Moving Away From Stereotypical LGBTQ+ Representation in the Media
by Judy Bokao
The media is a huge industry and is very influential. It is therefore super important how aspects of society such as gender, sex, age, ethnicity, and many more factors are presented. Visual media is one of the biggest form of media; almost every household in the world has a television set. We are currently living in an image-filled culture and on a daily basis we are surrounded by the media representations on TV, feature films, and news reporting. This representation is lacking in objectivity and can sometimes lead to stereotypical or oversimplified representations, which can in turn be used to label individuals and justify narrow beliefs or attitude. Most minorities are misrepresented on many platforms — especially on TV and films.
Television is one of the most influential media forms in popular culture and plays an active role in shaping and defining cultural groups. There has been an increase in the portrayal of queer characters in television series, and they are no longer being depicted in stereotypical ways, which is great! Their portrayal seemed to be from a one-sided perspective on society derived from a heteronormative approach. For example, the “gay best friend” is a narrative we have seen one too many times. These characters were mostly seen as a prop for the female or male lead and were rarely seen as an actual character. They simply showed up to give relationship advices, go shopping, and would be wearing loud,outrageous outfits. They would have messy or no love lives at all.
Over the years, television series have evolved these characters. For example, Grey’s Anatomy did a commendable job showing a same-sex relationship between Callie and Arizona. They were characters that were more than just their sexuality — they were amazing doctors and they showed the struggles that came with being in a same-sex relationship while also chasing careers and other goals in life. There is also How To Get Away with Murder, where Annalise Keating is seen trying to deal with her sexuality and being black. One can see the correlation between race and sexual orientation, it clearly shows the struggle of being a black bisexual woman who is also powerful.
Movies and film features are also trying to evolve their LGBTQ+ characters, but aren’t doing as well as in television. It is important to promote movies and films that portray the LGBTQ+ community in a positive light. It would be great to see queer characters that offer more than comedy and the stereotypical fashion and relationship advice. Love, Simon did a great job with getting rid of the stereotypical tropes. But in the past, most LGBTQ+ characters get to play the over-the-top wedding planner or assistant to the main characters. In a survey done in the UK, more than 90% of queer women said they feel negatively portrayed in popular media — especially in films. Films and movies are still pushing these negative stereotypes particularly about lesbianism and bisexualism. Lesbians are mostly portrayed as “man-haters” while bisexuals are portrayed as “indecisive.”
There are other stereotypes such as queer women that are only shown as having short hair, being butch and manly. It leads one to assume that one woman in the relationship is “the man” and the other one is the woman. The media is always keen to make money and they shy away from representing identities that are perceived as a risk and not appealing to the masses.
This is an issue even when it comes to how the media portrays LGBTQ+ candidates in politics. Candidates who are queer face a hard time because there is evidence that voters still hold strong and enduring stereotypes about the queer community. These stereotypes impact the public’s assessment of or likelihood of voting for a lesbian or gay candidate. There have been cases where the media have outed a candidate without their permission, which is wrong. Even when a political candidate is publicly out, the media still decides how to use this personal information. Most times they write it into the stories as a relevant background material, as might be a candidate’s political experience. They don’t parade the sexuality of other candidates who are not queer. This implies to voters that this information is important when casting their votes, and it can affect the electoral outcomes.
As much as popular media has done a great job trying to rise from the stereotypical representation of the LGBTQ+ community, there is still a long way to go. News media and film can borrow a leaf from TV and learn how to give more factual depth to LGBTQ+ characters. It can go a long way in challenging the damaging societal barriers. It can empower youth to see people like themselves being truly represented. The media is a great platform but what it feeds the people has the power to change attitudes or start a revolution.
About the Author:
Judy Bokao is 20 years old and was born in Ethiopia but relocated to Nairobi two years ago. She is passionate about everyone having equal rights and is also big on conservation and speaking up for our planet. Judy loves reading and photography and is just a free-spirited young lady trying to grow into a woman her mom can be proud of.
