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Queer TV: Help or Hinder?
Since its heyday, Hollywood has always been the
stomping ground of the queer world. Of course, in the early days of Hollywood
being gay was not heard - nor spoken - of. Male stars went as far as to marry
women in order to conceal the fact that they were homosexuals. Then, in the
1980's and 1990's, when these men had contacted AIDS, or suffered from other
related illnesses, did they finally profess the truth. They are gay, and
they always were gay. Their life, much like their movies, was nothing more
than a façade to the public, as they secretly continued to conceal
the real truth about who they were.
Films and television rarely depicted homosexuality
as a result of the silence that was so apparent in relation to the subject.
Of course, there were the occasional films like, The Children's Hour,
and television shows that alluded to a secondary character being gay. However,
it was always something that was brushed over - or, if it was discussed,
it had either a negative consequence, or the whole thing was made humorous,
as if it were a big joke.
It wasn't until the mid 1990's before the political
climate was stable enough for a gay 'main' character to even get consideration
for a television show. This breakthrough came on the television show,
Ellen. It wasn't a secret that Ellen Degeneres was a lesbian. However,
it was a shock when it was announced that her character would be the first
lesbian lead character on a television show. While the Ellen show
did not last long (after the admission of her sexual orientation by Ellen
Morgan, the lead character of the Ellen show), the show did open the
door for other long-lasting shows with gay lead characters, such as Will
and Grace.
Since then, it wasn't surprising to see gay
characters, but it wasn't until Showtime aired, Queer as Folk, based
on the British show of the same name, that an actual show about the life
and times of homosexuals was on television. This of course has made way for
other shows, like The L Word, which has been compared as the
lesbian counterpart to Queer as Folk.
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So, have these shows helped - or hindered - those of
us in the GLBT (gay; lesbian; bisexual; transgender) community? The answer
to this question is based on each person's personal perception of the shows.
However, we cannot deny the fact that - where once gay and lesbian youth
had nothing to relate to on television - they now have shows that often depict
homosexuality in a much more positive light than they were shown 20,
or more, years ago.
We all watched Queer as Folk because
we could relate to it. Either we knew someone like one of the men on QAF,
or we were just like one of them ourselves. Everyone in the gay community
knows a 'Jack' from Will and Grace, and we just chuckle as we watch
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy because we know straight guys who have
needed help becoming more stylish, and who have turned to their gay friends,
or brothers, for advice on the matter.
Where once the only images of 'gay' on television
were Leather Daddy's, and cross-dressing strippers, the world can now see
that this is just a very small subset of the GLBT community. There
are far more average Joes living their lives 'gay' every day. Gays and lesbians
are finally personified by their normalcy, where once they were viewed
as 'extremely different' from heterosexuals. We have jobs. We have emotions.
We have the same needs/wants/desires for love, or for sex, as our heterosexual
counterparts. Some of us crave long-time commitment, while others enjoy being
playboys, or playgirls. So, it has been good for many in the straight community
(who may not have truly understood GLBT before) to now understand that these
individuals are just as 'normal' as they are. It also helped many gays and
lesbians who suffered in the closet, to finally feel safe in coming out.
In the current political climate the relationship
of gay television and Christian conservatism has clashed significantly. Rather
than look to the positive messages (within these shows) the negative aspects,
such
as...
-
characters with AIDS -
which is a reality for many Americans, both Gay and Straight
-
promiscuity - which
is okay when it is done by a heterosexual on television, but not a
homosexual
-
and the "gay agenda" -
which is supposedly personified and aided through these television shows
....are focused on and exploited as the proof
of a negative outcome to our freedom to choose our own sexual and romantic
preferences.
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