Running head: SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 1

Sexual Orientation in the Media

C&T 807- Dr. Nichols

University of Kansas

Courtney Keedy

2/24/2020
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 2

II. INTRODUCTION

This research will focus on the media’s perception of a variety of sexual orientations.

Specifically, the stereotypes associated with Lesbians, Gays, and Transgenders within movies

and television shows found on Netflix- a subscription-based movie and television series media

hub. The purpose of this research is to identify the different representations of these groups of

people in common modernized media formats. The three research questions focused upon

include: (a) what are the most commonly portrayed groups of sexually oriented people in the

media? (b) what stereotypes of Gay and Lesbians are most predominant in the media? And (c)

how often is the Transgender population represented in the media? I anticipate noticing gender

transgression, as Banks and Banks mention as the intention to critique normal gender roles and

expectations (Banks and Banks, 2013). I hypothesize that Lesbian women will be represented in

a masculine manner while males will challenge their masculinity and be more often represented

in a feminine manner within the researched media.

This research focus resembles modern inequity in our society, and I feel as though,

through our course readings, that proper representation of different groups of people (and their

history) is one of the most important ways to reduce and eliminate discrimination and prejudice.

Recognizing that many people are becoming enlightened with their sexual orientation in recent

years, I find it important to note how these groups of people are being represented in the media, a

predominant influence in the modern day world, that is causing inequity within our society. It is

important to recognize how and where these groups are being discriminated so educators can

work on counteracting these claims in the classroom.

Identifying and analyzing the discrimination toward a variety of sexually oriented people

in the media will help me to better understand multicultural education since this is an issue of the
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present. Noticing how children are growing up, watching television and movies, while learning

different stereotypical qualities toward groups of people, is a notable issue. Acknowledging our

own views towards these groups, as well as identifying the surrounding stigmas in the media,

will help me as well as other educators to work at properly representing these groups in

curricula.

Research Literature

My research questions stated above revolve around the most predominant, sexually

oriented group of people in the media and the stereotypes associated with them. The following

literature represents common stereotypes previously noted in the media, how the media

influences society, as well as the connection between stereotypes in media to education.

First, an article by Benecke (2015) illustrates the absence of Lesbian movies in the media

largely influenced by the lack of audience and support by society. This is an opinionated article

about Lesbians having a stereotype of not being humorous, therefore less movies are made about

them. As the article continues, the author relates Lesbian movies reaching less of an audience not

because of the Lesbian aspect, but because of the female aspect. Pushing men out of the picture

does not do well for the movie industry, according to this author (Benecke, 2015). Although

lesbian and female driven films do not receive the same budget as a male-oriented film, 40% of

films are now female-driven, as of 2015 (Benecke, 2015). The author is still pushing for a better,

proper audience to be illustrated for these films. This piece of literature led me to determine how

often Lesbians are featured and are the focus in the media.

The second researched article was “Lesbians and Gay Men in the Media.” This article

identifies different television shows, movies, and news stories about how Gay and Lesbian
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 4

people were represented or misrepresented in the media. Although this article was published in

1992, there are some reoccurring themes within the movies and shows mentioned. Most

television shows underrepresented Gay men and Lesbian women, with only two shows receiving

positive praise at fully integrating these groups of people. One television affiliate even refused to

air a documentary on Gay Black men, while cancelling or highly censoring others. In the movies,

negative stereotypes were mentioned in correspondence to the few Lesbian and Gay

appearances. For example, one movie titled “Basic Instinct” was about man-hating killer

Lesbians- reinforcing the stereotype that all Lesbians hate men. Lastly, in the news, this article

brings up the topic of AIDS being directly related to Gay men, and that a heterosexual woman

named Kimberly Bergalis, who contracted the disease, was labeled as an “innocent victim of

AIDS.” This harmful implication stereotyped this disease to “guilty victims” being Gay men

(Carton, 1992). This article encouraged me to look for stereotypes, like the man-hating Lesbians

and diseased Gay men in current television and movies today.

