5 queer YouTube creators to know for Pride Month
By Shaun Stacy
YouTube has come a long way since its inception back in 2005. What started out largely as a passive way to share funny videos and watch movie trailers has turned into a multi-billion dollar social media platform. These days, you can find everything from music videos to documentaries and tutorials of all kinds. Worldwide corporations such as Disney, ViacomCBS, and WarnerMedia have been pioneers in utilizing YouTube channels to promote their content to a larger audience.
On the more personal side, essentially anyone can start their own YouTube channel. There are individuals, commonly referred to as YouTubers, who utilize the video-sharing platform as a way to build a community and possibly make some extra money along the way. Those who are lucky enough to garner sponsored content or have a substantial following on Patreon (basically a monthly-subscription version of YouTube), can make a pretty decent living for themselves.
To the uninitiated, a YouTube reactor is someone who watches and reviews television shows and movies. They typically critique the material, for better or worse, and then upload their videos to YouTube to be shared. While some may consider this a radical new form of voyeurism–watching someone watch a television show–there are hundreds of reactors who find success, both professionally and financially, through what they do.
While they are of course providing entertainment value, for those of the LGBT community, it is more about creating a network. A virtual found family, where both creators and viewers come together to discuss pop culture. This may seem like a small feat, but to members of the queer community who are living in isolation–for whatever reason–queer reactors provide a sense of safety and comfort. It’s a way for the LGBT community to safely interact, at least in a virtual way. Queer reactors are sometimes the closest isolated thing members of the LGBT community come to having access to people like themselves.
We chatted with 5 queer YouTube reactors to find out what inspires them to create content, as well as some of their personal favorites when it comes to television shows, movies, and fandoms.