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Portfolio Epilogue

I believe writing is an extremely crucial skill to have. Not only does it help communicate thoughts and ideas, the skills learned in writing can transfer to many other aspects of life as well. By remembering your personal ethos, pathos, logos and how to will affect different audiences you can choose your words more carefully. This can be used in day to day conversation! Depending on the person you’re talking to, they will have different emotional triggers. You have the power to trigger these emotions or leave them be. I also think that personally, writing is very therapeutic, it helps me to organize my thoughts on a specific topic by getting it out of my head and onto paper. I’ve liked the free write aspects of our essays because a lot of the time I will have an idea of what I want to talk about, but I won’t know how to start it. By just spitting out your words onto the paper, it allows you to see what you’ve already written and lets you make a game plan. 

I believe revising is also an extremely useful skill to learn. Revising is crucial in bettering ourselves, not just as writers, but as people. Revision allows you to review a piece of work or a situation that occurred and think about the consequences of your work or actions or lack thereof. If you’re having an especially hard time coping with a situation, the revision process allows you to rethink the series of events and allows you to learn from the consequences of your actions. Revision can also help you catch mistakes before they happen. In writing, revision of your work allows you to catch spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. When you play through a certain situation in your head before it actually happens, the revision process allows you to explore different possibilities you may not have tried. Revision is equivalent to growth. 

I feel that writing courses are sometimes helpful, but it really depends on the teacher. I really liked this writing class because it didn’t feel like a writing class, it felt more like a life lesson class or a therapy session each class period. I learned skills that will help me in my everyday life. It made me revise what I wanted in life and helped me feel connected to myself more. The class period on identity was especially crucial in this never-ending journey of trying to connect to me. It helped me realize that I have a different perspective on things from the person next to me. I’m an individual, and each individual has their own set of circumstances. Everybody has a different story, a different battle they’re fighting, and we should be conscious of this when interacting with each other. 

I feel as though my curiosity and openness have definitely grown in this class. This class has taught me to explore the world around me from different perspectives. So often we get caught up in our own minds and our day to day life, but when we stop and take a look through someone else’s eyes, we suddenly see things we couldn’t before. I think the Opinion series really helped me in this regard. By thinking about how I’d appeal to different audiences, I started to understand that different people have different wants. Through this assignment, I learned not to be so hard on myself. If something I do or say doesn’t end up the way I was hoping, I understand that the other person may have a different set of circumstances that makes it so that they don’t connect with me as well. While I don’t think changing yourself to fit other’s needs is a good idea, I think it helps you understand what you should or shouldn’t do around others. 

It’s interesting just how invested I got in my writing in this class. In previous classes, I definitely wrote to get a good grade, and interestingly enough, those papers never got amazing scores. In this class, my papers got good grades and I think its mainly due to the investment I had in my topic. I actually thoroughly enjoyed the research process in the Annotated Bibliography, which is interesting to me because, on previous papers, I would do the bare minimum on the research. By diving deep into my topic, I connected a lot more with the ins and outs of the situation and felt like I actually had a prominent voice in what I was saying about my topic. 

I feel like this class challenged the way I approached writing a lot. I enjoyed the 4 steps to the essays because it allowed me to just jot something down on the paper and then got back and revise; I definitely spent more time revising my papers, especially my research paper. I had all the key parts of my argument, but trying to put them together into one cohesive paper proved challenging. I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to start my essay with, but since I had all the pieces, I got to explore different options with the layout of the essay. I liked how to papers all built on each other, allowing you to take time to really think out what direction you want your paper to go. 

I feel like this class helped me learn that I have a voice in the world. With the papers all building on each other, allowing me to explore different possibilities with the construction of the paper, and revising the paper to see how each construction felt tonally, I felt like I was able to make essays that truly communicated my inner voice. I think that taking my writing one step at a time is something I want to bring to all my writing from now on. 

Overall, I think this class has really helped me grow as an individual. I feel more confident in my day to day interactions because I understand that my voice has meaning. I also learned that revision is one of the most important skills you can learn in your life. Revision is how you grow as a person, and allows you to create works and moments in life that are more meaningful to you. 

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Why do They Have to Shove it in Our Faces?

As a queer man, I know the struggles that come along with that. I know what it’s like to feel like I have to keep my identity a secret; specifically in certain situations that I feel unsafe in. I know how it feels to get unpleasant and disapproving looks from people, just for holding my partner’s hand in public. I know what it feels like to be discriminated against. Now, over the years I have come to accept my sexuality and learned to express myself more freely in safe situations. The way I learned to be comfortable in my own skin was by seeing examples of happy LGBTQ+ people in media, and specifically family-friendly media. I want to express the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in family-friendly media.

Over the past couple of years, you may have seen more and more instances of LGBTQ+ representation in media. While some people are wildly excited about this, there are some individuals that will argue against this inclusion of these characters. Many of which come from a religious or conservative background where it is taught that being LGBTQ+ is a sin, unnatural, and against God. A scientific journal released by the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin in 2015, talks about a survey that was done in America to highlight the relationship between Religion, Conservatism, and the LGBTQ+ community. The study found that the more religious and conservative a person is, the more likely they are to honor tradition, resist change, and oppose the LGBTQ+ community. When America was first founded, religion played a huge part in culture, and because of its impact on the early American settlers, the laws and societal standards set by our founding fathers were based on religious bias. This created a status quo that inadvertently encouraged the discrimination of LGBTQ+ people because of what their religions taught. Because of religion being highly ingrained in America’s culture, conservative citizens often align with the same ideologies to maintain the status quo. During much of the 20th century, LGBTQ+ people have been largely discriminated against. “Public opinion studies over the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s routinely showed that, among large segments of the public, lesbian, gay and bisexual people were the target of strongly held negative attitudes.” The AIDS pandemic was also a large push back in accepting LGBTQ+ people. The argument made by religious and conservative citizens that LGBTQ+ people are unnatural is understandable when taking a look at it from their perspective. These are people who were raised in environments where they’re not used to seeing LGBTQ+ people, and when the AIDS pandemic broke, it cast LGBTQ+ in an even darker light. With the inclusion of more LGBTQ+ representation in media, it must seem like the whole world is flipping upside down. 

I understand that change is scary, and it’s normal to get scared and angry when the status quo begins to change, but things are changing and it’s important to change with it. Throughout my research, I’ve come to the conclusion that most people that oppose the LGBTQ+ community just don’t understand the community. Caitlyn Ryan, a social worker for over 40 years and has helped numerous LGBTQ+ people in that time. Through Ryan’s social work, she’s found an alarming amount of caregivers who’ve admitted to not knowing how to treat their LGBTQ+ children. These caregivers often feel pressure to choose between religion and their LGBTQ+ child and are often unsure and uneducated on the LGBTQ+ community. With caregivers being uneducated and uncertain about the community, because of past events, such as the AID pandemic, and stereotypes seen in media, such as the queer trope.  created about the LGBTQ+ community, they often times act out of fear and anger when they see the paths their children are going down. Some even going as far as to kick their children out of their houses. Obviously, these actions drive a wedge between the caregiver and the LGBTQ+ child. 

There is still a large amount of discrimination, majorly due to misunderstanding and stereotypes of LGBTQ+ people, but the most important thing to remember when it comes to LGBTQ+ people is that they’re just that, people. People who want to be accepted for who they are. Ryan has found through her research and work with families over the years, that there is a lot of misconceptions when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community. For example, it is believed that sexual orientation is strictly about sex and not felt until late teens or adulthood, when in reality children on average form an understanding of their gender identity by age three, start realizing their sexuality at age 10, and identify with LGBTQ+ around age 13. This fact is further backed by The American Psychology Association (APA), an association that has made tremendous advancements in the world of psychology. The APA released a pamphlet in hopes of helping people understand the LGBTQ+ community. The pamphlet explains, “According to current scientific and professional understanding, the core attractions that form the basis for adult sexual orientation typically emerge between middle childhood and early adolescence.” It goes on to explain that while there is no scientific consensus as to why people have a certain sexual orientation, people overwhelmingly feel no sense of choice in their identity. Homosexuality is not a mental disorder either. “Despite the persistence of stereotypes that portray lesbian, gay and bisexual people as disturbed, several decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in this country to conclude that these orientations represent normal forms of human experience”. During adolescence, people tend to be the most exploratory with their sexual feelings. When these young people come to their conclusion, it’s important to be supportive no matter what. Support leads to happy, satisfying, and healthy lives. 

