The Motion Picture Production Code: LGBT Representation In The Media

Growing up as a Catholic, Puerto Rican gay boy in the 90s and early 2000s, I struggled to discover my queer identity as well as queer representation in the media I consumed. Being gay was something that was never discussed. If it was brought up, it was usually in hushed tones (I remember being introduced to my uncle 's close 'friend ' each holiday) or as something negative (I still remember the sting of being called a faggot in elementary school). This reflected exactly how homosexuality was portrayed in media at the time. Queer characters and homosexuality were at best portrayed in codified, 'blink-and-you 'll-miss it ' labels and affectations, or at worst, something to laugh at, pity or even hate. As someone who still regularly watches reads comics, watches Saturday morning cartoons and plays video games, it is so exciting to discover the lengths of progress that has been made in queer representation in all ages media. In this paper I hope to detail the highs and lows of LGBTQ representation in all ages media and highlight the impact of media representation.

Media and its representation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual (LGBT) themes has been prevalent throughout time. According to the collections of studies and stories by Meem, Mitchell and Jonathan (2010) concerning LGBT individuals, it is important to represent such themes because it is able to enlighten people on how our society as a whole, has become dynamic. The Media can be seen as a “central source” where negative perceptions can be created. As a result, stereotypes can be either created or perpetuated about this group, negative or otherwise. Media as a medium, therefore, is an extremely powerful tool in our society, and can be used to change or create people 's perceptions about this particular segment of our world (LGBT).

Misrepresentation, along with a lack of representation, in the media is a problem that has plagued and continues to plague the LGBT community throughout the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. Originally, it was seen as taboo or, in some cases, illegal for LGBT characters to be shown in the media. Over time, however, these characters filtered their way into the media and although they were present, their characters were subjugated to stereotypes and ridicule. Amber B. Raley and Jennifer L. Lucas analyzed LGBT presence in television during the fall of 2001 using Clark’s theory for documenting minority representation by utilizing four categories: non-representation, ridicule, regulation, and respect. They concluded their experiment by

As a straight female, I did not realize how the lack of representation in media can affect people’s lives. Though I am a minority and Indian women are not the most represented group in the media, it never bothered me. Listening to my classmates talk about how the lack of representation in the media negatively affected how they perceived themselves. While I understand that lack of representation in the media is a problem it never occurred to me how deep the problem was until I listened to the experiences of my classmates. Many of the shows and movies they talked about, I was not aware even existed. Our discussion exposed me to the many struggles that people with sexual identities different to mine experiences. As we go forward in the class, I want to learn more about the struggles that people in the LGBT community face because of their sexual identity and how we can eliminate these

Research question number one dealt with sexual talk. The content analysis of the media found that sexual talk that included, “relationship talk, talk about sexual interests, talk about past sexual experiences, and other sexual talk,” was heterosexual 90% of the time. In comparison, sexual talk in the form of LGB talk only accounted for 5%. The types of content that was coded for LGB talk were insults/jokes (18%), coming out talk (13%), and stereotypes (12%). Bond’s second research question focused on examining “the nature of LGB sexual instances.” Validating sexual instances was coded 108 times and made up the most sexual instances at 68%. In comparison, demeaning was coded 54 times and accounted for only 33%. The last research question focused on determining whether there were differences of the portrayal of sex and sexuality in varying media. In television, movies, magazines, and music adults and gay men accounted for most of the sexual instances. Additionally, “depictions of heterosexual sexual behavior were overrepresented and depictions of LGB sexual behavior were underrepresented” in the different forms of media examined in the study. The research question further examined LGB sexual talk in the different media types and found that the talk did not focus on “relationships

The representation of the LGBT community in the film industry has long been a topic of much debate. In her article, “It Ain’t Easy Being Bisexual on TV,” Amy Zimmerman addresses this topic with specific interest on bisexual representation. By appealing to the logic of her audience, using an informal tone, and referring to relatable content, Zimmerman constructs an argument which persuades readers of The Daily Beast that the film industry is unfairly and inaccurately representing bisexuals. However, her argument holds little influence over those who are not movie fans or The Daily Beast readers.

