LGBTQ YouTube Stars
Since launching in 2005, the video-sharing website YouTube has grown exponentially in terms of popularity, viewership, influence, and global reach. Founded by three employees of the payment-processing firm PayPal, the YouTube site was purchased by Google in 2006 for US$ 1.5 billion. Today, YouTube accounts for a material portion of the growth of Google itself.
As a video-sharing website, YouTube’s original audience was the tech-savvy young generation, but this has subsequently expanded to include all generations of cell phone, computer, tablet, and other electronic device users. The attraction for many presenters on YouTube (who create their own channels) is that it allows global access for their personal videos that cost very little to produce – an entrepreneur’s dream.
Over the last few years, many popular YouTube stars (in terms of subscribers to their YouTube channel) have used their exposure to come out as LGBTQ. In each case, their public announcement of their sexual orientation has not hindered their immense popularity. LGBTQ YouTube stars have made their mark in numerous fields of interest. These include music (Steve Grand), the sciences (Greg Brown and Mitchell Moffitt), activism (Conor Franta), cooking (Hannah Hart), fashion and modelling (Ingrid Nilsen), sitcoms (Joey Graceffa), blogs (Troye Sivan), and more.
Did you know the first YouTube channel to have over 1 million subscribers was an LGBTQ individual? He was Lucas Cruikshank, creator of Fred (a fictional 6 year old). The Fred character has spun off its own television show (on Nickleodeon) and movies.
As well, gay Troye Sivan has the number 2 YouTube channel in Australia.
We have identified the following popular YouTube stars as out and proud members of the LGBTQ community:
- Big Dipper, U.S.
- Derrick Briggs, U.S.
- Greg Brown, Canada
- Chris Crocker, U.S.
- Lucas Cruikshank, U.S.
- Davey Wavey, U.S.
- Conor Franta, U.S.
- Joey Graceffa, U.S.
- Steve Grand, U.S.
- Todrick Hall, U.S.
- Hannah Hart, U.S.
- Kingsley, U.S.
- Jacob Kohinoor, U.S.
- Aaron Laxton, U.S.
- Mitchell Moffitt, Canada
- Ingrid Nilsen, U.S.
- Tyler Oakley, U.S.
- Aaron Rhodes, U.S.
- Austin Rhodes, U.S.
- B. Scott, U.S.
- Troye Sivan, Australia
- Lena Waithe, U.S.
- Ryan James Yezak, U.S.