When it comes to representation of LGBTQ+ people in family-friendly media, LGBTQ+ people are still often seen as jokes. In Denmark, an analysis of 545 television programs, and interviews with stakeholders in Danish society, including, Save the Children, LGBT Denmark, The Danish Media Council’s Unit for Children/The National Council for Children, and DR’s Children and Youth Department was held on the issue “children and sexuality” to examine what the dominant ideas about children and childhood are in today’s society, and how those influence what is considered appropriate for children. After the content analysis was done, it was determined that most of the characters on these shows were heterosexual, and the ones that are LGBTQ+ were seen as jokes. “One example is from an episode of the US non-DR comedy series Big Time Rush (Nickelodeon, 2009–2013). The boys have been planning on at least one of them being crowned prom king at the prom. A series of events leads to one of the boys being forced to switch clothes with a girl in an attempt to save their plan to win prom king. Thus, he puts on her dress and she puts on his suit. When the other boys see him in the dress, they all grimace, as if the situation is utterly ridiculous and humiliating for him – making it a comic situation for the viewer.” Portrayals of the LGBTQ+ in this way starts to alienate LGBTQ+ children and makes the statement that it’s okay to laugh at and make fun of LGBTQ+ people. When the interviewees were asked about supporting positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people in family-friendly content, each organization stressed the importance of making sure the content doesn’t get sexual, and each answer was directly related to censoring the sexual aspect of an LGBTQ+ relationship. They argued that children are extremely vulnerable at a young age, and the children’s age should be considered when exposure to LGBTQ+ representation, is brought before them. These Organizations saw being LGBTQ+ as being all about the sexual aspect of a relationship and associated it with being more adult. This is the same misconception Caitlyn Ryan found in her study, and this further emphasizes the idea that LGBTQ+ content is inherently more adult. 

LGBTQ+ children are at higher risks when they don’t feel supported by their family members and peers or don’t have positive representations of themselves in media. Caitlyn Ryan conducted a study gauging both LGBTQ+ people and the family’s responses to LGBTQ+ children coming out. “We started with in-depth individual interviews ranging from two to four hours each with LGBT youth and key family members who were accepting, ambivalent, and rejecting of their adolescents' LGBT identities. Our research explored family, school and peer experiences, gender expression and related experiences, cultural and religious values and experiences related to the adolescent's sexual orientation and gender identity, the development of their LGBT identity, specific family reactions to their LGBT identity, victimization, social support, and future hopes and dreams.” Their interviews found that children who were rejected are more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide, nearly six times as likely to report high levels of depression, more than three times as likely to use illegal drugs, and  more than three times as likely to be at high risk for HIV and 2 sexually transmitted diseases.

Furthermore, in 2019, the Science Direct academic journal released a study done through twitter that asked people questions about their age, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, school enrollment and grade, social connectedness, truancy due to feeling unsafe, school-based and cyberbullying victimization, sadness, suicide ideation and attempt, social media use, and preferences regarding survey mode and recontact. The study concluded that LGBTQ+ people between 14-21 are twice as likely to be at risk of suicide than other people the same age, due to bullying and rejection, and this number is still growing. Because of the stigma surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, it is harder for people of this community to reach out for help, and instead, these people begin to internalize their feelings. The study further finds that support at home and school greatly decreased these numbers, but there are gaps outside of home and school where LGBTQ+ people still face discrimination. Places of belongingness, such as church and religious youth group involvement, are good places for heterosexual people to decrease suicide ideology, but this involvement has the opposite effect on LGBTQ+ youth because of the religious discrimination they face. The study concludes by arguing that exposure to LGBTQ+ people helps decrease LGBTQ+ youth suicide rates. The study finds that integrated learning, without excluding anyone, on LGBTQ+ people and issues is most beneficial for decreasing LGBTQ+ bullying and suicide ideology. Since children often don’t have the power to make these changes, the responsibility falls on the adults to teach their children about LGBTQ+ people. Adults should be calling for action for garnering more support for the LGBTQ+ community. 

With all of this being said thus far, I feel it is extremely important for children and adolescents to have exposure to LGBTQ+ characters in family-friendly media. As we learned according to APA, Caitlyn Ryan, and my own experience on my queer journey, feelings of same-sex attraction and gender variances emerge in early adolescence. Because of this exploration and formation of identity at such an early age, it is important that these individuals have access to positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people in the media they consume. The argument that LGBTQ+ content is inherently adult is flawed because with LGBTQ+ feelings emerging in the adolescent years, it is clearly not an adult concept! By labeling the LGBTQ+ community as inherently more adult, you are depriving LGBTQ+ children exposure to a positive representation of themselves. This results in LGBTQ+ children feeling isolated during their crucial years of development and they grow up thinking they’re wrong. Scholars have argued that the lack of representation can lead members of the LGBTQ+ community to feel they’re victims of “symbolic annihilation” and may receive the message that they don’t matter to culture at large. You also deprive heterosexual children of the opportunity to learn about people who are different from them, which results in more bullying of LGBTQ+ children. 

Children are very Perceptive! In 2005, there was a study done that recorded how children responded after 6 months of watching prosocial content vs watching violent content. The results found that children exposed to prosocial content have more positive social interactions, show more altruistic behavior and self-control, and have less stereotyped views of others. Positive social interactions increased when the viewing of prosocial content was pair with discussion afterward. With this finding in mind, think about how we can change the stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ people! The Science Direct academic journal suggested, “integrated learning, without excluding anyone, on LGBTQ+ people and issues is most beneficial for decreasing LGBTQ+ bullying and suicide ideology.” By giving all children the ability to watch content that supports, teaches, and illustrates positive interactions between LGBTQ+ people, it teaches all children, whether they’re heterosexual or LGBTQ+, that LGBTQ+ people are normal, worthy of respect, and should be treated equally. 

There have already been great strides made in family-friendly media, but one of the most important moments came from Rebecca Sugar, creator of Steven Universe on Cartoon Network. Steven Universe is well known in the LGBTQ+ community because of its inclusion of metaphors for same-sex relationships and gender variant characters. On the Steven Universe podcast, Rebecca discusses an episode of Steven Universe called “Reunited”; an episode that she later won a GLAAD award for “Outstanding Kids & Family Programming”. In the episode, there is a scene where two female-presenting characters, Ruby and Sapphire, get married, and the episode displays the first same-sex kiss on family-friendly content. While this is an extremely exciting moment, the moment didn’t come easy. Rebecca talks about the argument she had with Cartoon Network on whether or not LGBTQ+ content is suitable for children. The Network expressed that since the show would be airing in a G timeslot, this type of content wouldn’t be acceptable. Rebecca was repulsed by the idea that these two characters wouldn’t be acceptable for a G rating when throughout the history of G rated content, a majority of the stories revolved around characters falling in love and living “happily ever after”. That is the exact same thing being represented in her show, and she feels that it’s her character's right as a cartoon couple to be able to experience everything that heteronormative cartoon couples get to. Rebecca, also argues that by labeling LGBTQ+ content as adult content, you are depriving children of learning about LGBTQ+ people and possibly stifling their own growth. By showing LGBTQ+ content to children it allows them to learn more about themselves and others without the subject feeling taboo. 

Rebecca mentions that it's bittersweet getting the wedding approved and hearing the fans’ responses. She is happy that it went through and is proud of the fight she fought, but she feels like there is still so much more work to do. This wedding is a small piece of representation when compared to the last hundred years of heteronormative family-friendly content. 

Another instance of pushing for LGBTQ+ content in family-friendly content comes from Alex Hirsh, creator of Gravity Falls on Disney Channel. In an interview, Hirsh was asked about an episode titled “Love God”.  The episode follows Cupid, and in this particular scene, it shows Cupid using his magic to make people start falling in love. When the storyboard artist first drew up the scene, there was a moment depicting 2 elderly ladies falling in love. Alex knew immediately that Disney wouldn’t allow this to go through, which led him to keep it in the story. Sure enough, the storyboard came back with the note, “The scene of the two old ladies kissing in the diner is not appropriate for our audience. Please revise.” To which Alex responded with a one-word answer: “Why?” 

Disney couldn’t come up with a good reason, other than the scene would make homophobic parents angry, and so that they could avoid the headache, they asked Alex to just drop the moment. Alex had a discussion with Disney six more times after that; he stated that a small moment like this would make a lot of fans happy and argued that since Disney is such a big company, they should just ignore the homophobic parents; it wouldn’t make a difference in the long run. The censors told him that if he doesn’t revise the storyboard, they will cut the moment themselves. Alex finally gave in, but this didn’t stop him from representing the LGBTQ+ community later in the show. In the finale, two male police officers declared their love for each other, and Disney censors didn’t bat an eye. 

