Queer trends are different factors that centre on and involve LGBT+ individuals and cover a range of cultural, social, and political movements, as well as human rights and experiences. Over the years, queer trends have undergone a huge shift in development, achieving mainstream celebration. With the start of 2023, topics such as technology, metaverse, finance, and many more will blossom in our queer lifestyle.
Queer Life in Metaverse
The virtual world has no set definition and it’s not exactly new, but it’s the hot thing on the internet lately. The metaverse can mean different things in people’s definitions. In essence, it is a rich, virtual environment resembling the actual world, in which people can engage in various behaviours and activities. Its popularity is increasing in the digital world, as well as in the range of inclusivity of LGBT+ features.
Qtopia is a virtual environment for the LGBTQ community that will be included in AlphaVerse, a Metaverse ecosystem set to launch this summer. The network is the “first blockchain metaverse merging many diverse realities,” built on the Binance Smart Chain.
The Web3 developer, Crypto Blockchain Industries (CBI), in collaboration with Crypto Meta LLC (CM), announced the launching of the all-encompassing Metaverse in early 2023.
UniQoin, the project’s utility token, will promote LGBTQ-friendly companies in both the actual and virtual worlds. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to LGBTQ charities.
Queer Finance Representatives
Finance, especially in the queer community, is now growing. It’s an area of interest in LGBT+ individual’s life, because of the discrimination, societal stigma, or legal inequalities that we may face. This manifests itself as salary inconsistency, legal barriers, or healthcare. These are some reasons why the LGBT+ community needs more queer financial representatives. We encounter wage disparities due to job discrimination, which can impact our overall financial stability and capacity to generate wealth.
Queer people suffer legal impediments to financial protection in many countries, including inheritance laws and social security benefits. Due to a lack of health insurance coverage for our requirements, such as gender-affirming surgery or HIV treatment, LGBT+ persons may face greater healthcare costs.
A queer financial representative is someone who is knowledgeable about financial planning and investment strategies and is also sensitive to the unique financial needs and concerns of LGBT+ individuals and communities. The qualities that this representative should have are: Knowledgeable about LGBT+ issues, inclusive language and communication, culturally sensitive, experienced with diverse clients, well-versed in financial planning
Digital Fashion
Fashion is one of the most loved and known trends there is, especially for our community. It is a personal signature, a style, a way of expressing freely. We relate to fashion in many ways, and with the digital world growing and covering all areas, fashion is no exception.
Digital fashion is a relatively new trend in the fashion industry that involves designing and creating clothing that exists entirely in digital form. It allows for endless possibilities for creativity and innovation, as designers are not limited by the physical constraints of traditional textiles and materials.
Alice Delahunt, Ralph Lauren’s former chief digital officer, created the digital fashion firm Syky (pronounced ‘psyche’) at a time when cryptocurrency financing has reduced for many in the industry.
Non-Traditional Relationships
As a community and as a diverse range of individuals we may encounter a different range of ideas that may fall out of the sphere of traditional societal norms. Relationships are something extremely versatile and open to experimentation in the life of queer people.
Those non-traditional relationships we are talking about may refer to:
Polyamory refers to having different romantic or sexual connections, with the consent and knowledge of everyone involved. This may include from 3 individuals to a range of larger arrangements of interconnected partners.
Open Relationships, explore the freedom to encounter romantic and sexual actions with other people, with the consent and knowledge of their primary partner. This can include casual hookups, ongoing relationships, or even long-term partnerships with other individuals.
In genderqueer relationships, people may identify as neither totally masculine nor fully female, or they may shift between the two. Interactions with genderqueer people may require overcoming non-traditional gender roles or standards.
Kink Relationships refer to different practices, sexual, or non-sexual that don’t fit into the traditional norms of society. Kink relationships may involve power exchange, bondage, or other forms of consensual eroticism, and require clear communication, negotiation, and respect for boundaries.
Those are some examples of the primary types of relationships that queer people tend to steer toward their interests. Most importantly, relationships are built on mutual respect, consent, and communication.
Body Positivity
Body shaming is one of the most painful actions someone can encounter with. Self-love and self-care are practices that prioritize mental and emotional well-being. Some of the aspects targeted by body positivity within the queer community are beauty trends, which include challenging the norms around body shape, size, and gender expression. We can also see promoting body diversity, embracing non-traditional gender expressions, and of course, self-love. Within the queer community, body positivity has become an important trend, particularly as queer individuals may face unique challenges and stress related to their bodies and appearance.
Queer Parenting
More and more LGBT+ individuals and couples choose to become parents through adoption, surrogacy, or other ways. This trend questions the traditional definition of a family and promotes the notion that anybody may be a loving and capable parent.
Queer parenting has become an important trend within the LGBT+ community, with many individuals and organizations offering support and resources for LGBT+ parents. This includes online support groups, queer-friendly parenting classes, queer parenting podcasts, and advocacy organizations that work to promote LGBT+ parenting rights.
Queer Spirituality
There is a lot of curiosity about queer spirituality, which is why it’s expanding so rapidly. This trend covers anything from gay-friendly churches to non-traditional spiritual practices like witchcraft and tarot. It also accepts the notion that spirituality and sexuality are inextricably linked. It acknowledges the experiences and problems that LGBT+ people confront and provides a space for people to explore their spirituality in a way that is consistent with their identity and beliefs.
Trends are patterns or shifts in behaviour, attitudes, preferences, or opinions that are observable over a period of time. Trends can be influenced by a variety of factors, including technological advancements, changes in consumer behaviour, cultural shifts, and economic conditions. As a community, we observe and grow alongside these trends.
Article by Ciprian Ciobanu
Ciprian Ciobanu is a Gen Z Editor for GAY45 and an MA student at the University of Timisoara, majoring in painting but working in a mixed media field. Ciprian is currently finishing his studies and working on the process of developing and reflecting on the relationship between art and the trends of a given time from music, fashion, popular stories, etc.
