ABSTRACT
Ordinary digital media users who gained large public followings, also known as Influencers, emerged as micro-celebrities in the early 2000s, with many working for a living directly through online content creation and the self-representation of their everyday lives. Capitalising on high visibility, many Influencers also engage in social justice activities. As a result, they have become important nodes in LGBTQ networks online, including through personal and organisational collaborations. In this chapter, we draw on digital ethnography to analyse a gay-identifying Australian YouTube Influencer, Troye Sivan, focussing on how his status as an Influencer creating digital content has fostered queer support by way of a creative work orientation that simultaneously promotes both a rights-based activism and his own career.