We need to teach the older generations that being LGBTQ+ isn’t an issue. Caregivers sometimes don’t understand that their behaviors and actions, in an attempt to help their LGBTQ+ children have a “good life” can sometimes be highly problematic, even when motivated by care and concern. Phrases such as, "It's just a phase", “he'll grow out of it", "how could he possibly know?", "he's just confused.", or ultimately avoiding discussion and discouraging the child to talk about their LGBTQ+ identity creates a disconnect by denying/minimizing the LGBTQ+ children’s feelings. Caregivers should never try to change their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, or prevent them from having an LGBT friend. These actions break any trust built between the two and lead to higher risks for their LGBTQ+ children. Caregivers should instead advocate for their children when others mistreat them because of their LGBT identity, require respect for them within the family, and help their congregation become more welcoming of LGBT people in an attempt to keep their children connected with their faith.

So, “Why do they have to shove it in our faces?” Because exposure to this content saves lives. By allowing LGBTQ+ content in family-friendly media, it helps normalize LGBTQ+ and shows that there is nothing inappropriate about this community. It helps LGBTQ+ children understand themselves and makes them feel like they belong. It’s important to remember that children cannot make this change, which is why adults need to carry this responsibility. Adults need to be educated about the community in order to make positive changes for the community and their children. It’s unfair that religion has had such a huge impact on American culture, as not everyone is religious. But people should remember that in America there is religious freedom, meaning that not everyone will aline with their ideas. It is not my intent to say that your religion is wrong, but I urge you to take this into consideration the next time you speak with someone from the LGBTQ+ community. You never know when someone is LGBTQ+, so please remember that your actions and words have consequences. Consequences that if you’re not careful with, may result in harming your child. 

Cartoon Network. “Reunited with Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey (Vol.3/Ep.5).” The Steven Universe Podcast, Cartoon Network, 20 Sept. 2018.et 

al. “Suicide Etiology in Youth: Differences and Similarities by Sexual and Gender Minority Status.” Children & Youth Services Review, vol. 102, July 2019, pp. 79–90. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.03.039.

Kaiser, Vrai. “Interview: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Talks About Disney's Censors, Pacifica's Parents, and Future Plans.” An Interview With Gravity Falls Creator Alex Hirsch | The Mary Sue, The Mary Sue, 14 July 2017, www.themarysue.com/alex-hirsch-interview/.

Thorfinnsdottir, Dia, and Helle Strandgaard Jensen. “Laugh Away, He Is Gay! Heteronormativity and Children’s Television in Denmark.” JOURNAL OF CHILDREN AND MEDIA, vol. 11, no. 4, 2017, pp. 399–416. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/17482798.2017.1312470.

van der Toorn, Jojanneke, et al. “In Defense of Tradition: Religiosity, Conservatism, and Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage in North America.” Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 43, no. 10, Oct. 2017, pp. 1455–1468. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0146167217718523.

Ryan, Caitlin. “Generating a Revolution in Prevention, Wellness, and Care for LGBT Children and Youth.” Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review, no. Issue 2, 2013, p. 331. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.tempcr23.16&site=eds-live.

Kelso, Tony. “Still Trapped in the U.S. Media’s Closet: Representations of Gender-Variant, Pre-Adolescent Children.” JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY, vol. 62, no. 8, pp. 1058–1097. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00918369.2015.1021634. Accessed 6 Nov. 2019.

“Media Portrayal of LGBT People.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Nov. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_portrayal_of_LGBT_people#cite_note-3.

Mares, Marie-Louise, and Emory Woodard. “Positive Effects of Television on Children’s Social Interactions: A Meta-Analysis.” Media Psychology, vol. 7, no. 3, 2005, pp. 301–322. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1207/S1532785XMEP0703_4.

The American Psychological Association. “Answers to Your Questions For a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2008, https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/orientation.

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Opinion Series

Religious Conservative Parents:

In today’s world, you may have started to notice more and more LGBTQ+ characters in your TV shows, movies, books, etc. As normalization of these types of characters is integrated into various media, you may start to feel uneasy about these characters and why they’re in your story. My intent is to help you understand why LGBTQ+ representation is important and why an understanding of this community is important when raising your children.

I understand that change is scary.  According to research, older generations are more reluctant to change because they were raised in religious and conservative backgrounds, where change is not deemed favorable. A study that was conducted in 2015 found that throughout America, the more religious and conservative a person is, the more likely they are to oppose the LGBTQ+ community. (cite)  This is because when America was first founded, religion was at an all-time high. The laws and societal standards set by our founding fathers were based on religious bias, and created a status quo; a status quo that encouraged the discrimination of LGBTQ+ people because of what their religions taught. Because of religion being highly ingrained in America’s culture, conservatives often share the same ideologies as religious people. These ideologies are resistant to change and oppose equality in order to maintain the status quo. People who were raised in these conditions understandably get scared and angry when the status quo begins to change. They’re not used to seeing LGBTQ+ people, and everything they knew when growing up is being flipped upside down. 

Over the years, the status quo has been changing as people come to understand that LGBTQ+ people are not an issue. The American Psychological Administration created a pamphlet to help people understand the LGBTQ+ community better. The pamphlet teaches that people start to become aware of their sexuality during middle childhood and early adolescence, and while there is no scientific consensus as to why people have a certain sexual orientation, people overwhelmingly feel no sense of choice in their identity. (cite) Homosexuality is not a mental disorder either. “Despite the persistence of stereotypes that portray lesbian, gay and bisexual people as disturbed, several decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in this country to conclude that these orientations represent normal forms of human experience”. During adolescence, people tend to be the most exploratory with their sexual feelings. When these young people come to their conclusion, it’s important to be supportive no matter what. Support leads to happy, satisfying, and healthy lives.

The idea of support is also backed by a researcher and social worker, Caitlyn Ryan. Ryan has worked with families and LGBTQ+ people for over 40 years. In her work, she has found that there is a lack of communication between families and their LGBTQ+ youth. Caregivers have admitted to not knowing how to treat their LGBTQ+ children; they’re unsure of the LGBTQ+ community and grow scared and angry when they see the paths their children are going down. Many times caregivers feel there is pressure to choose between their religion and their LGBTQ+ child. These findings led Caitlyn to create the Family Acceptance Project; an organization that aims to teach caregivers about their LGBTQ+ youth, and help these caregivers understand how important their support to their LGBTQ+ youth is. When an LGBTQ+ child is rejected, that child is “more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide, nearly six times as likely to report high levels of depression, more than three times as likely to use illegal drugs, and more than three times as likely to be at high risk for HIV and 2 sexually transmitted diseases.” (cite) Caitlyn has helped numerous families with tips on how to accept your LGBTQ+ children. Her method is just to love and support them. You don’t need to choose between your child or religion. 

Through my research, I have found that a lot of homophobia comes from just a lack of understanding of the community. Because of religion creating the status quo, there has been a lot of misinformation spread about LGBTQ+ people. These people are not sinful. They are normal people who were born with a different sexual preference. Because children start becoming aware of the sexual orientation at such a young age, we need to start showing them support at that age. If you demonstrate homophobic actions or use homophobic words in front of your children, think about how that may affect them. If they’re LGBTQ+ you may send a message that your child is wrong. This is seen as rejection and puts your child at risk of struggling with many mental illnesses, stresses, and lead them to indulge in high-risk activities. If they’re not LGBTQ+, your actions and words may send the message that it’s okay to discriminate against these people. This inadvertently can lead to bullying of other children. You don’t need to choose between your religion, but I hope you gain a better understanding of LGBTQ+ people and learn that they didn’t choose to be the way they are. Why would someone choose to be discriminated against? Also, please understand the importance you play in your child’s life. You never know if your child is going to be LGBTQ+, so make sure to watch your actions and words around your children. 

Media executives:

Over the years, there have been more and more representations of LGBTQ+ people in media. While this is incredible, and I thank you for letting these representations pass censors, there is still some stigma around the LGBTQ+ community. I feel you should know just how important this representation is, especially for LGBTQ+ youth. 

In 2014, a study was done through twitter that asked LGBTQ+ people 14-21 about their social connectedness, truancy due to feeling unsafe, school-based and cyberbullying victimization, sadness, suicide ideation and attempt relating to their sexual orientation and gender identity. The study concluded that these people are more than twice as likely to have suicidal ideologies and attempts. Some of the people surveys reported feeling safe at home and school, but there was still a gap outside of those places. Because of the stigma of LGBTQ+, it is harder for people of this community to reach out for help, and instead internalize their feelings. For the people that don’t feel safe at home, school, or anywhere in between, there should be a place for them to escape and feel accepted. This journal argues that integrated learning, without excluded anyone, on LGBTQ+ people and issues is most beneficial for decreasing LGBTQ+ bullying and suicide ideology. The Journal also argues that with youth suicide in LGBTQ+ people increasing, adults should be calling for action. Since these adults have the power to teach their children, they need to be teaching their children that these people aren’t an issue. The study shows that exposure to LGBTQ+ people helped decrease LGBTQ+ youth suicide rates. 

