Representation vs. Misrepresentation (Challenge 3.2)
The challenges for our class are growing to be more in depth of our topics. We are no longer simply scraping the surface of our research, but in the second component of this challenge, we are tackling scholarly articles for information towards our topic.
In the subject of LGBT rights, I am most interested in the importance of proper queer representation in a heteronormative society. Heteronormativity is the concept that at first glance, characters in media, and furthermore, every day people, are automatically assumed to be straight. This impulse driven judgment of sexuality is the result of television shows, movies, and any portrayal of two characters in love to consistently be a man and a woman. In order to be a more accepting society, media needs to represent more variety in not only its people and characters but also its When I started my research, most of the media that I had in mind were television and movies that did not represent the LGBT people properly. I found an article through the Google Scholar search engine that made me realize that there is another industry that creates characters: gaming. I forget that game producers can also be at fault for not creating LGBT characters and instead only perpetuating the heteronormativity of society. This industry, along with novels and stories, are another facet of media that need to have more variety for LGBT representation.
The other article I found dealt with the fact that for a large portion of the limited LGBT representation that exists in media, the characters are often given a common trope of a gay man and his straight female friend and their antics together. Part of this trope comes off as stereotypical, and the article calls for a change in this current misinformed representation.
I believe that working on the representation that the LGBT community receives will help nurture society into a more accepting and informed one. The company that creates Barbie dolls has begun to make dolls that are more representative of little girls everywhere. Just as it is important for children to feel they are represented in the way that dolls and toys look, generations should be able to watch, read, and witness media that presents all forms of sexuality in a positive light so that they do not feel ostracized or discriminated against.
