“The War on an Invisible Front”: Narratives about LGBTQ+ in Instagram and TikTok Comments
“The War on an Invisible Front”: Narratives about LGBTQ+ in Instagram and TikTok Comments

Summary/Abstract: This article analyzes the dynamics of online discourse surrounding LGBTQ+ communities in the comments sections of Ukrainian social media (Instagram, TikTok) in the context of Russia’s fullscale war against Ukraine. The study aims to identify, classify, and analyze the dominant narratives that reflect perceptions of LGBTQ+ individuals in the online space, as well as to examine the sentiment of discussions and their platform dependency. The paper employs a hybrid methodology based on a corpus of 600 comments from 20 viral videos. Quantitative content analysis and sentiment analysis were conducted, along with a qualitative discourse and narrative analysis, to identify underlying semantic structures. The results demonstrate a pronounced polarization of opinions in online comments, with 45% being positive, 38.2% negative, and 16.8% neutral. Statistically significant differences were found between the platforms: TikTok appears as a space of greater solidarity, while Instagram exhibits a higher level of conflict. Five dominant narratives structuring public communication were identified, the central one being the conflict between a narrative of equality and various forms of resistance, which exacerbates the vulnerability of LGBTQ+ communities. The study’s conclusions demonstrate that despite a significant level of hostility, the overall dynamics of expressions on social media during the war indicate a gradual increase in support for LGBTQ+ communities. This inference suggests a discrepancy between the sentiment of online reactions and data from previous sociological surveys. This process is a significant indicator of the value transformation within Ukrainian society. The practical significance of the work lies in providing recommendations for media and platforms on enhancing digital inclusion.

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