So what’s one of the best ways to show support for this community? TV and movies!  By seeing a positive representation of themselves in TV and movies, they can escape into a different world where they feel accepted. These people can start to gain a better understanding of themselves and see themselves in a happy future. By having positive LGBTQ+ representations in family-friendly content, you not only tell LGBTQ+ people that they’re important and cared for, you teach their straight peers that these people are normal, and they deserve love and support. Children are extremely perceptible to what they see on a screen. You see children playing pretend and acting out their favorite movies and shows all the time. In 2005, there was a study done that recorded how children responded after 6 months of watching prosocial content vs watching violent content. The results found that children who watched prosocial content behave more prosocially than those who watched violent content. With this finding in mind, think about how that can relate to LGBTQ+ content! By showing LGBTQ+ people being treated as equal and loved, you can teach all children that LGBTQ+ people are equal and loved! This would be doing what the previous study suggested. Decreasing suicide rates in teens form the LGBTQ+ community, by teaching everyone through integrated learning!

If you’re scared of how LGBTQ+ people will be interpreted by audiences, take a look at an example from Rebecca Sugar. Rebecca showcased the first lesbian wedding in her show, Steven Universe, and crowds went wild for it. Her show centers around healthy relationships and queer identities, and it’s one of the most viewed shows on Cartoon Network of this decade.  After years of heteronormative content, LGBTQ+ adults thanked Rebecca for her fight for inclusion in the show. Rebecca argues that by deeming LGBTQ+ content as not child appropriate, you are teaching children that there is something wrong with them at a young age. By including LGBTQ+ content in children’s shows, children don’t have to learn they’re wrong just to unlearn that as an adult. 

Ultimately, you guys are the ones with the final say of what goes into the creator’s content. In years past, there have been fights with censors to get LGBTQ+ content approved. By understanding that children are perceptible to what they see on screen, and the positive effects showing this content would have, you guys have the ability to mold youth’s minds and save lives. 

 LGBTQ+ young adults:

While LGBTQ+ has been becoming more normalized over the years, thanks to the media portrayal of these people creating more exposure, there is still a lot to do. A researcher in Denmark did a survey with a bunch of youth groups asking them about heteronormativity on TV. A lot of them have an understanding that being LGBTQ+ is only about sex when we know that its just part of who we are. The researcher also learned that a lot of these groups didn’t have Anti-LGBTQ+ Bullying endorsements, leaving the children to learn that being gay isn’t natural and should be seen as a joke.  Obviously, this is wrong. 

Looking at how the media portrayal of our community has positively changed over the years, you can see a lot of change was made during the Stonewall riots. These riots helped start paving the road to equality and awareness of our community. In the years that followed, more and more networks pushed for LGBTQ+ content to be presented in TV shows. Some of the most notable in family-friendly content include Korra being Bisexual in Legend of Korra, Steven Universe’s statements on gender and same-sex couples, Princess Bubblegum and Marceline’s relationship in Adventure Time, etc. All of this began as a push from the public to raise awareness of our community. 

It is up to us older LGBTQ+ people to raise awareness on the matter. As children, we don’t make much of a difference in the world of media. Adults think that they know better, and are the ones that are listened to. Since children don’t have this voice to get things changed in how LGBTQ+ is presented, it’s up to the older generations to stand up for them. We need to fight for LGBTQ+ representation because it’s important for kids to understand at a young age that they matter and that being LGBTQ+ is completely normal. While we push for this inclusion, it’s important to remember to respect the people with power. I know they haven’t respected us, but if we fight fire with fire, it just creates a bigger fire. I know it’s hard to confront this because a lot of people are hateful, so it’s better to just ignore it? We have to be strategic about it. I’m not saying we have to excuse their actions, especially with how many people are hurt from straight people in power, but we do need to work with them to make the progress we want to see. 

As adults, it falls on us to push for inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in family-friendly media, but we must be strategic about our approach. If we just yell and complain about the lack of representation, it can both paint a negative picture of the LGBTQ+ community, and also send us further back. No one likes to be yelled at. If we come from an angle of understanding and love and take the time to fully explain why this is important in our lives, chances are people are more likely to listen to us. We’ve seen people push for this acceptance in the past, and it has made a difference in the long run. We’ve seen progress in our representation in TV and movies which helps normalize us and decrease bullying. I’m not asking you to forgive people who’ve hurt us, I’m asking you to be the bigger person. Yes, we’ve suffered for years, but we’re on the rise. While there is still this imbalance, and while we’re young, we need to show the older generations that LGBTQ+ is not an issue. We need them to listen to us, and people will listen when it comes from a place of love and understanding.

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Annotated Bibliography

1) Cartoon Network. “Reunited with Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey (Vol.3/Ep.5).” The Steven Universe Podcast, Cartoon Network, 20 Sept. 2018.

The podcast discusses an episode of Steven Universe named “Reunited”. In the episode, there is a very important scene where two characters, Ruby and Sapphire, get married. Ruby and Sapphire both use female pronouns. The network had issues with this, and Rebecca discusses the fight she had while trying to get this episode made. 

Rebecca talks about the argument she had with the network on whether or not LGBTQ+ content is suitable for children. The Network expressed that since the show would be airing in a G timeslot, this type of content wouldn’t be acceptable. Rebecca was repulsed by the idea that these two characters wouldn’t be acceptable for a G rating when throughout the history of G rated content, a majority of the stories revolved around characters falling in love and living “happily ever after”. That is the exact same thing being represented in her show, and she feels that it’s her character's right as a cartoon couple to be able to experience everything that heteronormative cartoon couples get to. An argument Rebecca makes in the podcast is that by labeling LGBTQ+ content as adult content, you are depriving children of learning about LGBTQ+ people and possibly stifling their own growth. By showing LGBTQ+ content to children it allows them to learn more about themselves and others without the subject feeling taboo. Rebecca also mentions that it's bittersweet getting the wedding approved and hearing the fans’ responses. She is happy that it went through and is proud of the fight she fought, but she feels like there is still so much more work to do. This wedding is a small piece of representation when compared to the last hundred years of heteronormative family-friendly content. 

2) et al. “Suicide Etiology in Youth: Differences and Similarities by Sexual and Gender Minority Status.” Children & Youth Services Review, vol. 102, July 2019, pp. 79–90. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.03.039.

A study done through twitter concluded that LGBTQ+ people between 14-21 are twice as likely to be at risk of suicide than other people the same age. The survey covered age, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, school enrollment and grade, social connectedness, truancy due to feeling unsafe, school-based and cyberbullying victimization, sadness, suicide ideation and attempt, social media use, and preferences regarding survey mode and recontact. The study found that support at home and school greatly decreased these numbers, but there is still a gap for the places outside of home or school. Because of the stigma of LGBTQ+, it is harder for people of this community to reach out for help, and instead internalize their feelings. While many LGBTQ+ feel more protected in homes and schools where they are accepted, there is no hard evidence for suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ youth. Places of belongingness, such as church and religious youth group involvement, are good places for hetero people to decrease suicide ideology, it has the opposite effect on LGBTQ+ youth. This journal argues that integrated learning, without excluded anyone, on LGBTQ+ people and issues is most beneficial for decreasing LGBTQ+ bullying and suicide ideology. The Journal also argues that with youth suicide in LGBTQ+ people increasing, adults should be calling for action. Since these adults have the power to teach their children, they need to be teaching their children that these people aren’t an issue. The study shows that exposure to LGBTQ+ people helped decrease LGBTQ+ youth suicide rates.

3) Kaiser, Vrai. “Interview: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Talks About Disney's Censors, Pacifica's Parents, and Future Plans.” An Interview With Gravity Falls Creator Alex Hirsch | The Mary Sue, The Mary Sue, 14 July 2017, www.themarysue.com/alex-hirsch-interview/.

Alex Hirsh, the creator of Gravity Falls, is being interviewed. One of the questions asked was about the episode Love God, and Alex’s fight to show a same-sex elderly couple. The episode is about Cupid, and in this particular scene, it shows Cupid using his magic to make people start falling in love. When the storyboard artist first drew up the scene, there was a moment depicting 2 elderly ladies falling in love. Alex knew immediately that Disney wouldn’t allow this to go through, which led him to keep it in the story. Sure enough, the board came back with the note, “The scene of the two old ladies kissing in the diner is not appropriate for our audience. Please revise.” To which Alex responded with a one-word answer: “Why?”

