Recent research provides an insightful and comprehensive look at how Second Life users relate their SL persona to their RL persona. With a focus on the “queer” community in SL, Donald Jones’ of Georgetown University expands the academic understanding of the significance of expressions of gender and sexuality for SL users.

Through his Masters thesis, ‘Queered Virtuality’, Jones sought to answer a number of questions relating to virtual bodies and spaces, with a special interest in “queer” bodies and spaces. Jones uses the term “queer” to refer collectively to the virtual activities and spaces associated with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. The research makes dozens of observations on the unique visual power of SL to provide fulfilling and life-transforming experiences for many SL users, especially those in GLBT community.

The research found that 40 percent of GLBT respondents reported playing a different “sexual ideation” (i.e. either in behaviour or gender) than they identify with in RL. However, the study also found that gay males were very rigid in their identity in SL compared to other groups – 95 percent of gay males live primarily as gay males in SL.

SLNN reached Jones by email. “The avatar is always a ‘mirror’ to ourselves, but for people working through questions of gender or sexual identity, the SL avatar provides a rich avenue for exploration.” Jones feels that SL is unique in its granularity of control over the avatar appearance, and that a fascinating avenue of research exists in the exploration of the relationship between one’s avatar and one’s RL self.

Jones’ research was based primarily on 344 survey responses by SL users. Jones also conducted 22 interviews of subjects who participated on a volunteer basis. Since the survey announcements were posted intentionally in GLBT SL communities, all but 5 percent of the respondents were from the GLBT community.

Another important finding of the research was that SL served as an exploratory avenue for many in the community, especially among those who were not “out.” Of those not “out,” fully 89 percent confirmed that they had explored their sexuality in SL in ways in which they had not in RL.

“I was somewhat surprised at the number of people who did play at gender/sexual ideation in SL,” admitted Jones, “Not that they did, but how much.” However, Jones admitted his surprise at how gay males who were “out” so rarely experimented with their ideation. “There is a rigidity in identity that can come from ‘declaring a major’ as it were, which is interesting in a place where one can be whoever they wish to be.”

The paper also touched on the relationship between the RL user, and his/her avatar.