The third literature article was written by Chung in 2007 which highlights more modern

stereotypes in popular television shows and movies today. The author believes that the media is

using a heterocentric characterization within these media representations. These stereotypes

include most Gay men being into fashion and beauty, challenging the typical male role, or

Lesbian women and Gay men tending to have alcohol-based lifestyles. This author notes that

children are learning stereotypes not from school or their parents, but from characters on the

television screen, where they are more likely to develop presumptions and discriminatory

behavior against Lesbian and Gay people. This article ties these modern stereotypes into

education by identifying strategies on how educators can become more socially aware in the

classroom. For example, one art class provides students the opportunity to make them critically
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informed citizens by examining and interpreting media texts to resist problematic representations

in the future (Chung, 2007). This article encouraged me to focus on basic stereotypes that young

adults or teens tend to demonstrate from the use of media, and how to counteract them with

academic strategies and purposeful teaching in the classroom.

The last research article was written by Harry Yan in 2019. This article studies the

attitudes of viewers when watching media representing the LGBTQ community. The overarching

theme of this study is proving that attitudes transfer among people. For example, the Washington

Post quotes, “If you strongly oppose gay marriage, chances are high that you don’t know anyone

who supports it and the sort of media you consume tends to rarely cover the rapidly increasing

support for gay marriage,” (Yan, 2019). After both heterosexual and non-heterosexual

individuals answered survey questions after watching LGBTQ-inclusive TV shows, the findings

support that watching contemporary Gay and Lesbian storylines on TV has direct positive effects

on changing people’s attitudes toward Gay and Lesbian people in society. The results of this

study also indicate that people’s heavy TV consumption can influence people’s judgements of

public opinions- making the media a reliable source as an effective persuasion technique in the

LGBTQ- equal rights movement. Lastly, this article suggests that attitudes among peers and

friends can influence each other, especially those close in age (Yan, 2019). This article helped

me to relate media to my classroom and see how common exposure of the LGBTQ community

within the media contributes to more positive effects and attitude adjustments within the

classroom.

III. METHODOLOGY

A popular media presentation format was chosen as the methodology for this study. To

include both movies and television shows, I chose to use Netflix as my main database. This is a
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subscription site that includes a plethora of popular movies and television shows from cable

Television as well as Netflix original series and movies. Using Netflix, I based my movies and

television shows on the “Popular on Netflix” and “Trending Now” pages, since these are the two

areas that most young adults and teens venture to when looking for a new movie or show to

watch. Netflix is the most reliable database to use since these media presentations are usually

advertised on cable TV and are frequently discussed in classrooms, on social media, and in social

settings. A variety of genres were explored to account for the different types of young adults or

teen viewers. A sample size of two movies and six television show, chosen by random selection,

were used to then observe how sexually oriented groups were either represented or not

represented, and if they were, what stereotypes were noticeable within the different genres.

To begin, I chose, The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. This is a documentary of a professional

football player who committed multiple murders. After being convicted, Aaron takes his own life

to help financially support his fiancé and child. Once he has passed, a rumor began of whether or

not Aaron was heterosexual and if his need to suppress his homosexuality became the driving

factor of his murder sprees (Wetzel & McDermott, 2020). This documentary is demonstrating

gender transgression by covering up his otherwise noted “un-masculine” behavior, as associated

with him being Gay.

Next, Burlesque, is a well-known, raunchy musical playing on men and women’s

heterosexual stereotypical roles. However, in the beginning, the female lead does accuse the

male lead as being Gay since he was wearing eyeliner after a show one night (DeLine & Antin,

2010). This movie relates to Jones’ video (2011) when addressing all stereotypes of Gay men.

One of the noted stereotypes was that gay men wish that they were girls. This movie illustrates
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this stereotype when the woman asks the man wearing eyeliner if he was Gay, since wearing

make-up is traditionally a feminine characteristic.

Regarding television shows, Grey’s Anatomy, has been a popular show on cable

television and Netflix for several years. This is a television show following interns into their

hospital residency to become surgeons (Gray & Corn, 2005). Early in the show, one female

resident later finds herself being attracted to women. Later in the seasons, a transgender male

who has recently returned from deployment overseas begins working at a hospital with a Gay

man who keeps his sexual orientation hidden. This show challenges the stereotypes of Lesbian

women and Transgender men. The Lesbian character, who played a large role at the time, was

portrayed as a feminine woman who had previously been in love with a man and was upset with

the lack of attention that she received from him. She was into fashion and make-up and was

characteristically girly. The woman she fell in love was also extremely feminine. On the other

hand, the transgender male, who is currently still in episodes, has joined the hospital force after

being in the military for some time. Being in the military attains a sense of masculinity, and

perhaps joining the military was intentional to attain that appearance. These are challenging the

stereotypical roles of Lesbian and Transgender people.

