Representation in the Media

Historically, most depictions in the mainstream media were traditional portrayals of heterosexual, non-transgender people. Rarely, a film or show would have a character who seemed to be gay or transgender, but it was never explicitly stated. The characters who were declared to be gay or transgender were steeped in stereotypes and were often either villains or comedic relief. Only recently has this begun to change. Shows like Glee and Modern Family have changed the landscape of LGBTQ representation on television. Both shows had multifaceted, openly gay characters with their relationship at the forefront of their show. Glee's main gay character, Kurt, is a high schooler in Ohio who is bullied daily for being gay. The show also featured Kurt's love interest Blaine, a closeted bully, a lesbian relationship between two cheerleaders, and a transgender student. Modern Family has two main gay characters: Cameron and Mitchell, who are a married couple raising a child together. Both shows have received praise for having gay characters and not shying away from gay issues, as well as criticism for playing into stereotypes and only having white actors to play gay characters (with the exception of Santana and Blaine from Glee). Glee was also criticized for derogatory comments toward bisexuals, although whether that was the opinion of the characters or the writers is unclear. The popularity of these shows led to a dramatic rise in LGBTQ representation, although the quality of said representation varies. Networks such as Fox, ABC Family, ABC, Showtime, MTV, and HBO have the most LGBTQ-inclusive representation on television. Cable network shows have 84 regular LGTBQ characters and 58 recurring ones, and only 2% are transgender. Broadcast television shows, with over one hundred shows total, only have 35 regular and 35 recurring LGB characters (and zero transgender ones). Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon beat television in a landslide. Even with only 23 shows altogether, they still have 43 regular and 16 recurring LGBTQ characters and the highest percentage of transgender characters, at 7%.

Lesbian Representation

Lesbians have recently gained more popularity in the media, with shows like Orange is the New Black and the Oscar-winning movie Carol. However, there is still much room to improve. Out of all the LGBTQ characters in the media, only 30% are lesbians, whereas 46% are gay men. Only a small portion Most of these characters are stereotypical butch depictions of lesbians or feminine, hyper-sexualized, lesbians for the male gaze. For example, the television show The L Word has multiple, well-rounded lesbian characters, but often shows lesbian culture in an exaggerated and distorted way, as well as over-sexualizing lesbian sex scenes for the enjoyment of straight male viewers.

Bisexual Representation

A comprehensive report on diversity in media surveyed more than 400 TV shows, movies, and digital series, and only found 17 bisexual characters with speaking roles. Even when bisexuals are shown, their sexuality is often used as a plot device, a joke, or soft porn. It should be noted that many characters, who are very obviously attracted to more than one sex, are never explicitly said to be bisexual, pansexual, or fluid. Orange is the New Black writers, for instance, went out of their way to refer to the show's star Piper as anything but bisexual, including justifying her bisexuality by having her state, "I like hot girls. I like hot guys. I like hot people. What can I say, I’m shallow." Very rarely is bisexuality validated on screen. Bisexual men are seldom seen, and when they are, it is someone with an insatiable sexual appetite, such as Oberyn Martell from Game of Thrones, or someone who is manipulative or even evil, as in the case of Frank Underwood from House of Cards. Female bisexuality is portrayed much more often, but mostly in the context of a man trying to "convert" a lesbian, or just fantasy fulfillment.

Transgender Representation

Transgender people are dramatically underrepresented in the media. Good examples of transgender characters are even harder to find. Out of 102 television episodes with transgender characters, 40% were victims, 21% were villains or killers, 20% were sex workers (the most commonly depicted profession for transgender characters), and over 60% of the episodes had derogatory language or slurs against transgender people. One appalling example is an episode of Family Guy, in which Brian, the talking dog, realizes he had sex with a transgender woman and vomits on screen for almost 30 seconds. Too often, transgender characters are reduced to comic relief, murder victims, or villains. Many in the transgender community are also offended by non-transgender actors playing transgender roles. They argue that not only does this take roles from transgender actors who need them, but that a non-transgender person can't fully understand the life of a transgender person well enough to play one.

LGBTQ People of Color

The number of LGBTQ people of color (POC) shown in the media is pathetically low. LGBTQ magazines also show significantly more white men, often even featuring straight, non-transgender men who are white instead of LGBTQ people of color. When they are included, it usually pertains to tragedy, STI/STDs, or homophobia. In the same report of over 400 shows, films, and web series, nearly 80% of LGBTQ speaking roles were white. When LGBTQ characters are played by POCs, they are almost always in a relationship with someone who is white. The reason for this is probably less that the LGBTQ community is more open to interracial relationships, and more that many white people have trouble relating to racially diverse people, and inserting a white character into the story helps some white viewers to connect more easily. This is true for mainstream media in general, but there is an additional barrier when minority sexuality and gender identities are included. Some white, non-LGBTQ people feel even less attached, so a white, LGBTQ person is added to bridge the gap. Again, Piper from Orange is the New Black is the perfect example of this. She is not only white, but middle class, married, and seemingly straight. When she enters the prison and encounters people of color, lesbians, and transgender characters, white and non-LGBTQ audience members can better understand the proceedings from her perspective.

Why it Matters

Representation is important for a number of reasons. For one, seeing positive representations of LGBTQ characters can help to humanize real LGBTQ people for those who aren't familiar with the community. LGBTQ people can also benefit from seeing characters with their sexuality or gender identity. Studies have found that children tend to have a preference for role models whose identities closely match their own. Showing LGBTQ characters as complete people with valid identities helps young LGBTQ individuals grow their self esteem and learn to accept who they are. Finally, entertainment influences reality. In a 2010 survey of transgender individuals, 36% of participants said that the media depictions of transgender people lead their family and friends to view transgender people in a negative light. Media has a very real effect on our society, and including more and better portrayals of LGBTQ characters can improve perceptions of the LGBTQ community.

Sources

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