If it’s happening, it’s probably on TikTok.
As to what “it” is, that’s completely up to you. As the great singer formerly known as Ke$ha once said: “Tik tok on the clock, but the party don’t stop.” Open the app and you’ll be bombarded by short looping videos of dance challenges, cat videos, calls to action, celebrities, short skits and so much more.
The platform can be a bit overwhelming, especially for older generations or the not-so-social media-savvy. Without the safety rails of followers like Twitter, or the familiar faces of your old high school acquaintances like Facebook, knowing where to start on TikTok can be a lot for anyone born before the turn of the century.
But TikTok, and particularly queer TikTok, is worth exploring—even if it’s just to find something to make you smile during these trying times. Viral trends like “#shantytok” showed that there’s a lot of potential for community on TikTok, and vital conversations are happening every day on the platform around things like trans health care, pronouns, queer families or fighting conversion therapy.
There’s also plenty of thirst traps for literally whatever or whoever your preference may be, if that’s your thing.
That’s all to say, TikTok might just be where the exciting and innovative creators you want to follow are. With that in mind, here are a five tips for finding whatever your queer heart desires on TikTok.
Unlike other social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram, TikTok doesn’t prompt you to start following your friends or celebrities right away. Rather, like butch in a hardware store, it gets right down to business.
Start with “for you”… but don’t stop there
Whether you’re using the app on mobile or desktop at tiktok.com, the algorithm-driven “For You” page will be the first thing that appears. There, you’re presented with an endless scroll of content, which is refined the longer you use the app.
The algorithm learns from every interaction you have on the app—how many videos you watch until the end, how many you click on to see the user’s page and which ones prompt you to close the app and finish your scrolling for the day. It also pays attention to what other users like you want to see and shows you that content, too.
So if you like, say, Drag Race, the algorithm may show you Lady Gaga-related TikTok videos because that’s what other users who like Drag Race have also liked on the app, even if you believe yourself to be the biggest Gaga hater. But if you don’t engage with those Gaga videos or indicate through the app that you aren’t interested, you likely won’t see a lot of them down the line.
According to a June 2020 press release, the goal of TikTok’s “For You” feed, “is to find balance between suggesting content that’s relevant to you while also helping you find content and creators that encourage you to explore experiences you might not otherwise see.
“The system is designed to continuously improve, correct and learn from your own engagement with the platform to produce personalized recommendations that we hope inspire creativity and bring joy with every refresh of your ‘For You’ feed,” the release states.
After a few hours of scrolling the “For You” page, expect it to start showing things that you actually like—or things that you don’t yet know you’ll like.
Find the people you already love
If leaving yourself to the whims of the algorithm seems scary, you can start your TikTok journey by following celebrities, public figures and friends you know from other platforms instead.
If you were just as excited as I was to see kid star JoJo Siwa come out as queer, she might be a good first follow. The same goes for LGBTQ2S+ celebrities you might already know and love, like your favourite Drag Race queen or someone like Lil Nas X.
Even if these famous faces don’t make exactly the content you want, it’ll clue the algorithm into what you like so you can find those hidden gems more easily. And sometimes celebrities will repost or share content from lesser-known creators, and you can find your new fav.
The big hashtags are full of great content
Searching specific hashtags related to the LGBTQ2S+ community will net you plenty of content. Start with #LGBTQ, #queer or #queertiktok and you might get this truly perfect-looking queer family.
There’s also plenty of wholesome and hilarious coming out stories.
And whatever joy this is:
And this:
From there you can go into specific identities that are relevant to you, whether that’s…
#wlw or #lesbian
#trans
#nonbinary
or #gay.
From there, find your niche TikTok community
There is truly a section of TikTok for everyone. Whether you’re interested in Drag Race, trans health advice or thirst traps, there’s probably a part of TikTok for you.
But it gets even more niche than that: My partner works as an insurance agent, and you better believe we found “insurance TikTok.” Have a specific breed of pet? We’ve spent many long nights showing our cat Hobgoblin other cats that look just like her on the “persian cat” hashtag—including my personal favourite, Gizmo.
The same goes for queer communities. Sure there’s lesbian TikTok in general, but how about lesbian #laundrytok?
And we can’t forget about #nonbinarysaucetok, which is all about being non-binary and making sauces:
Don’t be afraid to get specific in what you’re looking for—there’s probably a corner of TikTok for you.
Have fun—and turn it off every now and then
More than any other platform, TikTok encourages the endless scroll. The “For You” page means you literally will never run out of content, so it’s easy to fall into a six-hour late night scrolling binge with no end in sight. That’s why it’s important to step away from the phone, drink a big glass of water and take a break every now and then. Queer TikTok will still be there when you get back.
Happy scrolling!
Why you can trust Xtra
