Perception #2 The LGBTQ Story

Meili Christiansen

Comms 313

Perception #2

THE LGBTQ STORY

The LGBTQ story that is most widely told is one that is trying to accept the permanence of gay marriage, one that is interested in learning more about ‘passing’ transgender individuals, and one that  showcases white, gay and lesbian couples with middle-class ideals. The majority of articles that specifically discussed the term LGBTQ were articles explaining what LGBTQ meant. (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer.) These articles were very politically correct in the uses of the terms. A few had the definitions backed with quotes from LGBTQ individuals. What these articles show are a certain finality that this term and these individuals exist, and are here to stay. This is an interesting way to tell the story, since gay marriage has only recently been backed Nationally.  

When examining LGBTQ individuals in Hollywood, specifically transgender individuals, the story that is told is one that shows ‘passing’ transgender folks. Or rather, the transgender people who are generally accepted have fully transitioned to another gender, and ‘pass’ as that gender. Examples of this would be Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox. Both are transgender women who have had major surgery to transition, and they ‘pass’ as women in the eyes of the public. The story that is told here is that in order to be transgender, you have to transition to the gender you ‘really’ are. This story says that only surgery and genital and hormone reassignment dubs you as transgender. Both of which are very expensive, so the story that is told is that transgender individuals can only be ‘real’ or accepted if they are able to afford surgery.

When examining tv shows and movies that show LGBTQ individuals, the story that is told is that gay people are white with middle class aspirations. Some examples include the couples in Modern Family, Brothers and Sisters, Glee, and Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi. There are some shows like Orange is the New Black that are showcasing a broader arrange of characters who are Latino and Black, but it’s not the norm. The story that is most commonly shown is that these couples are just like a husband and wife, with one individual being more feminine than the other, and one being the ‘man’ of the relationship. It’s showcasing a heterosexual relationship with a gay or lesbian relationship. The bisexual story is very seldom told. Most television shows don’t have bisexual characters.

The concluding story about LGBTQ individuals is one that is easiest for straight, white people to accept. LGBTQ people are shown as one-dimensional, and easy to understand. It’s a very stripped down version of reality that doesn’t showcase the diversity or truth of LGBTQ people.