The establishment and upholding of heteronormative masculinity within queer communities through self-presentation practices of Grindr users located in The Netherlands. A focus on textual and visual presentations in user-profiles

Within queer communities, online media have been found to provide an important space for identity practice and development. From early emergences of digital media, queer individuals have moved towards the digital realm to find what otherwise might not be presented to them in predominantly heteronormative societies. With this significant role of digital media in queer life, this research aims to understand how specifically an online dating platform, namely Grindr, plays a role in shaping or understanding of certain identity. With a focus on heteronormative masculinity, in which masculinity takes the top place in social hierarchy, heterosexuality is assumed to be the preferred sexual orientation and where gender non-conformity is resisted, this research aims to explore how this understanding of masculinity is found within self-presentations of users on the Grindr platform, specifically focused on the Dutch context. Through visual and textual content analysis, user-profiles were examined by making use of thematic analysis. It was found that heteronormative masculinity finds its way through differing levels of the self-presentation practices of users. Traditional masculine presentations of the body and overall behavior was most commonly presented and wished for in partners. Resistance of gender non-conformity was found to be less obviously presented, yet found its ways through more implicit manners of self-presentation. Similar statements can be made regarding the preference for heterosexuality, which was found to be interwoven with sexual practices common to the Grindr platform. In general, users arguably adapt their identity practices and self-presentations to the affordances they are presented with on the platform, while also taking into consideration the dominant norm that is presented throughout the online space, with possible aim to adapt to the presented masculine norm. However, an interesting countermovement was found, that signifies possible resistance of heteronormative masculine norms and aims to diversify the presence of identities on the Grindr platform through more inclusive understandings of others and presentations of the self. This might signify how users within the Dutch context aim to make their online space more fitting to their perceptions of queerness, in contrast to the dominant force of heteronormativity that still has its effect on the lives of queer individuals in this country.