Selection of pictures and videos downloads for analysis

This study delves into the Potaxie, Fifes, and Tilinx subcultures on TikTok, exploring their origins, characteristics, and cultural significance. Originating from a viral TikTok video in 2020, the Potaxie subculture emerged within the LGBTQ+ community in hispano-speakers countries and evolved to symbolize inclusivity and gender equality. Potaxies employ vibrant aesthetics influenced by Japanese and Korean pop culture to express their identities and resistance. In contrast, Fifes represent a counterculture associated with cisgender heterosexual men, embodying traditional patriarchal values and often perceived as machista and homophobic. This opposition creates a dynamic narrative of resistance between the two groups. The Tilinx, symbolic offspring of the Potaxies, are inspired by ballroom culture and drag houses, with “mothers” Potaxies, continuing the fight for inclusion and diversity. Using a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analysis via the TikTok API and qualitative content analysis through MAXQDA and Python, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the subculture that accumulates more than 2.3 billion interactions only with the #potaxie content. The findings highlight how TikTok serves as a platform for identity construction, cultural resistance, and the redefinition of social norms. Furthermore, the study examines how digital platforms like TikTok mediate intersectional experiences, favoring certain types of content through algorithms, and how participants navigate these affordances and constraints in expressing their intersecting identities. The implications for communication strategies and further research into the commodification of these subcultures are profound, offering insights into the transformative potential of social media in shaping contemporary cultural and social narratives.