Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender 2008 Abstracts
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Interest Group
Effects of Gay and Lesbian Exemplars in News Stories on Reader Perceptions • Rhonda Gibson and Dean C. Smith, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Joe Bob Hester, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • A news report about the housing market was manipulated to create versions differing in proportion of sources that were gay or lesbian (none, one-third, two-thirds) and number of photos of gay male and lesbian couples (none, two). Readers estimated the percentage of gays/lesbians in the homebuying/selling population and the general U.S. population. In addition, measures of readers’ attitudes toward homosexuality were tested pre- and post-exposure.
Exploring the link between sports ideology, sports consumption and homophobia • Marie Hardin, Penn State University; T.C. Corrigan, Penn State University; Jennifer Greer, University of Alabama; Kelly Shultz-Poniatowski, Penn State University • Prior research suggests that sports serve as a platform to reinforce heterosexism (Harry, 1995). In this study, college students were surveyed to determine the association of sports ideology with sexist and anti-homosexual attitudes. The influence of mediated sports consumption and participation were also investigated. Results suggest that gender plays a significant role in sexist and anti-homosexual attitudes, mediated sports viewing does not. Furthermore, sports serve as a platform to accommodate rather than create homophobia.
Defining a Gay Logo with Coming Out Stories: Containing Queer Identities with Reality Television • Philip Johnson, Syracuse University • This qualitative study examines the first season of Logo’s Coming Out Stories with textural analysis methods to explore representations of coming out that are depicted within the boundaries of a reality television program. Situated within a queer studies interpretive worldview approach, the author shows how the process and structure of coming out on Coming Out Stories exemplifies and situates representations of LGBT identities in a heternormative mainstream society.
Selling a Cultural Phenomenon: Political Economy and “The L-Word” • Rebecca Kern, Temple University • The L-Word is not a traditional primetime show in ways that go far beyond the structure of the text and the thematic tropes within the narrative. The L-Word on Showtime, a pay cable network, has no outside advertising. This paper focuses on the ways media integrates into the United States economic system, particularly focusing on The L-Word as a program that does not follow traditional media economic models, and the cultural commodities surrounding The L-Word.
An Imposition of Silence: The Closet within the American Society of Newspaper Editors • Gwyneth Mellinger, Baker University • Despite its leadership in the newsroom diversity movement, the American Society of Newspaper Editors failed to incorporate gay identity into its vision of an inclusive newsroom. This paper traces the construction of the closet within ASNE and examines the ways in which gay identity has been marginalized within both the ASNE and the newsroom diversity movement.
Visibility That Demystifies: Gays, Gender, and Sex on Television • Sara Netzley, Bradley University • A content analysis of 98 primetime entertainment programs from the 2005-2006 television season showed that gay characters were more likely to be guest stars on commercial broadcast television than on cable television, and that female characters were more likely to be shown in same-sex sexual situations than male characters. In addition, gay characters made up 7.5% of all the characters coded. This study discusses the implications of these findings for gay and straight audiences.
Coverage of Methamphetamine in GLBT Newspapers • Joseph Schwartz, University of Iowa; Aaron Willis • Research demonstrates that methamphetamine is a serious problem in gay communities. This study examined the framing of methamphetamine in nine gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) newspapers. Results showed that methamphetamine was framed as a “gay problem,” that sexual health and solutions frames were prevalent, and that GLBT newspapers covered methamphetamine in a way that is similar to how they covered AIDS in the 1980s. Implications for health campaigns are discussed.
The Queer Frontier: Dual Perspectives on Primetime Portrayals of Contemporary Gay Representations • John Wolf, Val Scheisberger • Gay representations account for less than 2% of characters on network primetime television. In an era of relative queer conspicuousness, this study examines how television-viewing audiences perceive these gay and lesbian representations. The study combines past literature on representations of minority groups with contemporary principles of queer theory to establish a theoretical foundation. From this groundwork, it is apparent that few audience reactions and perceptions about gay and lesbian representations have been discussed.
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