Queer Direction Project

Enhancing the visibility of One Direction' diverse queer fanbase. Treating people with kindness. Twitter & Instagram: @queer_direction

[queerdirectionproject-blog]

One Direction’s queer fans identify all across the spectrum when it comes to sexuality. 

Out of the 155 participants in the survey: 

30.1% identify as Bisexual

27.5% identify as Queer

17.6% identify as Lesbian

7.8% identify as Pansexual

4.7% identify as Biromantic Asexual

3.6% identify as Gay

2.6% identify as Asexual

2.5% identify as Demisexual

1.6% identify as Panromantic Asexual

1.0% identify as Aromantic Asexual

0.5% identify as Homoromantic Asexual

0.5% identify as Aromantic Homosexual

These results only apply to 155 of One Direction’s many queer fans. It is incredible how vastly diverse the fandom is and how far-reaching it is in regards to sexual identity. 

[queerdirectionproject-blog]

While many of One Direction’s fans are female, those who are not identify all across the gender spectrum. 

Here’s the gender breakdown from the survey:

85.4% Female

3.3% Nonbinary

2.7% Agender

2.6% FTM Trans

2.0% Genderfluid

1.3% Male

1.3% Genderqueer

0.7% Neutrois

0.7% Demi Girl

The majority of survey participants do identify as female; however, this does not cancel out the diversity of gender identities of those who do not identify as female.

[queerdirectionproject-blog]

The One Direction fandom is stereotypically thought to consist purely of teenagers, but in reality, the fandom covers a large age range. 

The survey participants span from age 14 to age 59 .The majority fall under the categories of late teens/early twenties. 

The diversity in age shown by the survey proves that, although One Direction is stereotyped as being for teen consumption, the group’s fans are most definitely not all teens.

[queerdirectionproject-blog]

When I refer to fans as “queer,” I am using queer as an umbrella term that covers a wide range of identities all across the gender and sexuality spectrums. Essentially, queer can be used to describe any individual who does not identify as heterosexual and/or cisgender.

Historically, the word queer was used as a slur against the LGBT+ community; however, the LGBT+ community has a history of reclaiming the very slurs used against them as a symbol of pride. “Queer” is one of these words that has been reclaimed. Look here and here for a couple of short articles on the topic.

[queerdirectionproject-blog]

“People have assumed that I am straight based on me being a fan, or called me a ‘fake lesbian’ because of it.”

“In my real life, people can’t seem to understand that I can like a band without wanting to sleep with them. ‘How can you be a lesbian and like One Direction?’”

“There are times when you don't feel included in the narrative at all, and some people work hard to not include you.”

“I think many people have the wrong idea about women in particular liking 1D - the general public seems to think that you have to be in love with them to support them which, as many queer fans are living proof of, is not true. Thank you for providing visibility to the LGBTQ+ community in this fandom!!”

“I love that people decide to analyse the one direction fandom phenomenon for academic purposes since it's so complex and has a lot of fascinating aspects to it. Maybe through the work of you lovely people fandom will one day be perceived as normal and not as a creepy and weird obsessive teenager thing .”

“Thank you for taking the time to do this study, visibility is key, and I love you for it. Things like this keep the fandom thriving, and content.”

                                                        ~

As a queer fan of One Direction, I have first-hand experience with the legitimacy of my identity as both a queer individual and One Direction fan being questioned and invalidated. For a research project, I decided to survey other queer fans on their experiences within the fandom as queer individuals in order to see how others’ experiences have compared.

One common theme popped up in many of the surveys that I was not expecting, as the survey did not directly ask about this subject (although it played a significant part in its formation): queer fans feel excluded from the public narrative of the One Direction fandom, and they want this to change. Many fans mentioned their dissatisfaction with the lack of attention paid to queer fans outside of the fandom, and many actually thanked me for focusing my research project on the queer fandom and for providing visibility in at least some small way. 

These responses made me realize that One Direction’s queer fans need their voices to be heard. Projects such as Rainbow Direction have successfully increased the visibility of queer fans within the fandom and created a safe space where fans can celebrate their identities. However, to the public, queer One Direction fans are an oxymoron. There is still the need to show those outside the fandom that queer fans of One Direction exist, and they are valid. This is why I decided to create the Queer Direction Project.

[queerdirectionproject-blog]

The Queer Direction Project

Increasing visibility of One Direction’s queer fans. Allowing fans to be heard.

twitter

instagram