Next, the television show Shameless, has also been highly recognized on social media

platforms over the past several years. This is a television show revolving around a family of

multiple kids. One of the children experiments with her sexuality and, in the process, begins to

change her physical appearance and attitude toward her future role in society as a potential

Lesbian. Her brother also identifies as a Gay man early in the show and falls in love with a

Transgender male (Abbott & Mylod, 2011). This show portrays both negative and positive

stereotypes within the episodes. First, the Lesbian daughter, is showing a negative stereotype by
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adjusting her physique and personality to be more manly in order to “fit the role” of a Lesbian.

On the other hand, the Gay brother is masculine and acts a little rough around the edges. The

Transgender man he falls in love with is also represented in a masculine manner.

The next television series is How to get Away with Murder. This is a mysterious

television show about a college-level lawyer class with an instructor who negatively impacts

their social lives and involves them with many difficult situations. One of the main law students,

Connor, is known as the tough guy, yet internally emotional, and is also a Gay man (Nowalk &

Cragg, 2014). This show illustrates how Gay men can have a variety of qualities, as can any

heterosexual human being. Connor can be the masculine, tough man while also being a little

sensitive and overly caring for his boyfriend. He is playing both a feminine role as well as a

masculine role through these predominant characteristics of his.

Schitt’s Creek is the following show analyzed. This is a comical television show about a

wealthy family who loses all of their hard-earned family riches when a tax evasion suit is filed

(Levy, 2015). The son in the film, David, is a bisexual man who is portrayed in a very feminine,

fashionista manner. This is a prime example of gender transgression. Gender transgression is the

intention to critique normal gender roles and expectations (Banks and Banks, 2013). David is

extremely fashionable and speaks in a way that some would refer to as a “valley girl.” The

feminine stereotype of Gay men is emphasized by David’s character. He is challenging his

gender role and those expected of him as he is Gay.

Jane the Virgin was the subsequent television show analyzed. This is a Spanish

telenovela who follows Jane and her interactions with others. One of her enemies, which later

turns out to be her good friend, is a strong-willed feminist who later finds herself attracted to

other females (Snyder & Rodriguez, 2014). This is challenging the stereotype that Lesbian
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 9

women must be manly while also challenging the traditional gender roles of women. This

character, Petra, is fashionable, a mother of twins, and battles Jane for the man throughout most

of the show. She is an extremely successful hotel owner that turns the company around as Rafael,

the male lead, gets arrested throughout an episode. Her transformation into a Lesbian only

strengthened her character and enforced gender equality and sexual fluidity.

Lastly, the television show, You, was analyzed. This is a mysterious, television show

about a man who is a psychopath going on killing sprees. One of his best friends is on the search

for love, and eventually falls for a Transgender female (Berlangi & Toland, 2018). This show

subtly includes the Transgender actress. Although she is featured in a few episodes, the fact that

she is Transgender is not noted within the show nor is she present enough for the audience to

truly interact with her. This solidifies Banks and Banks’ (2013) notion that people exclude or

ignore what they are not comfortable with. In this show, the uncomfortable perception would be

the Transgender community.

After researching multiple media sources, I performed a quantitative study on

stereotypical categories that were frequently evident in my small sample size of movies and

television shows. I identified seven stereotypes and observations to look for when analyzing the

media. These stereotypes were most commonly addressed in the research literature as well as in

Jones’ (2011) video from module five. These stereotypes include: Gay men represented in a

feminine manner, Gay men represented in a masculine manner, Lesbian women represented in a

masculine manner, Lesbian women represented in a feminine manner, Transgender people

represented in a feminine manner, Transgender people represented in a masculine manner, and

Transgender people absent from the media. After identifying the different stereotypes within

these presentations, I used probability to identify a percentage of commonality of the stereotypes

SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 10

found in the overall data collected. This process is appropriate to acquire an estimate of

stereotypes among homosexual individuals in the media. These randomly selected media forms

represent the population of people included in the LGBTQ community.

IV. FINDINGS

The findings of the evident stereotypes within the eight analyzed media formats are as

follows: the probability of a television show choosing to portray a Gay man in a feminine

manner is 37% with three out of eight media formats representing this stereotype. The

probability of a television show choosing to portray a Gay man in a masculine manner is 75%

with six out of eight media formats representing this stereotype. The probability of a television

show choosing to portray a Lesbian woman in a masculine manner is 25% with two out of eight

media formats representing this stereotype. The probability of a television show choosing to

portray a Lesbian woman in a feminine manner is 37% with three out of eight media formats

representing this stereotype. The probability of a television show choosing to portray a

Transgender person in a feminine manner is 12% with one out of eight media formats

representing this stereotype. The probability of a television show choosing to portray a

Transgender person in a masculine manner is 25% with two out of eight media formats

representing this stereotype. And lastly, the probability of a television show choosing not to

portray a Transgender person within the production is 62% with five out of eight media formats

representing this stereotype.

