Written Analysis #4

Written Analysis #4

            The presence of the LGBT community in popular culture and the media today is in an upward stride. Not too long ago there was nobody from this community represented in popular television. This started to change with NBC’s show Will and Grace in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Actors Sean Hayes and Eric McCormick were two of the first men to have reoccurring roles portraying gay men on TV.

            That show was just the beginning. After they eased their way into the media and into a lot of America’s hearts, there was an explosion of members of the LGBT community portrayed on television. Since the airing of that show we have seen a lesbian wedding on Grey’s Anatomy, an openly gay woman host an Emmy winning daytime television show, and an openly transgender person compete on Dancing with the Stars.

            While most people still see these characters as shocking, hopefully soon it will become a normal part of society that people do not view as controversial. The LGBT community is decent sized part of our society, and why should they be discriminated against because of their orientation. It is the same concept as racial profiling.

            While stereotypes about this community have subconsciously skewed the views of others, with a larger presence in the media today people may be able to look past their preconceived notions of this community. With lesbians, gay males, bisexual teenagers, and transgender people represented in the media today, people are able to see them as human, instead of the stereotypes that they are bound by.

            While the media has come great lengths with the inclusion of this community, I still believe there more work to be done. Hopefully with these characters now on TV, in movies, and music, they will become more widely accepted by others so they will not have to be categorized as anything other than human.