Page 329 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

interact with others who share their interests. However, social media may be

a crucial tool for publicising one's identity and seeking support for those who
identify as homosexual in nations where homosexuality is stigmatised or

forbidden. People who identify as gay frequently experience discrimination

and societal stigma in Sri Lanka, where homosexuality is illegal under Section
365A of the Penal Code (UNHCR, 2020). Notwithstanding these challenges,

an escalating number of LGBTQ+ individuals in Sri Lanka are leveraging
social media for interpersonal engagement and identity assertion.

Nevertheless, the dynamics of utilising social media to propagate

homosexuality within the Sri Lankan context remain unexplored.

The influence of social media in formation of the identity of homosexual
persons in the Colombo metropolis is the issue this study attempts to explore.

Despite the fact that LGBT+ people are becoming more visible on social
media in Sri Lanka, little is known about how social media is being utilised in

this country to promote homosexuality. In antecedent scholarly inquiries (e.g.,

Vrangalova et al., 2017), scrutiny into the role of social media in professing
LGBTQ+ identities due to its global reach, fostering self-expression and

community connection. Nonetheless, the extant disparities in culture and

jurisprudence imply the incongruity of such findings in the Sri Lankan milieu.
Consequently, this research endeavors to discern, via a mixed-methods

paradigm, the influence of social media on the portrayal of homosexuality
within the confines of the Colombo metropolis.

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