The plurality principle: consumer ethics within an online brand community

Agnes Heller's moral philosophy based around plurality is introduced in this article into consumer ethics. Plurality emphasises that open and tolerant societies make moral choices more readily available. Netnography explores moral evaluations of gender and sexuality representation and inclusion within an online consumer community. Findings show that members of the Drag Race sub-Reddit emphasise diversity and inclusivity when interpreting and responding to current events concerning gender terminology and LGBTQ sub-culture gatekeeping. Forum exchanges are moderated by community members using humour. Individual differences of opinion are accommodated to the extent that they do not stigmatise specific groups. In this way plurality acts as an idealistic and pragmatic value, around which a flexible but cohesive, contradictory yet consistent, sub-culture ethics agglomerates.