Disney couldn’t come up with a good reason, other than the scene would make homophobic parents angry, and so that they could avoid the headache, asked Alex to just drop the moment. Alex had a discussion with Disney six more times after that; he stated that a small moment like this would make a lot of fans happy and argued that since Disney is such a big company, they should just ignore the homophobic parents; it wouldn’t make a difference in the long run. The censors told him that if he doesn’t revise the storyboard, they will cut the moment themselves. 

Alex finally gave in, but this didn’t stop him from representing the LGBTQ+ community later in the show. In the finale, two male police officers declared their love for each other, and Disney censors didn’t bat an eye.

4) Thorfinnsdottir, Dia, and Helle Strandgaard Jensen. “Laugh Away, He Is Gay! Heteronormativity and Children’s Television in Denmark.” JOURNAL OF CHILDREN AND MEDIA, vol. 11, no. 4, 2017, pp. 399–416. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/17482798.2017.1312470.

This article is about studying children’s media on Danish public service television. Most of the characters on these shows are heterosexual, and the ones that are non-heterosexual are seen as jokes. This alienates children that aren’t heterosexual or gender variant. In the article, there are interviews with various children’s organizations: Save the Children, LGBT Denmark, The Danish Media Council’s Unit for Children/The National Council for Children (the interviewee is active in both councils), and DR’s Children and Youth Department. When the interviewees were asked about casting light on LGBTQ+ people, they argued that children are extremely vulnerable at a young age, and the children’s age should be considered when exposure to certain material, especially LGBTQ+ representation, is brought before them. They also argued that they were fine with LGBTQ+ characters being represented, but stressed the importance of making sure the content doesn’t get sexual. Each answer was directly related to censoring the sexual part of an LGBTQ+ relationship. These answers show that they think LGBTQ+ people are inherently more adult. They don’t see the innocence of being LGBTQ+, and that its the same as heterosexual people. When the interviewees were asked about bullying, and what they’re doing to help stop homophobic bullying, a majority of them said they weren’t including LGBTQ+ specific bullying in their messages. In Denmark, they don’t necessarily have anything against LGBTQ+ people, but there isn’t anything being done to support these people either. These people claim to be on the children’s side, but they don’t include LGBTQ+ children.

5) van der Toorn, Jojanneke, et al. “In Defense of Tradition: Religiosity, Conservatism, and Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage in North America.” Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 43, no. 10, Oct. 2017, pp. 1455–1468. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0146167217718523.

A study was done throughout North America and Canada on homophobia and which groups it was prominently featured in. The study shows that Religious and conservative groups are the main people with homophobic tendencies. Christians use passages from the Bible, such as “not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22), and state that those who do “shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:13) to support their homophobia. Pope Francis has been more supportive and open-minded to the LGBTQ+ community, but little has been done to support them. Religion tends to have stakes in defining the status quo in America and it supports conservatism. Conservatives, even nonreligious ones, tend to lean toward an ideology that most religions also support. When the study continued, they found that people who do identify as Conservatives and Republicans are against the LGBTQ+ community because they tend to idealize resistance to change and opposition of equality. The study theorizes that resistance to change is more likely a reason than the opposition to equality for conservatives. They conducted 4 studies, and these were the findings: 

Study 1: The more religious someone is, the more likely they are to oppose same-sex marriage.

Study 2: The more religious someone is, the more likely they are to protest the LBGT community as a whole. 

Study 3: Conservatives tend to be much more homophobic because of the strong similarities that conservative ideals have with Religion. 

Study 4a/4b: Because of religion being a big role in North America, those ideals are mainly upheld and considered a societal standard. This influences conservatives to be more resistant to change and oppose equality in order to maintain the status quo.

6) Ryan, Caitlin. “Generating a Revolution in Prevention, Wellness, and Care for LGBT Children and Youth.” Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review, no. Issue 2, 2013, p. 331. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.tempcr23.16&site=eds-live.

Caitlyn Ryan has been a social worker for over 40 years, and has helped numerous LGBTQ+ people. In 2007, there was an understanding that LGBTQ+ adolescents talking about their family was too painful and many organizations weren’t pushing for family inclusion in LGBTQ+ lives. There wasn’t a strong connection between LGBTQ+ people and their families. Caitlyn understood how important family can be for LGBTQ+ children's health, mental health, and overall well-being. According to researchers, on average children form an understanding of their gender identity by age three, start realizing their sexuality at age 10, and identify with LGBTQ+ around age 13. Researchers have found that children now are quicker to understand their identity because of widespread access to the information, seeing positive light on LGBTQ+ people in the media, and just knowing other LGBTQ+ people. With children understanding themselves more at a younger age, it creates this gap between LGBTQ+ children and heterosexual caregivers that may not understand. There is a common misconception that sexual orientation is strictly about sex and not felt until late teens or adulthood, when really its about human connection, and simply, who someone loves. Caregivers have admitted to not knowing how to treat their LGBTQ+ children; they’re unsure of the LGBTQ+ community and grow scared and angry when they see the paths their children are going down. Many times caregivers feel there is pressure to choose between their religion and their LGBTQ+ child. These findings led Caitlyn to create the Family Acceptance Project; an organization that aims to teach caregivers about their LGBTQ+ youth, and help these caregivers understand how important their support to their LGBTQ+ youth is. 

They conducted a study gauging both LGBTQ+ people and the family’s responses to LGBTQ+ coming out. “We started with in-depth individual interviews ranging from two to four hours each with LGBT youth and key family members who were accepting, ambivalent, and rejecting of their adolescents' LGBT identities. Our research explored family, school and peer experiences, gender expression and related experiences, cultural and religious values and experiences related to the adolescent's sexual orientation and gender identity, the development of their LGBT identity, specific family reactions to their LGBT identity, victimization, social support, and future hopes and dreams.” Their interviews found that children who were rejected are more likely to (1) More than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide; (2) Nearly six times as likely to report high levels of depression; (3) More than three times as likely to use illegal drugs; and (4) More than three times as likely to be at high risk for HIV and 2 sexually transmitted diseases. They also found that families who’ve rejected their children had the ability to change over time, and wished that they had more information on how to accept their children. Caregivers sometimes don’t understand that their behaviors and actions, in an attempt to help their LGBTQ+ children have a “good life” can sometimes be highly problematic, even when motivated by care and concern. Caregivers should avoid attempts that try to change the adolescent's sexual orientation or gender identity, prevent them from having an LGBTQ+ friend, or include heavy religious studying. Also avoid behaviors that are not always thought of as rejection, such as not talking about/discouraging an adolescent from talking about their LGBTQ+ identity, or denying/minimizing an adolescent's LGBTQ+ identity. These reactions are commonly seen in phrases such as, "It's just a phase", “he'll grow out of it", "how could he possibly know?", or "he's just confused.". These actions lead to higher risks for their LGBTQ+ children. Caregivers should instead advocate for their children when others mistreat them because of their LGBTQ+ identity, require respect for them within the family, and help their congregation become more welcoming of LGBTQ+ people in an attempt to keep their children connected with their faith. 

Caitlyn teaches caregivers proper ways to support LGBTQ+ children when they come out, by helping them understand how impactful their words, actions, and behaviors are. “Nearly every family in our study has said that "We needed to know this information when our child was little," or. . ."Why didn't the nurse tell me this could happen in our family when I took my baby home from the hospital?’” She reflects on a Chinese dad who was monolingual Mandarin-speaking who said, "’Why doesn't every Chinese newspaper have this information? Why don't they tell us how to help our gay children? We need to know this information before we know who our children will become.’” In short, Caitlyn has been teaching families ways to support LGBTQ+ children when they come out because she understands that support saves lives.

7) Kelso, Tony. “Still Trapped in the U.S. Media’s Closet: Representations of Gender-Variant, Pre-Adolescent Children.” JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY, vol. 62, no. 8, pp. 1058–1097. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00918369.2015.1021634. Accessed 6 Nov. 2019.

Children need representation young so that they can identify with something. It’s great that we have this representation for adults and teens, but at that point they’re already well into their LGBTQ+ journey. Because sexual orientation first manifests in childhood, there needs to be more role models for LGBTQ+ children. Adults who rarely converse with the LGBTQ+ community need to not base their knowledge of LGBTQ+ people on depictions in the media. Often times in media, the tragic queer trope can be seen. This trope instills the idea that LGBTQ+ people will live sad lives because they’re LGBTQ+, when in reality, they lead sad lives because people don’t support them. Scholars have argued that the lack of representation can lead members of the LGBTQ+ community to feel they’re victims of “symbolic annihilation” and may receive the message that they don’t matter to culture at large. 