This data indicates that Gay men are commonly represented in a masculine manner. This

was not my anticipated finding since most of the researched literature mentions Gay men to be

stereotypically represented in a feminine manner. Perhaps the media is aware of this negative

stereotype and is actively working to reduce the common stereotypes of the Gay culture. The
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data also supports that Transgender people are not represented often in the media. The studied

media involved 62% excluding a Transgender character. Perhaps this indicates the media’s

uncomfortableness with the Transgender community and is unaware of how to properly represent

this group of people. Banks and Banks (2013) support this idea with Sleeter’s observation that

White people preform their race by expressing racist attitudes, so people may perform

heterosexuality by indicating their dislike or discomfort around homosexuality. This relates to

the discomfort involving the Transgender community within production of movies and

television.

One of my assumptions was that Gay and Lesbian individuals were going to be

misrepresented often in the media. This was a presumption fabricated within my own mind. As

Banks and Banks (2013) suggest, I have not challenged the implicit and explicit heterosexualism,

homophobia, and gender conformity in my curricula and life since I was unable to identify my

own viewpoints. The popular stereotypes I was aware of, are less likely to harm students within

those stereotypical roles, but those who are not. In Chappell’s (2013) article, it states that six out

of ten people say they have been the target or jokes or slurs. This indicates that homophobia may

be progressing into new stereotypes and implications to be addressed in future research.

Banks and Banks (2013) chapter nine, introduces some strategies to help reduce and

eliminate stereotypes regarding the LGBTQ community to create a multicultural classroom. First

off, the LGBTQ community should never be discussed in a negative light. Banks and Banks

(2013) mention that some schools are not allowed to discuss the LGBTQ community within the

classroom, which will only cause a negative perception toward this group of people over time.

Avoiding these conversations is to prevent disruption between the strongly opinionated families

and the school. However, speaking openly and critically within class is necessary (Banks and
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 12

Banks, 2013). As educators, we must teach students to think critically about how

heterosexualism and homophobia influence the understanding of ourselves and our relationships,

communities, and education. This could be done through analyzing current and historical texts

involving LGBTQ community members. Students should have the opportunity to challenge

implicit heterosexualism, homophobia, and gender conformity in current school curricula and

school practices. Lastly, teachers should be aware and vocal about LGBTQ community resources

for youth in schools. Banks and Banks (2013) state that youths are capable of asserting

themselves and finding community with others, but without the support of schools and the staff,

their struggles could be extremely daunting.

V. SIGNIFICANCE AND SUMMARY

After collecting a random sample of movies and television shows from a notable media

database of popular and trending productions, I was able to determine the probability of common

stereotypes representing the LGBTQ community in the media. My first research question was to

determine the most commonly portrayed LGBTQ group in the media, resulting in 75% of Gay

men being represented in a masculine fashion. My second research question included the most

predominantly used Gay and Lesbian stereotypes in the media. For Gay men, being represented

as masculine was primarily used while Lesbians were often recognized as feminine. Lastly, the

third research question involved the frequency of Transgender individuals’ appearance in the

media. This would be the most notable issue to recognize across current media productions.

After analyzing eight pieces of media, 62% of this media lacked involvement of the Transgender

community. This could be a result of lack of cultural or critical awareness of this community, or

producers feeling as though a choice of a Lesbian, Gay, or Transgender character has already

been included, therefore an additional LGBTQ character is unnecessary. I did find it interesting
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 13

that Gay and Lesbian individuals were more often represented as the stereotypical representation

of their biological sex. For example, Lesbians being portrayed as more girly. I think this largely

relates to the overwhelming amount of misrepresentations of the LGBTQ communities in prior

media instances, therefore, current producers are working hard to represent this community in a

variety of accurate and less stereotypical manners.

Using the researched literature, there are a few connections to make. First, based on

Benecke’s (2015) article about the lack of lesbian movies, I found that three of my eight media

presentations represented a largely influential Lesbian character. For example, in Jane the

Virgin, the second female lead later reveals herself to be a strong, powerful, Lesbian woman.

