Activism and civic engagement on YouTube? Analyzing reactions to Kamala Harris’ LGBTI + comments in Ghana

Abstract

The use of social media for activism has become a growing trend in Ghana and Africa. Although there have been several studies on how social media is used for activism to address socio-political issues, most of these studies have focused on using platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. In contrast, video-based platforms such as YouTube have received less attention from researchers. Employing framing theory and content analysis of comments on some selected YouTube videos about Kamala Harris’ statements on promoting LGBTI + rights in Ghana, the study shows that Ghanaian audiences engaged with the content to express their resistance to the promotion of this agenda. The findings revealed that three main issues surrounding her statements attracted the most audiences’ attention, who used the YouTube comment section to express their resistance. The issues included: 1) the promotion of LGBTI + rights in Ghana, as suggested by Kamala Harris; 2) the response of the President of Ghana to the country’s position on the matter; and 3) the colorful light display on the Jubilee House. This article has implications for scholarship on gender and sexuality studies and the discourse on online activism.

Keywords

• YouTube
• online activism
• content analysis
• framing theory
• LGBTI+, Ghana
• Political Communication