How do global media portrayals shape societal attitudes and acceptance of LGBTQ communities?
Media has played an important role in shaping societal attitudes towards LGBTQ people for decades. From early films to current TV shows, movies, magazines, books, music videos, social media posts, advertisements, and more, global media outlets have consistently presented various stereotypes about gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender individuals, queer folks, intersex individuals, and asexual people. These representations can be positive, negative, neutral, or mixed; they can emphasize certain traits and downplay others; they can highlight particular experiences and ignore some others. They can showcase the diversity within LGBTQ communities while also perpetuating harmful myths that hurt everyone involved. This article will explore how global media portrayals impact societal attitudes and acceptance of LGBTQ communities.
One example is how television shows often include queer characters who are either hyper-sexualized or portrayed as tragic figures.
One popular TV series depicts a gay couple where one partner is an HIV-positive sex worker who dies from AIDS in the first season. Another well-known sitcom includes multiple characters with diverse sexualities but does not acknowledge them until much later in the storyline when one character comes out at a wedding. There is also a drama featuring a woman who is in love with her best friend, but she ends up choosing a man instead after a brief period of confusion and indecision. Many movies follow similar patterns: they may feature a loving same-sex relationship, but it is usually doomed due to external pressures like family rejection or internal struggles like self-doubt. Some films even show LGBTQ characters dying at the end of their journey. In these examples, viewers learn that being queer means having sex all the time, that queerness is something that must be hidden away, and that gay relationships never last. These representations have consequences for real life people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc., because society tends to believe what it sees on screen. If the only representation available is a negative one, then some members of society may reject those identities altogether; if there is no positive representation at all, others may become confused about what it means to be queer; and if the presentation is overly idealistic, it can lead to unrealistic expectations about what romance should look like.
Another way media portrayals affect attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals is through stereotypes and misconceptions.
Many people assume that drag performers are transgender when this is often not true; that lesbians cannot have healthy relationships; that bisexuals will cheat on any partner; that trans men and women are always "really" cisgender; that pansexuality means someone wants to have sex with everyone; and so on. When such assumptions circulate in popular culture, they can become societal norms which influence how people treat LGBTQ folks in everyday life. These norms can cause discrimination against those who do not fit them, including those who identify as non-binary or genderqueer, who practice polyamory, who use other pronouns than he/she/they, and more. It also means LGBTQ people are often unable to express themselves freely without fear of judgment or rejection from their friends and family.
Global media outlets reinforce harmful messages about sexual behavior by either emphasizing certain practices (such as anal sex) or ignoring others (such as foreplay). They may showcase only monogamy or portray promiscuity as the default for all queer individuals. Such presentations can impact viewers' ideas about what kind of intimacy looks like, making some feel ashamed if their experiences differ or leading others to judge same-sex partners based on stereotypical behaviors. Media representations can also perpetuate racialized tropes that suggest African Americans or Latinas prefer masculine gay men, Asians desire feminine gay men, white Europeans want submissive lesbians, etc., while ignoring all the nuances within each community. This erases the unique stories of different groups while normalizing racism and fetishization.
Media has also played a positive role in changing attitudes towards LGBTQ people over time.
Mainstream TV shows have included openly queer characters since at least 1972 with the debut of "All in the Family," which featured a young man coming out to his bigoted father. Other series have followed suit, including "Will & Grace" and "Modern Family." Movies such as "Brokeback Mountain" and "Moonlight" showcased complex stories about same-gender relationships that were previously unseen in Hollywood films. Music videos feature transgender artists such as Miley Cyrus and Lil Nas X who embrace their identities proudly through song and dance. Social media platforms allow users to share stories about their real lives without fear of censorship or harassment. While there is still work to be done, these changes demonstrate how media portrayals are gradually improving attitudes among audiences worldwide.
Global media influences societal attitudes towards LGBTQ communities by reinforcing negative stereotypes, promoting misconceptions, emphasizing specific sexual practices, and glamorizing queerness for straight viewers.
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How do global media portrayals shape societal attitudes and acceptance of LGBTQ communities?
The representation of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) individuals in mass media has been increasingly visible over recent decades, but they are still underrepresented and stereotypically characterized. The increase in visibility is positive for many reasons because it can potentially lead to greater social awareness about gender and sexuality norms and challenges them.