November 16th, Parkside’s LGBTQ organization gave a presentation on LGBTQ issues in the media. They presented several television series that focus on a modernized view of acceptance and appreciation for LGBTQ characters. Some series include Modern Family, Glee, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. I specifically love Modern Family, a show that includes two gay fathers who take care of their adopted daughter. This is the first gay couple depicted on network television that have an adopted child together. I really appreciate the humor that this show is based on, but most importantly, that their gayness is not the highlight of their relationship, rather is the struggles they endure together concerning the wellbeing of their daughter. However, there are still stereotypical gay qualities that are demonstrated with both of these men.
The following is the link to an interview of the actors who play these two homosexual men.
Photo retrieved from the seattlegayscene.com website
“Many LGBT youth can't picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can't imagine a future for themselves. So let's show them what our lives are like, let's show them what the future may hold in store for them.”
The inspiring opening phrase on the It Gets Better Project website.
Another point the presentation touched on was the It Gets Better Project, created after the mass suicides of LBGTQ teens. This organization provides protection from bullying by instilling hope in individuals experiencing rough times through inspiring video messages. Prior to the presentation, I had seen several television commercials about the project, commercials that really reached emotionally to me. I looked up more videos and was surprised to see how many celebrities went out of their ways to spread this wonderful message. However, upon viewing these videos, I was crushed reading some of the negative comments posted about how immoral the homosexual lifestyle is. One individual even said, “no gay people enter the kingdom of Heaven.” I cannot fathom the idea of hating an innocent group of people so much that I would disgrace and abuse them because of their lifestyles. Human beings are supposed to work together for the greater good of society, but how is that possible when there is so much hate in the world, so much hate for people who chose to love individuals of the same gender. Love is universal; who is to dictate who another person chooses to love. As long as they treat each other with kindness, compassion, and understanding, they deserve to love anyone they wish to.
The organization’s website
One of the many videos posted by the organization
I was also touched by the members’ willingness to share their stores about their own sexuality and experiences with members of the LBGTQ community. Ana Guerriero, Director of the LGBTQ resource center shared her experience of growing up as a homosexual. In high school, she was teased to the point where she would lock herself in her room, dreading to go to school every day. However, she overcame her depression and fear and focused on her school work. Today she is an incredibly strong individual who basis her life on helping others in the community to feel comfortable about their own sexuality and informing individuals about the LBGTQ mission. Her strength, experience, and knowledge classify her as a role model, leader, and advocate for a more peaceful, understanding community.
The 2nd edition of the Gender, Race, and Class in the Media text includes a chapter titled, “Popular Culture and Queer Representation.” I found the chapter’s focus on the meaning of the word “queer (theory)” to be really enlightening. Raymond writes that its meaning is “open-ended” and fluid, allowing it to be a universal term that embraces all individuals (p 98). In 1995, Larry Gross described the presence of gays and lesbians in mass media as being invisible, relating to the little power that these individuals have in our society. However, recently the media has embraced fictional homosexual characters as well as the LGBTQ community as a whole.
Raymond continues on quoting Gross on how homosexual characters rarely depicted as “just plain gay folks (p 101).” Rather, they are often subject to ridicule centered on the homosexual stereotypes- gay men being portrayed as effeminate and lesbian women as unattractive feminists. While comedy series cling to these stereotypes, such as Will and Grace, Glee, and Modern Family, drama-based sitcoms such as the soap opera, All My Children, deals with the more serious side of the controversy surrounding homosexuality. Despite this, almost all of the homosexual characters on television are given a special focus, whether it be overly comedic or overly dramatized. Therefore, until homosexual characters are depicted in a way that does not depend on their sexuality, they will never break out of the stereotype. However, with new organizations emerging, such as the It Gets Better Campaign, homosexuals are given the opportunity to rise above the stereotypes and reveal their true character.
Works Cited
Raymond, D. (2003). Popular Culture and Queer Representation. In G. Diens & J. Humez (Eds.), Gender, Race, and Class in Media (pp 98-110). Thousand Oaks
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