Vloggers – video bloggers – are known for sharing the intimate details of their lives on YouTube. A new generation of charismatic gay vloggers is reinventing the medium in a creative and exciting fashion. Like compulsive diarists they document every single day of their lives, sharing their highs, lows, loves and losses with millions of viewers worldwide.

Gay couple RJ Aguiar and Will Shepherd could perhaps be described as star vloggers. They reveal (almost) all about their relationship and daily experiences on their main channel, while Shepherd runs a separate channel devoted to computer gaming and Aguiar a personal channel that he describes as a ‘garbage dump for my brain’.

They have helped to raise the quality of You Tube content. Now the site isn’t just about frivolous viral videos and silly sketches by high school kids. The new generation of vloggers – gay and straight – are known as “creators” rather than “contributors” because they craft serious and meaningful videos that offer cogent insights into real life. All kinds of people tune into Will and RJ’s creations, not just LGBTs.

The popularity of vlogs can only expand thanks to high-profile YouTube conventions such as VidCon and Playlist Live. LGBT vloggers are now celebrated at such events and the journey has been a long one. The very first pink vloggers tended to be either youngsters who needed a venue to come out in public and trans men and women who detailed their transitions online.

These days, the diversity is immense. Some vloggers focus on gay-specific issues while others have a wider remit. The fifth annual VidCon is set to take place in late June in Anaheim, California, so watch out: LGBT YouTubers will be there in force!