YouTube is host to drama, gaming, vlogging, and prank videos, but it is also a vital educational tool with TED talks, theory videos, and DIY tutorials. YouTube is integral in education on LGBTQA+ rights, spreading awareness of LGBTQA+ issues and the lives of individuals within the community. For SCAN’s LGBT issue, we want to recommend five YouTube channels and videos that can inform you on more about the LGBT community.
Stef Sanjati
Stef Sanjati is a trans woman who has been making beauty and trans education videos for the best part of three years. Her trans education videos focus on her experience in transitioning, including her experiences with T-blockers and Estrogen, and surgery. Within the playlists on her channel, there is a playlist documenting her recovery from Feminization surgery (the ‘FFS Diaries’), a playlist of ‘Transitioning Videos’, and playlist of ‘Trans Education’ videos. Her educational videos are also dispersed with story-times, look books, QandAs, and videos on mental health and happiness.
Jammidodger
Jammidodger (Jamie Raines) is a bisexual trans man who makes two videos a week, one being about being trans, and the other being akin to traditional vlogging of story-times, challenges, QandAs, and skits. His trans content includes documentation of his recovery from his top and lower surgeries, the difference between Metoidioplasty and Phalloplasty, his response to testosterone, and Trans linked social experiences, like his videos ‘Transgender Sex Education’, ‘Having a Transgender Brother’ and ‘The Trans Guys Guide to Underwear’. He and his fiancée Shaaba were on the Channel 4 series Bride and Prejudice in 2018.
Embly
Embly (Emi Salida) is one of the biggest small YouTubers on YouTube, with 5.2k subscribers, a channel feature in TenEighty magazine, and being known for planning YouTube gatherings like Pre-SitC and Emblymas. She is an asexual activist whose video titles include ‘Why Asexuals are LGBTQ+ & belong at Pride’, ‘What is the Asexual Ring? | Origin of Ace Ring & How I Show Pride’ and ‘What is being Sex-Repulsed actually like?’. Emi also collabs with friends and other members of the LGBT community and discuss their experiences, such as asexuality and sex in relationships, and Pride experiences.
Thomas Sanders
Thomas Sanders, the beloved ex-Viner, has a YouTube channel that is overflowing with positivity and acceptance. His educational video titled ‘Having Pride | Thomas Sanders’ shows him and his LGBTQA+ friends answering Twitter QandA questions about their experiences, with the intention of making viewers feel comfortable in themselves. This video is entertaining in seeing the group’s dynamic, and educational in the different question responses.
Strange Aeons
Strange Aeons (Teya) is a relatively new YouTuber (her first video being posted to the channel in December 2017) who whilst also making video about Tumblr, Onision, and how she made a long Furby, also makes content about being a lesbian. Her LGBT content is part-educational, part-comedic with video titles such as ‘How To ( G A Y ) Date’, ‘Lesbians React to The L Word’ and ‘MY COMING OUT STORY + ADVICE’.