Grey’s Anatomy also featured a strong Lesbian lead character for a few seasons as did Shameless

since one of the two main female lead characters was a Lesbian. This supports this literature

since less than 50% of the studied media highlighted Lesbian women and that the article

challenges gender roles in the media. However, Grey’s Anatomy and Jane the Virgin are both

shows that are from a woman’s perspective. This is challenging the literature by indicating a

strong female lead can attract many viewers.

Second, based on the “Lesbians and Gay Men in the Media,” article, I found that many of

the common stereotypes mentioned within this article as well as in Jones’ video are less

predominant in today’s society. For example, I noted the man-killing Lesbians in this article,

however, 37% of the media represented Lesbians in a feminine manner and 25% of media

focused on Lesbian women in a masculine manner, which opposes the article’s stereotypical

findings.

Chung’s article from 2007, indicated that students and children are accumulating

stereotypes not from homes and schools, but more from the media. This supports my assumption
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 14

that the media is more aware of the common stereotypes involving the LGBTQ community and

is actively working to counteract them. This is evident in my data by showing 75% of Gay men

being represented in a masculine manner and 37% of Lesbian women being represented in a

feminine manner, which reduces the common stereotypes that Lesbians are manly and Gay men

are girly.

My last research article identified the attitudes that viewers of the media attained after

watching movies and TV shows that incorporated people from the LGBTQ community. This

article relates to my data by showing that every media presentation that was analyzed included at

least one member of the LGBTQ community. This indicates the large presence the media has in

representing different stereotypes involving these groups of people. This article helps me as an

educator to use more media formats to critique and analyze different LGBTQ stereotypes since

student’s attitudes will most likely transfer to other students within the school. This can help

reduce and eliminate negative LGBTQ stereotypes within schools.

This study can relate to the classroom in many ways. First, students who are facing

homophobic harassment may not even be members of the LGBTQ community. Based on the

stereotypes analyzed, the common stereotypical harassment phrases tend to be from previous

stereotypes that do not represent the current LGBTQ community. Banks and Banks (2013) note

this misfortune within schools and suggest providing a challenging standpoint in curriculum to

confront these stereotypes the students are using. Educators must work in counteracting these

stereotypes in the classroom to avoid this type of bullying. Next, the media is striving to break

the stereotypical standpoints and are representing Lesbian and Gay people in a variety of

different ways. Schools must utilize this media within classrooms to help break the stereotypical

views that students currently have and are using as harassment techniques. Although these
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 15

stereotypes are not prevalent in the media right now, they are predominant thoughts among our

students. These are the popular cultural representations- it’s our job as educators to expand

LGBTQ knowledge and break stereotypes within the curriculum.

The limitations of this research study include Netflix being the only database that was

used. Netflix also requires a subscription to view the media, which may hinder the culture of the

audiences. I also only analyzed media tailored to young adults and teens. There is less variability

within age groups. This study helped identify that previously noted stereotypes towards the

LGBTQ community are outdated. Many of these stereotypes are no longer relevant in today’s

society, with new stereotypes waiting to be analyzed. Also, stereotypes involving the transgender

community were not specific to female or male stereotypes. One limitation that is unrelated to

the data collected would be the “White dominance” within my researched media. Most of the

media sources represent white dominance, as Banks and Banks (2013) would refer to as a

predominantly white society, being as most lesbian, gay, or transgender people within these

media formats were Caucasian. This illustrates how different cultures and socioeconomic status

influences were not accounted for within this study.

This leads future studies to accommodate more family-friendly movies and television

shows, to analyze the media that younger students are viewing with evident LGBTQ stereotypes.

Also, future studies need to identify more prevalent stereotypes within current society, not those

frequently used in the past. Future studies may also wish to focus on transgender stereotypes

between females and males. Lastly, future studies need to cross-reference stereotypes of sexually

oriented people with other cultural factors.

This project is significant in recognizing that stereotypical behaviors of Lesbian, Gay,

and Transgender individuals are not solely implied to students of the LGBTQ community. Based
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 16

on the prior research and lecture materials, some students facing homophobic harassment may

not even be members of the LGBTQ community. This research implies that the media is striving

to break some of these stereotypical standpoints and represent the LGBTQ community through a

variety of becoming qualities. The media analyzed in this project represent proper cultural

representations to identify within school curriculum to help analyze and expand the LGBTQ

knowledge within the classroom.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MEDIA 17

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