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jasminehardy-blog1 · 5 years ago

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LGBTQ in Media

Starting with the obvious, movies and television shows are nothing like how they were sixty years ago. Instead of The Twilight Zone, we have Black Mirror and young adults would probably rather watch This is Us more than The Brady Bunch. The progression of media and film is really a fascinating thing to look at, and there are several milestones that should be celebrated and talked about.

But because television and film are so influential to many people’s lifestyles and how we gain ideas and opinions, it is important to be able to assess when media is doing a good job at conveying healthy messages to the audience and when it is lacking.

I want to draw attention to the LGBTQ community specifically because they still face a lack of representation and other progressive elements in television and film.

Media featuring and/or appealing to people who identify as LGBTQ can negatively affect the community due to lack of representation, stereotypes, and an overabundant depiction of traumatic events that are often associated with LGBTQ characters. In order to create a more positive form of entertainment, television and film productions should try to be more inclusive and offer a wider variety of genres feautring LGBTQ characters.

While it is true that media has become more inclusive to the LGBTQ community, it is by no means perfect. Due to the lack of representation of LGBTQ characters, people are unable to make connections with themselves and what they see on television, which I feel is a vital part of feeling included in society.

Studies conducted in 2018 by GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, show just how little POC (people of color) LGBTQ members are being depicted in media. Out of 28 LGBTQ characters, 43% were white and only 28.5% were Black/African American or Latinx (“Overview of Findings.” GLAAD.org). Furthermore, “There were zero Asian/Pacific Islander LGBTQ characters or any other race/ethnicity,” (“Overview of Findings.” GLAAD.org).

Not only are POC members of the community not being properly represented, but bisexual and transgender identities in LGBTQ lack representation in media as well. According to GLAAD, in 2019 “Only three of 20 inclusive films (or 110 total films) included depictions of bi+ characters,” (“Overview of Findings.” GLAAD.org). There were zero films that feautured transgender characters. For teens suffering from dysphoria or even just those who want to feel that they are not alone, the fact that they are seeing such little of themselves in television may lead them to feel insecure in their identity.

As the cherry on top, a lack of representation in media is often paired with the stereotyping of characters as well as several unhealthy tropes in television shows and movies. Stereotypes depicted in television in film lead to a variety of assumptions about members of the LGBTQ community. Wikipedia lists several common stereotypes that are placed on gay and lesbian people based on television and film. The list includes the idea that LGBTQ people:

Are very knowledgable and open about sex (as well as very sexually active)

Tend to seduce straight people into a relationship

In women’s case: dress either very manly or very “femme”

In men’s case: are very fashionable and well-groomed

In men’s case: they are very effeminate

Gay men have lisps or speak in a “girly” tone

(“LGBTQ stereotypes.” Wikipedia.org).

Television shows specifically are more prone to use unhealthy tropes such as queerbaiting, which Fanlore explains is “a term used to describe the perceived attempt by advertisers or canon creators to draw in a queer audience and/or slash fans by implying or hinting at a gay relationship that will never actually be depicted,” (“Queer Baiting.” Fanlore.org). Basically, LGBTQ fans are attracted to the show because they want to see the depiction of a relationship between two same-sex characters but because it’s too “taboo”, television never truly provides.

Based on the evidence, it should be obvious just how harmful media can be to members of the community.

First of all, the lack of representation of LGBTQ people who are not white and occasionally Latinx or Black almost erases the existence of them. It implies that the population of the LGBTQ community is far smaller than it actually spans which may weaken the community in the eyes of others. People may not even consider the idea of someone being both Pacific Islander and LGBTQ. Getting deeper than that, the average person may not imagine someone being both LGBTQ and crippled.

The point I am trying to make is that because there is a severe lack of diversity in the LGBTQ characters that are being displayed, many don’t see it plausible that this variety of people can exist. And consider how that makes the person who does fit into all these identities feel. Well, they may feel as though they don’t have a platform to express themselves, or maybe they feel like they aren’t welcome in the community because they are not the majority.

It is my view that by not truly showing the large expanse of identities, cultures, and types of people in the LGBTQ community, media effectively belittles the community in order to justify the lack of representation. Media is trying to appeal to those they see as “important”, implying that a straight and white audience takes priority over others.

Furthermore, when media does depict LGBTQ characters, but goes on to stereotype them, they are further placing the community in a box. It’s as though they are saying “You can exist under these guidelines, and if you don’t then you're not valid.”

Stereotypes often times turn LGBTQ characters into a joke. Media will dub a gay man as the designated best friend or throw in an LGBTQ side character, only meant to be support to a straight main character, or even include a bisexual character but making them the butt of several “indecisive” jokes. The effect this has on a member of LGBTQ community may be that they feel as though they are being made fun of or their identity is a joke.

