ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the use of hashtags to delegitimize dominant discourse. Researchers collected data from Twitter that contained “#OrlandoStrong” during the time leading up to and on the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub tragedy in Orlando, Florida. The chapter also considers examples of online discourse within #OrlandoStrong juxtaposed with art-based murals and memorials found in physical spaces in Orlando. Via grounded theory methodology, researchers analyzed words, images, and videos used in tweets containing #OrlandoStrong in order to show how online discourse can be leveraged by marginalized communities to delegitimize hegemonic narratives of power. Since the Pulse tragedy affected multiple marginalized communities, examples of specific tweets that represent this intersectionality are offered throughout the chapter. This research demonstrates how hashtags disrupted dominant, homogenized narratives in #OrlandoStrong discourse during the kairotic moment of the anniversary of the Pulse tragedy. The chapter concludes with final recommendations for successful delegitimizing practices found in online discourse.