The article goes on to explain all the different types of media gender-variant children have been portrayed in, and the effects this has had on people. “In advertising, probably the promotional material of late that has drawn the most attention to childhood gender variance was a single image in a J. Crew catalogue featuring a mother (none other than the company's president and creative director, Jenna Lyons) painting the toenails of her young son (Ms. Lyon's own 5-year-old boy) in hot pink, with the caption, "Lucky for me I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon." When it ran, it became controversial, evoking considerable online discussion and news coverage, both in print and on the Internet (e.g., Stadtmiller, [170]), and on television (e.g., Cibrowski, [31]). Not surprisingly, comments from both media personalities and the public spanned the range from "Yeah, well, it may be fun and games now, Jenna, but at least put some money aside for psychotherapy for the kid" (Ablow, [ 1]) to "I think the add [sic] is adorable, at least the son and mother are having a great time and she is actually spending time WITH her son" (Jessica, [99]).”

While things have been getting better over the years, there is still a lot to be done in terms of representation, especially for gender-variant representation. Children cannot make this change, which is why it comes to the parents to be the outside force to make this change.

8) “Media Portrayal of LGBT People.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Nov. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_portrayal_of_LGBT_people#cite_note-3.

This Wikipedia article contains a timeline of LGBTQ+ representation in film, music, and television since the 30s. There was little shown from the ’30s to the ’60s, with most representations used for a joke. When the Stonewall Riots occurred, shout out to Marsha P Johnson, there was a large push in equal treatment and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. Because of the riots, there was also a large push for LGBTQ+ representation placed on Hollywood. Things started to slowly make progress, but then the AIDS epidemic hit. When the epidemic hit, acknowledgment about the LGBTQ+ community increased, but ultimately the LGBTQ+ community was shown in a negative light. This drove off supporters of LGBTQ+ people. In the ’90s people started to slowly get used to and accept LGBTQ+ people, but it’s still been an uphill battle. It’s getting better and better each year. The article also touches on LGBTQ+ representation in children’s media and goes over a few examples. Such as Legend of Korra, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Andi Mack. The examples of LGBTQ+ people in the media are both helpful and hurtful. Representation of LGBTQ+ people can start to create stereotypes, especially when a lot of LGBTQ+ people exist in film and movies as either comic relief or tragic queer motif. There needs to be a debunking of this stereotype, and the way to do that is with more exposure to diverse LGBTQ+ people in tv and movies. The more you learn and are exposed to something, the more understanding you build on the topic. 

9) Mares, Marie-Louise, and Emory Woodard. “Positive Effects of Television on Children’s Social Interactions: A Meta-Analysis.” Media Psychology, vol. 7, no. 3, 2005, pp. 301–322. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1207/S1532785XMEP0703_4.

This study sets out to find what the effects of prosocial content in the media has on children. Because of the arguments that “violence on screen can lead to violence off-screen”, researchers wanted to test if the same is true after viewing prosocial content on screen. Through their studies, they found that children learn the most through the preschool to adolescence stage of their lives. In these stages children’s minds are still developing, and each year their comprehension of the world around them grows. The study found that the older the child is, and the more prosocial content they consumed, the more likely the child would behave prosocially. For younger children, around 5 years old, they too may behave prosocially, but they have a harder time grasping the ideas of morality. The study yielding the following findings: 

“1. Children exposed to prosocial content have more positive social interactions, show more

altruistic behavior and self-control, and have less stereotyped views of others.

2. The strongest effects of prosocial content were found for measures of altruism.

3. Relying on children’s ability to pick out the moral messages from programs which feature violence or conflict and some prosocial resolution may backfire, leading to more aggression than

merely showing the conflict.

4. Effects of prosocial content are often strongest when viewing is combined with discussion.

5. The effect sizes overall ranged from small to medium.

6. Effects of prosocial content were strongest for pre-school and grade-school children, diminishing in adolescence.

7. Effects are somewhat stronger for girls than for boys.”

“In any event, the conclusion is that television has the potential to foster positive social interactions, reduce aggression, and encourage viewers to be more tolerant and helpful.”

10) The American Psychological Association. “Answers to Your Questions For a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2008, https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/orientation.

The American Psychology Association created a pamphlet to help people understand more about LGBTQ+ people. The pamphlet explains that, people start to become aware of their sexuality during middle childhood and early adolescence, and while there is no scientific consensus as to why people have a certain sexual orientation, people overwhelmingly feel no sense of choice in their identity. Homosexuality is not a mental disorder either. “Despite the persistence of stereotypes that portray lesbian, gay and bisexual people as disturbed, several decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream medical and mental health organizations in this country to conclude that these orientations represent normal forms of human experience”. During adolescence, people tend to be the most exploratory with their sexual feelings. When these young people come to their conclusion, it’s important to be supportive no matter what. Support leads to happy, satisfying, and healthy lives. Young people today may face discrimination and bullying, which commonly results in suicide idealization and higher risk activities. It’s important to support your child if bullying does occur. During much of the 20th century, LGBTQ+ people have been largely discriminated against. “Public opinion studies over the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s routinely showed that, among large segments of the public, lesbian, gay and bisexual people were the target of strongly held negative attitudes.” (This may be a big factor for why older generations tend to be more homophobic.) The AIDS pandemic was a large push back in accepting LGBTQ+ people. Discrimination is still alive and happening today, leaving many LGBTQ+ people with major mental health concerns. A good way to combat this discrimination is through awareness. Being openly LGBTQ+ or openly an ally does wonder in creating representation for the community.

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We’re here, We’re Queer, We Won’t Stay Clear

As a queer man, I know the struggles that come along with that. I know what it’s like to feel like I have to keep my identity a secret; specifically in certain situations that I feel unsafe in. I know how it feels to get unpleasant and disapproving looks from people, just for holding my partner’s hand in public. I know what it feels like to be discriminated against. Now, over the years I have come to accept my sexuality and learned to express myself more freely in safe situations. The way I learned to be comfortable in my own skin was by seeing examples of happy LGBTQ+ people in media, and specifically family-friendly media. I want to share my story and write about why LGBTQ+ representation is important in family-friendly media.

For my primary sources, I plan to pull from sources like Rebecca Sugar, creator of Steven Universe, Alex Hirsh, creator of Gravity Falls, and Ian Jones-Quartey, creator of OK KO Let’s Be Heroes, as well as other creators who features LGBTQ+ characters in their art. I will pull from The Steven Universe Podcast for Rebecca and Ian’s specific thoughts on the matter, and the argument that she makes on why the representation of LGBTQ+ characters is so important for children to grow up with. I also want to look into what Alex Hirsh has said about the censorship of his episode “Love God” where Disney asked him to change a small moment in the episode from two elderly ladies who fall in love, to a heterosexual elderly couple that falls in love. I also want to pull from video clips of Rebecca answering fan’s questions and various comic cons. 

  For my secondary sources, I’m planning on pulling from instances where people have responded to LGBTQ+ representation in family-friendly media. I.e. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (2017), Censorship of Steven Universe in other countries, Rumors of a lesbian couple in Finding Dory, censorship of Alex Hirsh’s episode “Love God”, the characters Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet from Steven Universe, Dumbledore from Harry Potter, etc. I want to research more on the politics of LGBTQ+ rights in other countries and try to understand why countries that have a low tolerance for LGBTQ+ people have these ways of thinking. I plan to interview people from Encircle, a non-profit LGBTQ+ family resource center, to hear first-hand accounts from LGBTQ+ people. I also plan to research negative responses people have given on the matter, through social media and responses on articles about LGBTQ+ representation in media.

The questions I set out to answer are the following: Why is LGBTQ+ representation in media important? How has LGBTQ+ media been interpreted by the majority of people? How has LGBTQ+ representation influenced others? To the people who have responded negatively to the representation, how can we persuade them to think more positively on the matter? How has LGBTQ+ representation changed over the years? What changed to make LGBTQ+ representation more accepted worldwide? Where do we draw the line between free speech and religious freedom? How does the lack of separation of church and state in America play a larger part in this? How does LGBTQ+ representation go over in other countries?

