In visibility of LGBTQ people in the Arab Spring

LGBTQ use of the internet is a growing area of study. However most studies focus mainly on the US and the UK, and none pays much (if any) attention to the experience of LGBTQ people in countries where it is illegal to be LGBTQ. The events of the Arab Spring, significantly, signal the possibility that change may be possible in these countries, yet there seems to be little material on what LGBTQ people in these countries are actually thinking, doing, etc, and in particular what role the internet may be playing in this. This is a research-in- progress paper introducing a project which sets out to make a contribution on these lines, by making their voices heard.LGBTQ use of the internet is a growing area of study. However most studies focus mainly on the US and the UK, and none pays much (if any) attention to the experience of LGBTQ people in countries where it is illegal to be LGBTQ. The events of the Arab Spring, significantly, signal the possibility that change may be possible in these countries, yet there seems to be little material on what LGBTQ people in these countries are actually thinking, doing, etc, and in particular what role the internet may be playing in this. This is a research-in- progress paper introducing a project which sets out to make a contribution on these lines, by making their voices heard.