Abstract

The online world and the ‘real’ world. In the last thirty years, the gap between the two has only blurred. Alongside this evolution is a generation of young women who have had their concept of sexual identity shaped by their interactions online. By applying ethnographic fieldwork in Montreal, this thesis examines the friction that exists between these young queer women, their concepts of self, and collective identity building both in Montreal and online. The research accomplishes this through observation of group discussions, as well as one on one ethnographic interviews. Montrealers' feelings about their sexuality is often complicated by the tension between personal feelings and group doctrine. Due to heteronormativity, these young queer women have been left without a strong cultural foundation to build their sexual identity onto, seeking out a sense of belonging and community. That sense of belonging is often unavailable or lacking offline for several reasons. This leads young queer women to seek online community. Yet the nuances of human sexuality and gender often leave women worried that they do not fit a certain mold of queerness within these online communities. Despite this, young queer women report these spaces as vital to their understanding of themselves. Through an analysis of queer worldbuilding and imagined communities, this thesis challenge more traditional modes of understanding community by analyzing how online space interacts with participants' sense of community.