The way people perceive lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ) individuals has been influenced by various factors such as social norms, religious beliefs, cultural values, economic status, and political ideologies.
It is undeniable that the media plays an important role in shaping society's understanding and acceptance of these marginalized groups. In this article, I will explore how media representations influence moral perception and social treatment of LGBTQ individuals.
The media presents LGBTQ individuals in different ways depending on their context.
They may be portrayed positively when highlighting love stories between same-sex couples but negatively when depicting homophobic violence. These diverse presentations affect audiences' attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals, especially if they do not have personal experiences with them. The media can create positive or negative stereotypes about LGBTQ people, which influences their social interactions and opportunities for employment, housing, education, healthcare, and other aspects of life.
The media reinforces heteronormativity, wherein heterosexuality is seen as normal and expected. This bias creates a culture of exclusion for those who identify as anything other than cisgender and heterosexual, leading to discrimination and oppression. Media representations of LGBTQ individuals are often limited to specific groups, such as white gays or lesbians, ignoring others like Black queers or trans people. Such representation contributes to prejudice against non-conforming bodies, gender identities, sexual orientations, and relationships.
The media also shapes public opinions on marriage equality, adoption rights, and legal protections for LGBTQ individuals. It promotes societal beliefs that LGBTQ people should remain hidden or closeted, making it difficult to advocate for civil rights and equal rights legislation. As a result, many countries still criminalize same-sex relationships, even though they violate human rights principles and international law.
To summarise, the media has a significant impact on moral perceptions and social treatment of LGBTQ individuals. They are portrayed in various ways depending on the context, creating biases that affect how audiences perceive them. These representations contribute to exclusion, discrimination, and oppression of marginalized communities. Therefore, media professionals must prioritize diversity, inclusion, and authenticity when reporting about these individuals to promote acceptance and respect.
How do media representations shape moral perception and social treatment of LGBTQ individuals?
The representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual minority (LGBTQ) individuals in mainstream media has been shaped by different factors such as politics, culture, history, religion, and technology. While many studies have shown that media exposure can influence individual beliefs about gender identity and sexual orientation, there is still no consensus on how this affects society's overall treatment of the community.