There's no question that Instagram has evolved beyond a place to share a snapshot of your exotic vacation, adorable kitten or epic restaurant meal.
The online photo-and-video sharing, social networking app, which had 400 million users as of September, has also become a platform for innovative storytelling. Among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Instagram users, the documentation and personal narratives are at once inspiring, heartbreaking and everything in between. Witness California couple Ryan Donegan and Scott Snider, who got engaged on Instagram in an effort to give hope to those in regions without marriage equality, and Leo Sheng, who documented his journey as a transgender man on the app.
"Instagram offers the LGBT community a sense of belonging and a place to share stories of inspiration with one another," an Instagram spokesman told HuffPost Gay Voices in an email. "By searching for hashtags like #instagay, #gaypride or #lgbtq, people can connect with millions of others around the world who have shared similar struggles and triumphs."
With 2016 rapidly approaching, we've rounded up 8 of the most inspiring LGBT Instagram stories of the past year. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, we think the collection represents some of the best of what the app has to offer.
Raven-Symone
Raven-Symone came out via Twitter in early August 2013 after long-term speculation surrounding her sexuality. I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you— Raven-Symonè (@MissRavenSymone) August 2, 2013 Raven-Symone confirmed the subtle coming out by retweeting her followers' congratulatory tweets. In a statement to E! News, the actress said: "I am very happy that gay marriage is opening up around the country and is being accepted. I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to."
Raven-Symone
Raven-Symone came out via Twitter in early August 2013 after long-term speculation surrounding her sexuality. I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you— Raven-Symonè (@MissRavenSymone) August 2, 2013 Raven-Symone confirmed the subtle coming out by retweeting her followers' congratulatory tweets. In a statement to E! News, the actress said: "I am very happy that gay marriage is opening up around the country and is being accepted. I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to."
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Wanda Sykes, 2008
The comedian and actress came out in November 2008 while speaking at an anti-Prop 8 rally in Las Vegas. Sykes said in part: "I got married October 25th. I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I felt like I was living my life -- I wasn't in the closet but I was just living my life. Everybody who knows me personally, they know I'm gay. And that's the way people should be able to live our lives, really. We shouldn't have to be standing out here demanding something we automatically should have as citizens of this country."
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Matt Dallas, 2013
Former "Kyle XY" star Matt Dallas started 2013 by subtlety coming out in January when he tweeted about his engagement to his boyfriend, musician Blue Hamilton. Starting off the year with a new fiancé, @bluehamilton. A great way to kick off 2013! http://pic.twitter.com/FQ9y4tHe— matt dallas (@themattdallas) January 7, 2013
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Matt Bomer, 2012
The 34-year-old "White Collar" hunk thanked his partner, Simon Halls, and his three children during the 2012 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, where he received the New Generation Arts and Activism Award for his work in the fight against HIV/AIDS. "I'd really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry," he told the crowd. "Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is. You will always be my proudest accomplishment."
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Anderson Cooper, 2012
Anderson Cooper's sexuality had been scrutinized for years but it wasn't until July 2012 that he finally addressed the issue when he came out in an email to his friend and fellow journalist, Andrew Sullivan. In Cooper's message, which was posted on Sullivan's blog, "The Dish" on The Daily Beast, the CNN anchor wrote, "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."
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Jim Parsons, 2012
New York Times scribe Patrick Healy confirmed "The Big Bang Theory" star's sexuality as part of a profile. The revelation came late in the article, when Healy describes the 39-year-old actor's role in the 2011 revival of Larry Kramer's HIV/AIDS crisis drama, "The Normal Heart." Healy wrote, "'The Normal Heart' resonated with him on a few levels: Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship, and working with an ensemble again onstage was like nourishment, he said." Though the Times didn't identify Parsons' partner, he has been romantically liked with art director Todd Spiewak (pictured).
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