With the topic I’ve chosen, I hope to persuade others who may react negatively toward LGBTQ+ representation, and help them understand the effects this kind of representation has on both the people who didn’t have it growing up and the generation who has grown up with it. I hope to persuade them to understand that LGBTQ+ people are just that, people. People with thoughts, feelings, emotions, power, etc. I want people to be more exposed to LGBTQ+ people in hopes of “normalizing” LGBTQ+ people. I want people to understand that being LGBTQ+ isn’t a choice, and if you censor this type of media, you may end up unknowingly hurting someone you love. I want people to understand that not everyone has to think the same and that the world is beautiful because of all the different people that make it up, even if you don’t agree with their “lifestyle”. You don’t have to agree, but you have to understand that these people will be hurt if they are sheltered from a part of who they are.

The reason I feel like I’m justified in writing about this issue is because of the shows I follow, the environment I live in, and the fact that I am queer. With Utah being a heavily religious environment, feelings of nervousness and judgment can arise more frequently. There is a lot of stigma surrounding the LGBTQ+ community in this environment, and I hope I can successfully relieve some of that stigma through my research. I’m also a part of the fandoms, communities of fans that bond over a certain piece of media, where there have been tremendous amounts of LGBTQ+ representation. I’ve found a community where fellow Queers can revel in the small glimpses of representation, and I’ve seen first hand the effect that this kind of representation has on the people it represents. I started to consider this topic because of the negative effects I’ve seen from people when they’re exposed to the same piece of media. How could someone react so negatively to something so positive and groundbreaking? I started to wonder why they reacted negatively, and what I could say that might help persuade them to change their minds. 

I think that this is a very appropriate and relevant topic for today because of how the world still views the LGBTQ+ community. With a lot of places still censoring LGBTQ+ representation, and some places even murdering people for being LGBTQ+, I think it’s interesting to see how these people react to the LGBTQ+ community when it’s represented in family-friendly media. I hope that juxtaposition makes them realize that LGBTQ+ people are acceptable for younger audiences. The world has made leaps and bounds in the last century, but there is still more work to do in convincing people that LGBTQ+ people are not an issue and that LGBTQ+ representation is important for those who need a role model. For those who have nowhere else to turn to. For those who need to feel loved and accepted for who they are.

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I don’t know about anyone else, but I am so SO sick of being the one to make the plans. To me, the fact that I always have to initiate plans with my friends makes me feel like I’m the only one putting in effort to the relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand having a bad day and needing to rain check, but when you cancel and don’t put any effort into rescheduling, it makes me feel like there’s something wrong with me. I start thinking, “Does this person even like me?”, “Do they only keep me around out of pity?”, etc. These feelings multiply if they cancel a second time, and again put no effort into rescheduling. It leaves me here stewing in my own self hatred and anxiety. I don’t understand why I’m putting in effort that I’m not seeing in return. I know that if I were to stop putting in the effort though, the other person wouldn’t bother messaging me and our friendship would go cold. I’ve tried to have the conversation of “hey, would you mind making some plans every once and a while?” With one of my friends, but even when they said they would, they didn’t. So that makes me feel like I can’t trust others to take care of anything. Ugh. I don’t know. Any advice on this?

[treysenglishclass-blog]

Relationship Drama: SOS

So, I started seeing this guy that I was in a relationship with two years ago. When he broke it off before, I was heartbroken. One of the most heartbreaking moments of my life, so far. (If anyone needs a good breakup song, I suggest “Lover Please Stay” - Nothing but Thieves) Now that we’re seeing each other again, I’m so elated because a part of me still always liked him, but I’m so scared of getting hurt again. I have a really hard time trusting others and getting attached to others, because of some of my previous traumas, so it’s really bittersweet starting things up with him again. I can already see some toxic things that are coming from me. For instance, we had made plans to hang out, but he ended up needing to cancel, and my brain automatically went to thinking, “He’s lying to you. He’s trying to get out of the plans because he thinks you’re annoying. He’s avoiding you.” I know that this is a result of people leaving me in the past, but it’s hard to shake these thoughts even when you know they’re not true. I really want to keep seeing him, but I’m scared that my own toxicity is going to scare him away. I know it’s just a matter of talking to him about these feelings, but I feel like I’d be a burden to him if I came to him with these feelings. 

Does anyone have any advice on how to navigate this?

[treysenglishclass-blog]

I love the way you think about dealing with these customers. I work at a call center and I really need to think about this when I’m dealing with upset customers. Like yes, I need to help them out, but I also need to learn to not take it personally when they start swearing at me and demanding that we waive a bunch of fees for them. I just wish they understood that other people exist and that we’re not trying to screw them over. I also wish they realized what they sign up for when they actually sign up. It’s not even like we’re trying to pull the wool over their eyes; everything is laid out in front of them, and they need to have the brains to think of the implications of their decisions long term. 

I actually genuinely love dealing with angry and aggressive customers because it’s SO funny. They always come in with a specific level of energy and they expect whoever they deal with to be scared of them and then when I’m clearly not physically or emotionally intimidated they get SO flustered and start doing the weirdest shit to regain power in the situation. Like there’s absolutely nothing you could do to me in this coffee shop that would ever even make my Top 10 Scariest Interactions With People but by all means, keep faking that phone call to your boss who apparently knows the Starbucks mermaid personally. 

[treysenglishclass-blog]

The word “the”. Art. Shampoo. Art. Rectangles. Art. Lasagna. Art. Shoe Polish. Art. Typos. Art. Smelling. Art. Chinese Finger Traps. Art. Ideas. Art. Ideas of ideas. Art. Hats. Art. The customer that yelled at you today. Art. Sesame Street. Art. Finances. Art. Reading. Art. Reading what you’ve typed so far. Art. Glasses Cases. Art. Getting blackout drunk. Art. Neptune. Art. Connections. Art. Toxic People. Art. A speck of dust. Art. Laying Down. Art. Nails on a chalkboard. Art. Language. Art. Windows. Art. A stray hair from a rabbit. Art. Yodeling. Art. That annoying person who always corrects you. Art. Your dead plant. Art. Clouds. Art. Shingles. Art. Lamp Posts. Art. Door Mats. Art. Typing. Art. Cliches. Art. Geometry. Art. Dreading going to work tomorrow. Art. Loud and mysterious bangs. Art. The letter “P”. Art. Critics. Art. Numbness. Art. Breaking out into song but singing way off-key. Art. Watching your ferret trip. Art. Getting stuck in traffic. Art. Bread. Art. Your grandpa’s funeral. Art. The fact that there are many different ways to say “grandpa”. Art. Essays. Art. Scratching. Art. Carpet burn. Art. Inconsistencies. Art. Going bankrupt. Art. Coupons. Art. Chairs. Art. Mundane activities. Art. Your friend with one good eye. Art. Wicker Baskets. Art. Licking the bottom of someone’s shoe. Art. Sneezing so loud everyone in the house hears you. Art. Paper towel holders. Art. Small Businesses. Art. Big Businesses. Art. Lollipops. Art. Stubbing your toe. Art. Trying to look at the person in the hall but trying to avoid eye contact. Art. Frayed shoelaces. Art. Raccoons. Art. A single tomato. Art. Anxiety. Art. Clashing. Art. Understanding. Art. Coincidences. Art. Leaning over the side of the couch because the cord not being long enough to reach you. Art. Making a fool of yourself. Art. Making eye contact with your pet. Art. Zebras. Art. The last slice of Lemon Meringue Pie. Art. People you hate. Art. Driving. Art. Art. Art. 

[treysenglishclass-blog]

I started my theater experience when I was a senior in High School, and when I realized my passion for it,  I started beating myself up over not taking an acting class in Jr. High. I still do wish I had more chances to perform, but I also just did a community theater show, so I feel very grateful for that experience. Also, I’ve listened to so many musicals now! I did this thing on my Instagram story where I had people request musicals I should listen to, and then I’d rate them on a scale of 1-10. When I finished that project I had listened to 42 musicals over the course of a week. I have theatre friends that I still keep in touch with from High School, but I feel like I annoy them when I talk about musicals, just because they’ve already had their “musical phase”. Regardless, thank you for making this post, it was extremely validating to hear this!

Here's to the theatre kids that weren't introduced to theatre at a young age. That weren't in musicals throughout elementary - middle school. Here's to the theatre kids that just found a newborn passion for drama and musicals. Here's to the theatre kids who are seniors and are just now finding love for and getting roles in plays and shows. You're not late. You didn't miss out on anything. You've started just fine. I will celebrate you on your theatre journey if you have no one else who will

[treysenglishclass-blog]

Am I engaged in the world if I’m not engaged in the world?

I was thinking about this quite a bit yesterday, and I think I’ve reached this strange paradox. If I’m not “engaged” in the world, am I still “engaged” in the world? Who defines what it means to be “engaged”? For instance, some might say that being engaged in the world means that you are out of the house and doing activities that fully submerge you in what life has to offer. However, if I am in my house, perhaps having a depressive episode and I’m too in my own head to really pay attention to outside forces, am I still engaged in the world? 