The inaccurate or lacking representations of LGBTQ people in media results in misconceptions about the community. Media, such as literature, television, and music, particularly those targeted towards middle

This approach to queer subtext has been has always been a part of Western media as we as we explored in the film “The Celluloid Closet” (1995). Queer representation for many years was an continuous uncategorized personification that was vaguely acknowledged but to those who understood the subtext, it became an undercurrent of complex coded information that eventually paved the way for the integration of queer identification within the hetero film storylines. Doty speaks about this and also mentions that at some point in time representation of queer culture and sexuality

In the article “Media's portrayal of homosexuality as a reflection of cultural acceptance” Austin Rowe uses the contact hypothesis to address the topic of homosexuality in media. This article is about how in recent years since homosexuality has become a positive media has began portraying it as a positive as well. This article is for all people who support the LGBT community and who just want to see in a different perspective how media is portraying the LGBT community. The article was written by Austin Rowe who is attending college at Georgia state. Rowe uses evidence to his advantage to make a very effective argument.

My PIP is a cross-generational comparison of media’s influence towards public perception of homosexuality throughout decades. Society has become more accepting in recent years and it’s expected to grow even more in the future. The rise in support for same-sex marriage over the past decade is among the largest changes in opinion on any policy issue. In my PIP, I’m going to be discussing media’s perception of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and asexuals in the past decades to how it is perceived now. Homosexuality is defined as a sexual desire or behaviour directed towards a person of his or her own sex. I’m going to be comparing my generation (Generation Z) to my parent’s generation (Generation X) to see how media has affected views towards homosexuals.

“The popularity of shows such as Will & Grace; La vie, la vie…; and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy demonstrates that networks are willing to feature queer characters as long as the shows draw high ratings and generate profits for advertisers” (“Queer Representation”). According to the U.S. gay rights organization Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a study has found that “only 17 of the 102 movies from major studios in 2013 featured lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and, of those 17, the majority were offensive and defamatory portrayals.” GLAAD have found the Vito Russo Test. To pass the Vito Russo Test, “a film must feature an LGBT character ‘not solely or predominantly defined by their sexual orientation or gender identity,’ and who, if removed from the film, would significantly affect the plot.” However, only seven out of the 17 films that portrayed LGBTQ characters were able to pass

In our media-intensive culture, it is not difficult to find different opinions as well as stereotypes. Stereotypes are found in the media every day and affect our opinion as well as how we perceive others. Stereotypes of the GLBT community in the media are most commonly found in movies or in TV shows but they rarely talk about their sexual identity. When their identity is being portrayed, it is shown with some form of stereotype. The identity of the homosexual seems to stem from a stereotype itself; sometimes as if the GLBT community has formed their identities based on stereotypes. Men are commonly shown as “feminine” while women are portrayed to be “masculine”. Other stereotypes such as that all gay men are all into fashion or that

During the early half of the 19th century, the LGBTQ community had a lot of representation in films and media. Some relied on clichés and stereotypes for comedic purposes, such as The Sissies, which featured over-the-top, flamboyant men, others were more substantial. But due to the influence of the church, that representation had to cease. LGBT references were hidden and obscure. You had to read between the lines when it involved men, but lesbianism was ignored by the censors. Afterward, the LGBT community was often made to be villains, especially in films such as Dracula’s Daughter and Rope. The censors ignored lesbians, and these films served as a warning to women to learn their place and succumb to gender roles. During

The printing and publishing history of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Bisexual (LGTB) community goes back to the 1950’s and 1960’s. Individuals in the LGTB community never had their own voice, and the media ignored this community until the mid-1990’s. At this time, they became the people of the “Printed World.” The LGTB community has had to break down many walls. Given the religious biases of our society, many people labeled lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexuals as sinful or even having a psychological disorder. Today with more openness, legalized same-sex marriage, and acceptance of LGBT exists, it’s path has not been easy.

My analysis of major themes and how the media participate in the construction of attitudes about gender and sexual orientation is predicated upon 16 articles drawn from three major news sources: Newsweek, The New York Times, and The Advocate. The articles were published in the months of January, February, and March. The selection of the articles was not random; I specifically chose articles whose titles and introductions were of particular interest. The three news sources, particularly the Times and The Advocate, published many articles related to LGBT issues—typically greater than a dozen for each weekly search—from which I selected only two per week. In sifting through the 16 articles, I identified three important