Those who are not in the LGBTQ community may form opinions based on what they see on television, as it is an easily accessible form of entertainment to many. As a result, they may begin to be biased towards LGBTQ people based on how they are portrayed in a show or a movie.

As Iman Tagudina elegently summed up in their own essay on the reinforcement of homophobic stereotypes, “These false assumptions may be carried on after their pre-adolescent years, which may become harmful once they begin dealing with the real world,” (Tagudina, 13). Tagudina highlights that whether you’re straight or in the LGBTQ community, what you see on T.V. may affect how you think and act towards others and yourself. It can be seen in television and film that while LGBTQ characters are present, they are not a priority, which makes it a lot easier for media productions to give the community a harmful reputation.

I would like to form my own argument that while media in general featuring LGBTQ characters can be harmful to both the LGBTQ community and the audience as a whole for a variety of reasons, television and film that is meant to appeal directly to the community can be equally as harmful. First, let’s take a list of LGBTQ films appealing mainly towards gay men.

Love, Simon

RENT

Alex Strangelove

Handsome Devil

All of these movies are popular in the LGBTQ community heavily due to the fact that they focus on the relationship between two men. And while I agree that these movies do good towards the community, even if just because they actually attempt to create gay characters to identify with, I also would like to assert the one thing all of these movies have in common.

Love, Simon is a film about a (white) teenage boy whose being blackmailed due to his sexual orientation.

RENT laments the hardships of being LGBTQ during the rise of STD.

Alex Strangelove leads the audience through a (white) boy going through a sexual crisis while having a girlfriend.

Handsome Devil is about two (white) boys who are gay in a heavily homophobic setting, and yes, at one point the main character is outed in front of everyone.

While these films are good for including and actually attempting to show what it is like to be a member of the LGBTQ community, they also tend to focus on high stress, and sometimes traumatic situations such as losing a loved one or having all of your friends abandon you or the feeling of being alone in your time of need.

I think that queer films make it hard for members of the LGBTQ community to feel like they are anything other than their sexual orientation, and also that because of their sexual orientation, the only situations they can experience must be related to the hardships of their sexuality. I’ve found that it is very uncommon to find an LGBTQ film in which the character is proud of their identity and have a plot where the main conflict isn’t something about why they should be unhappy with their sexuality.

Comparing the main themes of the films listed above with typical romantic comedies such as Hitch, Clueless, and Sixteen Candles, it’s not hard to see just how different genres are when it comes to focusing on straight characters vs. LGBTQ characters.

In all of the films listed above, the theme remains generally lighthearted, being about getting a date to prom or wanting your crush to notice you. And while I’m not saying that all heterosexual movies are lighthearted, because their are several that focus on darker themes, it is true that LGBTQ films are far less likely to include happy tones and low-stress situations.

I will also point out that most LGBTQ films take the theme of coming-out and use that as a coming-of-age process, which normalizes the idea that people who are LGBTQ are not normal and must make that known to the world, as opposed to heterosexuals who are the “default” in a way. It also implies that the only coming-of-age LGBTQ people can face must be about their sexual orientation.

On the other hand, coming-of-age films featuring straight characters can be about a variety of things such as sports (The Sandlot), clowns (IT), ditching school (Ferris Bueller's Day Off), and well, you get the point.

I propose that the perfect fix for more healthy portrayals would be to try to get rid of the dark themes revolving around LGBTQ films, and also just widen the amount of entertainment for the LGBTQ community by placing these diverse characters in new and interesting settings.

The majority of LGBTQ films are in the genres of drama and romance. Maybe instead of a highschool setting, there could be a fun story about two spies who are in love and of the same gender, or maybe a buddy-cop film featuring an asexual or aromantic character. Just as long as it promotes the idea that LGBTQ members can be in a setting that doesn’t require their life to revolve solely around the “pain” of their sexuality.

Additionally, films and television could also try and do a better job at depicting LGBTQ characters with traits and hobbies that don’t reinforce common or incorrect stereotypes. For example, instead of a gay character who only cares about fashion and sex, no one would be expecting to see gay character who has a keen interest in building home projects simply because media erases the idea that. LGBTQ people have any other interests. Variety and originality is the first step to destroying the unhealthy stereotypes that media constantly conforms to when it comes to LGBTQ characters.

Because media plays such a large role in everyday households, it is so important to work harder to try and create entertainment that does not belittle or give false impressions about a community of people.

LGBTQ characters have a long way to go before they reach full acceptance in media, and we as a collective whole should speak up and recognize the vital role of all identities, races, and backgrounds.

Everyone feels a little bit of joy as well as a sense of belonging when they can see themselves in a character, which is why it is important to try to include everyone. Not to mention it’s a lot more interesting than just seeing the same five character types on screen.

#lgbtq+#personal #essay

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