To me, it depends on the perspective, and perhaps the idea that there are two “worlds”. “Personal World” and “Outside World”. Personal World representing conversations you have with yourself, and perhaps a sort of mindful state. Whereas, Outside World would be activities you do.  Consider this example: You’re in class and all of a sudden, BAM, you’re daydreaming about what you’re going to have for dinner, or what errand you need to run after class. Tell me then, am I engaged in the world or not? I’m still there in the “Outside World” but in my “Personal World”, I’m miles away from the Outside World. Am I engaged in the World? 

I hope I explained this well enough; it’s kind of a weird thing to explain. Please feel free to discuss this with me, I’d love to hear other’s thoughts on this. 

[treysenglishclass-blog]

It’s just so wild to me how much brainwashing people can go through. The fact that the woman saying “a woman can start a war in ten seconds if she has hot flashes” truly believes that is incredible to me. As a woman herself, I’m sure she’s aware of how her emotions work. Her comment makes me think of something an extremely sexist man would say, and it makes me wonder who the person in her life was who instilled that belief in her. I wonder if deep down she knows her true power, but she doesn’t use that power in fear of gaining someone’s disapproval. It’s actually amazingly sad seeing this woman make a comment about her fellow women like that. 

Donald Trump is calling for “extreme vetting” of immigrants. Can his own supporters pass the test? Jordan Klepper investigates.

[treysenglishclass-blog]

On the count of three, what should I write about?

Birds. Birds are the topic that I got. I guess to be fair, I did get two topics, but I went with the far less grotesque one (sorry Jethro, but I don’t think my professor wants to read about “butthole surgery”).

Now, before we start, I want you all to know that I’m a little drunk right now, so bear with me. Birds. I really admire the symbolism of birds, how elegant they can be, the way they represent freedom. (and I’m not just referring to eagles here folks.) However, at the same time, I feel as if their symbolism can become easily cheesy. For instance, the number of times I’ve seen bird tattoos on people makes the meaning less powerful. I feel like it's just been overdone at this point, but then again, who am I to define what birds can mean to others. Don’t let me, or anyone for that matter, define what has meaning to you. If something is important to you, then that’s good enough. 

I’m sick and tired of seeing people give others a hard time because of what they define as important. However, there is a thin line to walk there. You should be able to speak your mind and voice your opinions, but you must make sure that that doesn’t infringe on other’s people’s rights. People who put others down for the sake of making a joke are just as bad. Sure, you may be able to make a few friends as the expense of others, but chances are that those people aren’t truly your friends, they just enjoy the pain of others. For me, I truly admire those who stand up for others. Those are the ones I trust. 

I don’t know how I got so off-topic. I apologize for anyone I may have offended by saying that their bird tattoo is cliche. Love y’all.

[treysenglishclass-blog]

I think it's so intelligent for people over the age of 18 to enjoy watching, “children’s cartoons”. The lessons taught in “children’s cartoons” are so applicable not only in our childhood but especially in our adult lives. In the past few years “children’s cartoons” have tackled a wide range of social issues such as race, class, sexual orientations, sexual identities, etc. With most or all of these issues affecting adults every day, I don’t see the harm in tuning into these programs to help learn how to deal with these issues in a fun, creative, and inviting way. 

trying to prove a point to my dad: if you’re 18+ and watch “children’s cartoons” please like or reblog!

this includes steven universe, she ra, voltron, duck tales, tangled, star wars iterations, teen titans, adventure time, atla/lok etc

[treysenglishclass-blog]

A letter to my Siblings

I know your lives haven’t been perfect, and I feel extremely guilty asking you this, but I need to know; Did you not see how much distress you were causing me? My journey to find who I am was corrupted by how much you were fucking up your lives. With Mom and Dad trying to wrangle the shit storm you guys bred, I was left to fend for myself. Most attempts to ask for help ended in cheesy rehashed slogans you see on posters in the doctor’s office. It wasn’t an option to ask for help from our parents after seeing how burnt out they were. My most crucial years of development were stolen, and the behaviors I learned in those years have been strenuous to reverse. I had to come home and face the consequences of YOUR actions. I had to live with the mess you made. It’s not fair that I was forced to try so hard to take control of my life, while you guys got to live blissfully without knowing the effects your actions have had on me. With all that being said, I do want to thank you; for these hardships you’ve bestowed upon me have made me who I am today. I’ve learned how strong I am and what I’m capable of by myself. I know how to help others in similar situations. My one hope for you guys is that one day you guys pull your heads out of your asses and realize that other people exist.

[treysenglishclass-blog]

The Beginning of the End

(I changed the names to protect the people envolved.)

*Amanda and Brooklyn fighting about instagram comments in our group message*

Trey: “Why do you guys always fight?”

Brooklyn: “Because Amanda is oversensitive”

Trey: “If I’m being honest, I don’t feel like she’s always wrong. You can be a bit rude sometimes. Sometimes I’m offended by your comments too, but I don’t say anything because I feel like you’d say stuff like “butthurt dummy” and that doesn’t resolve anything and just makes me more aggravated.”

Brooklyn: “Why the fuck would you get offended by a nickname I meant nothing by! I just thought it was funny that she unfollowed my account because that’s what Kelsey would have done too. You told me about how you didn’t like how she commented annoying comments on your pictures too.”

Trey: “Because being called that stuff can make me upset. I don’t think typically, people like to be called stuff like that. I know it’s meant to be a joke, but it can come across rude sometimes. And sometimes I feel like I can’t explain myself further, because I fear you’ll make fun of me more. I have said that I don’t like the comments either, yes. But I’m not just talking about Instagram comments.”

Brooklyn: “Why don’t you and Amanda just private message and talk about how much of a shitty friend I am?”

Trey: “This is exactly what I’m talking about, Brooklyn. Why are you taking things personal now? Why are you trying to guilt trip us now? I’m literally just trying to have a conversation with you, and I feel like you are getting super defensive. I’m not trying to hurt you. You’re not a shitty friend. I’m just trying to bring this to your attention, because I’m tired of feeling like I can’t talk about this with you.”

Brooklyn: “okay, go on”

Trey: “I just feel like sometimes your comments can come across a bit rude. I know a lot of the times they’re meant to be jokes, but that doesn’t mean they’re not rude. And then other times when I’m trying to explain myself, you sometimes make me feel inferior and small because you sometimes can give me grief and belittle while I try to explain myself. So I just don’t speak up. I feel like if I do, I’ll just be shot down and talked down to. I know it’s not your intention, but it sometimes comes across that way.”

Amanda: “I'm glad Trey spoke up. Its kind of like the other day at Arbys when you said something along the lines of "that's the way I speak to everyone so deal with it" when I got mad at you for coming off as demeaning. That's a really frustrating way for a person to be especially when you're trying to talk about your feelings or your ideas in an argument”

Brooklyn: “I don’t talk down to anyone. I don’t. If you feel like you’re being talked down to, that’s your own problem. Trey, I’m sorry you feel like I belittle you sometimes. Amanda, you need to realize you can be an asshole sometimes too.”

Amanda: “I said you "came off as demeaning" because that's how you come off to me, and trey said he feels belittled sometimes. I understand that I'm stubborn and change the subject too much, (and an an asshole) but I don't think it's our problem. When we used to hang out with Sydney she described hanging out with you like "walking on eggshells," because I never know what will make you mad. So I often times assume you're mad. It feels like every time you disagree with us you go on the offence first and get angry without explaining why.”

Trey: “Thank you for apologizing, I appreciate that. I know I’m not the best friend either, and I recognize that. So I don’t want you to feel like we’re picking on you, Brooklyn; if it’s even coming across that way. All three of us can be problematic at times. We’re all human. We’re all trying. I just feel like we should be able to talk about the times we need to be called out, in a healthy way. Which is why I spoke up tonight.”

Amanda: “Trey said it very well, obviously we both want to be your friend, but if you can't handle when we try to communicate in a thoughful way then I don't see this as being healthy”

Brooklyn: “Why don’t you both just stop being friends with me?”

Trey: “When you’re ready to talk, Brooklyn, I am too. But I feel like neither of us are ready to talk with how defensive things are getting. We’re just trying to voice our opinions on things, and I sometimes feel like when one of us voice an opinion you don’t like, you just shoot us down, and make us the bad guys. We’re just trying to explain ourselves. We want to be your friend, we love you, but part of being friends is being able to talk about stuff like this.”

Amanda: “I agree ❤❤❤”

*Brooklyn left the group*