Lgbtq misrepresentation
The good and the hideous of LGBTQ+ representation in film and television
Over the years, LGBTQ+ representation has become increasingly more prominent in television and motion picture. For the most part, this is a wonderful thing, especially when it’s done well. However, that is not always the case.
A few projects include made poor attempts to incorporate it, leading to bad and occasionally insensitive LGBTQ+ representation.
Here are some examples of when visibility works, as well as when it doesn’t.
The good
Released in 1998, “Will & Grace” was groundbreaking for LGBTQ+ representation on TV. The show was one of the first thriving series to feature openly gay characters, although it did face some criticism and backlash for stereotypical portrayals. Despite the controversy, the show helped to normalize the presence of gay characters on television in a time where it wasn’t very well-liked or accepted.
“But I’m a Cheerleader,” a comedy starring Natasha Lyonne as a closeted lesbian cheerleader who gets sent to a conversion camp, was released in 1999. Once again, this film was released before LGBTQ+ characters in entertainment were commonly approved. Today, it’s regarded as a lesbian clas
Review of Journalism & Mass Communication
From Misrepresentation to Milestones: An Investigation of LGBTQ Personality Development in Two Primetime Situation Comedies
Francine Edwards, PhD
Abstract
While lgbtq+ and lesbian content has increased in the media, there are still evident differences in the non-heterosexual content when compared to heterosexual content in the media. Prior to 1998, there were relatively petite or no roles for gay characters in production and television. Further, it was uncommon for gays and lesbians to be positively represented in the media. In the last decade, the representation and the roles for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and non-binary people have changed tremendously. The current textual examination of prime-time sitcoms is intended to identify the growth and development of scripted content for sapphic gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer (LGBTQ) characters in comedies known to possess reoccurring LGBTQ characters. Specifically, this analysis evaluates the verbal messages related to the general dialogue, sexual comments, romantic comments, and general humor of characters in 20 episodes of two NBC sitcoms from the 2017 season. Implications of th
9 movies that got their LGBTQ inclusion completely wrong
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- A lot of films main attraction LGBTQ themes and characters, but for every "Call Me By Your Name" and "Brokeback Mountain," there is a feature like "Boat Trip."
- Some movies like "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" present LGBTQ people as the butt of the joke.
- Others include LGBTQ characters but either crudely mock them, prefer in "Zoolander 2," or relegate them to supporting, insignificant roles like the gay best acquaintance, such as "My Best Friend's Wedding."
- Even LGBTQ movies by gay directors obtain it wrong sometimes, as "Stonewall" whitewashed the Stonewall Riots by presenting a white twink as the hero instead of the people of color and trans women who were the concrete heroes behind the riots.
- Here are nine movies that got their LGBTQ advocacy completely wrong.
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'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' (1994)
"Ace Ventura: Pet De
Presence vs. representation: Record breaks down LGBTQ visibility on TV
From Billy Porter in "Pose" to Dan Levy in "Schitt's Creek" and Elliot Page in "Umbrella Academy," LGBTQ people have been increasingly seeing themselves and their stories represented and celebrated on television. But there is still room for improvement, according to Nielsen's "Being Seen on Screen: Diverse Representation & Inclusion on TV" report.
Lesbian, gay, attracted to both genders and transgender people make up an estimated 4.5 percent of the U.S. population, and, according to Nielsen's inaugural report, they were 6.7 percent of the top 10 recurring cast members in the uppermost 300 programs on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms in 2019. The notify also found that 26 percent of the top 300 programs included at least one cast member who identifies as LGBTQ.
While the numbers alone illustrate a picture of increased visibility, Stacie de Armas, Nielsen's senior vice president for diverse consumer insights, said it's important to differentiate presence from representation.
"When you look across the TV landscape, the LGBTQ population looks well represented,” de Armas told NBC News. “But when we observe deeper, and at interse
LGBTQ+ community facing increased social media bias, author says
LGBTQ+ social media content creators are increasingly complaining about their posts being taken down, a practice labeled as “the digital closet” by researcher Alexander Monea.
Monea, who is a professor of English and cultural studies at George Mason University, spent two years digging through data sets and tracking down unlike anecdotes from users of major social media platforms who reported being censored, silenced or demonetized in different ways to compose his book, “The Digital Closet,” which details the policing of online spaces focused on the Homosexual community.
“It has historically been the case that these companies never release damning information unless absolutely compelled to,” said Monea.
Monea's operate is an example of the growing field of research that focuses on how LGBTQ+ people, including youth, sex workers and other internet users, life the internet in a different way than heterosexual people.
"Once the internet is largely controlled by a very few companies that all use an advertising model to drive their revenue, what you receive is an over-policed sort of internet space," he