrains the applicability of identity safety cues and leaves behind vulnerable populations as individuals and organizations plan to transform their environments.…”

Treat Sexual Stigma to Heal Health Disparities: Improving Sexual Minorities’ Health Outcomes

“…However, the absence of prejudice is neutrality and tolerance—not support and acceptance. Heterosexual people’s expressions of support for sexual minorities play a role in health and well-being; for example, supportive family relationships benefit sexual minorities’ mental health (e.g., Feinstein et al, 2014), people’s public displays of allyship (e.g., Facebook’s rainbow profile filters) induce sexual minorities’ feelings of belonging (Matsick et al, 2020), and affirmation from religious groups contribute to positive psychological health among sexual minorities (Lease et al, 2005). Well-intentioned heterosexual people should attend to their role as allies in health promotion.…”