Reposting is the life line of Gay artists. Liking is nice, but doesn't help them reach new audiences.
Gay artists struggle to reach an audience, especially since the Meta Massacre of Gay artists and the excessive censorship of Facebook and Instagram. Reposts is how Gay artists reach new people.
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Reposting is the life line for Gay artists to survive.
Reporting the numbers.
I took the last 20 artists I reported for the following table and whose posts were permitted by the artist to be posted outside Bluesky.
In some cases in 4 out of 20 cases, the artist got a lot of likes, but I am the only person who reposted their art.
Overall, the ratio of reposts to hearts is 0.08 and that was boosted up by the followers of two artists. That the ratio of hearts to reposts is 12 to 1.
For half of the posts, the ratio was 0.06 or less, see the histogram below. This is a ration of hearts to reposts greater than 16 to 1.
These artists are struggling to build up their followings which they had built up on Facebook and Instagram, but no longer can post their art there.
The lack of reposts is the same on X also.
These artists can’t to go full time if they can’t reach an audience.
Gay artists won’t be encouraged to create art for the Gay community if there isn’t support from Gays.
I am going to have a tough discussion following these charts.
How out are we?
Gays’ social media posts are their public face to Gays and their straight friends also. So it might be argued that the more explicit stuff they don’t want to repost, but they like.
However if you look at jtm’s heart, it just has six colored flowers. The one repost you see is me. So of his supporters there are 0 reposts and 22 hearts.
A rainbow he did in glass got 0 reposts and 13 hearts. (The one repost is me.)
How is jtm supposed to get discovered when his supporters won’t repost?
(Discussion continues after these Bluesky posts.)
The issue is that though some Gays are out, they don’t really have any pride in being Gay, whatever slogans they might say, instead being Gay is something they acquiesce to. They don’t want Gay desire being highly visible to their “straight” friends.
A couple years ago I want to a Radical Fairy group in Dallas and they were oh-so radical and this and that. Then the discussion came up about their Gay art and how they put it away when relatives visited, because it was supposedly a considerate thing to do and the group, of these “radical” fairies agree with it. Their hiding their art supports the idea that their art is wrong.
Whatever radical slogans some Gays might say among Gays, they are sort of embarassed about Gay male desire with straight people.
The issue is when are you going to start living your life?
How free are you when you can’t even repost something you like?
I am not saying to repost everything you like, but you probably need to repost more.
Also, if you get negative or snotty feedback from some “friends” or people you know, you might consider that they aren’t your friends.
As for your Baptist aunt who might make a comment, you probably should have told her to “FUCK OFF!” a long time ago.
The Gay art on the walls in my house.
I have Gay art on the walls in my house, and my attitude is that people don’t like it they can leave. I wrote an essay about this after attending the so-called “Radical” Fairies group. (Click on the image.)
This newsletter does showcases of Gay artists, for free and I do the work. I just need your permission.
Post Examples
The number of reposts seen in the following includes a reposting by myself. In some cases you can see that I am the only person who reposted the work. In the other works, you have to substract one from the number of reposts to get the reposts done not including me.
John MacConnell gets 103 likes and only 4 reposts (excluding me). Is this something too much for reposting.
I am the only person who reposted this.
There are 104 likes and only 8 reposts (excluding me). How “out” are you when you are too embarrassed to repost this?
Read online here to see the link to my directory of Bluesky artists.
Over 150 artists in this directory.
I agree, it's a pleasure to revisit great art!! Reposting for the win FTW.