Skip to main content
Negotiating Identities Queer Desires Questions by James White
- In Amy's experience she uses late 90's and early 2000's TV, found herself identifying with LGBTQ community from representation that she saw from shows like "Queer as folk" and "Will and Grace". Now about two decades later, how has LGBTQ representation changed in media?
- On page 274 under Queer realness, they talked about some restrictions on LGBTQ youth resources. What would the data look like if the number of kids that were kicked out or ran away from home was included in this research? Where would LGBTQ minors go if they did moved out of their hometown?
- How could intersectionality change your connection with your community, once they found out another community that you identify with? For example like Brandon situation being black and queer.
- In Brandon's story they talked about him having a "gay outlet" why would having an outlet in life be crucial? If not explain why?
- Using John's story how would we graph him on the gender unicorn? Also John describes that he is not sure if "gay" is the right word to describe him, What term do you think would identify John better and why?
1. In my experience nowadays being gay is almost not an issue in today’s media. I was recently watching “The Office” and there was an episode where one of the characters is forcibly outted. Many of the characters have an immature reaction about it and one has a hateful reaction. I had forgotten how even only ten to fifteen years ago this was the norm in media. (Though Matt Baume on YT does a great retrospective of the history of queerness in media.) Nowadays there are queer characters even in children’s cartoons (Steven Universe, Eleven Forever etc.) something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. It’s even beyond all my hopes I had a young person. It’s not perfect, but it’s a vast, vast improvement to when I was growing up.
ReplyDelete2. I’m sure the numbers go way up. I think queer youth are still the biggest subgroup of runaways. As for where they’d go, I think that varies from situation to situation, but many of them at least used to wind up in subway stations or under bridges. My brother in law was homeless for many years as a teen and young adult (he’s not gay, he didn’t want to be in foster care, long story…) and he used to “couch surf” with friends. I know that’s what many kids in the punk culture do, many kids at my high school did it as well. So, I imagine it depends on the local culture and what support system they may have.
3. Again, this could vary wildly to where it may not matter at all to changing everything. It really depends on the interaction of cultures you intersect with.
4. Well everyone needs an outlet. It’s about stress management. Everyone gets tired of their “baggage” at some point. Most of us need a chance to lay down that burden or we’ll die of exhaustion.
5. I can't seem to paste the image I made with my limited tech skills, sorry. Anyway I put down mostly male presenting with some other gender in his own presentation and attraction to as he doesn't identify as totally gay.
1. I think LGBTQ representation in media nowadays is an improvement from those in the past. Although sometimes it feels like some of these representations are sort of just their to make the media they appear in seem more inclusive.
ReplyDelete2. I think the numbers would definitely increase because there are many who still see having queer children as shameful in their eyes. I think LGBTQ minors could eventually move to an orphanage or even make a living on their own given enough time and effort.
3. I think intersectionality could help many people connect with their communities more. In my own personal case, I feel like I am both an American Citizen and apart of the Asian community. However, I think I could potentially be closer to both groups by participating more in social gatherings, etc.
4. I think having a way to release stress or other emotions that have you've been holding on to is healthy and a great way to manage your stress. I for instance, play video games or hang out with friends when I think life gets too hard. I think almost everybody needs to have some sort of outlet.
5. I'm sorry I don't really know how to edit an image properly, but I think John is mostly male when presenting his gender identity. Sex Assigned at Birth I circled male. For the sexually and emotionally attracted to sections I think John would fall into the other gender category because he doesn't seem comfortable with being labeled as gay.
1. I think that now in 2020 the media is trying to demonstrate people within the LGBTQ community as more multidimensional rather than stereotyping them. I think that the media in 2020 has shown LGBTQ representation as more diverse than in past years but could be improved upon even more.
ReplyDelete2. For minors who have been kicked out or run away from their homes I would say that this ethnographic account would be very different in its evaluation of how minors from rural areas are able to self-identify as part of the LGBTQ community. I think that for many minors who have been kicked out or run away from their hometown they would most likely be homeless if they were not able to be assisted by the limited LGBTQ youth resources.
3. I think intersectionality plays a huge role in how people are able to self-identify themselves. In society, I think most people are more concerned with whether someone fits into one category but not multiple categories. However, this way of thinking about people is very unrealistic as the majority of people fit into more than one category and are not just limited to one box and this mindset takes away from the fact that people have multiple aspects that make them who they are.
4. I think having an outlet is very important as it can help someone have a distraction from their day to day life. I also think if some people do not have an outlet there is nothing wrong with that but I do think it is essential for most people as it provides them a space to connect with people that share similar interests to them.
5. In terms of the gender unicorn graph, I would say that for John, I would classify him as male for gender identity, gender expression, and sex assigned at birth categories. For the sexually attracted to... and emotionally attracted to... categories I think I would check mark both men and women for John. I think that I agree with John in that gay does not really accurately represent him since he is not only attracted to men solely. However, I would say that John would better be identified as someone who is pansexual since this is a term in reference to someone who is not necessarily attracted to just one biological sex but this term also does not take away from his love of bondage.
1. I think LGBTW representation in the media has had improvement and is changing for the better. They are included in media, like tv, much more and I think it is good that they are being included to teach others to be open-minded.
ReplyDelete2. If kids who were kicked out or ran away were included in this data, I think the statistics would be more complicated and much different. The ones mentioned in the article had some place to stay, but those who are kicked out or run away might not have anywhere to go. If they did move out, I think they would stay with someone they know or go to a shelter.
3. Intersectionality could change our connection with the community if you identify with more than one because it could create a greater sense of belonging. It can also allow you to explore with identity more freely.
4. For any person, I think having an outlet is a healthy way to express your emotions instead of holding it inside. For me, therapy is my outlet and sometimes having that can make you feel a whole lot better.
5. For the Gender Unicorn Graph, I would put male for the first 3 sections. Because he is not sure if "gay" is the best way to describe him, I would put other for the last two sections. I agree with Stephanie; from his description, I think the term pansexual would identify John better because he does not limit himself to just one gender.
1. The text does mention that previously there is hardly any available information regarding LGBT and that it is hard to access it. However, nowadays it is literally everywhere. For example, I think half of all romance shows I can think of showcases homosexual relationships or other LGBT content. The representation is often done positively.
ReplyDelete2. The people in this text are hiding their attractions from their family since they need an outlet and is often found online. They have to imagine coming out to their families because they do not have the courage to do it themselves. This lack of courage I think, is due to the unsupportive reactions from family members like punishing their children. I think the numbers would be much higher.
3. The people in the text mentioned that even the queer communities do not identify with them because they are also black and the people in the community can only identify with the queerness but not the blackness. This makes them feel more left out because other straight black kids cannot identify with them in the queer department. So a community would be helpful to these individuals and make them feel like they belong.
4. I think having an outlet in life would be crucial because many families are not supportive of their attraction. They can imagine coming out to their own parents when they read the experiences of others online. They can cling to that support.
5. No John is just gay. Where John is confused is that he thinks that in order to fit in the definition of gay, you have to not be into bondage and want to settle down. But I hope he realizes that you can be gay and be into bondage and not want to settle down. He's attracted to men, he is gay and that is where I would put him on the gender unicorn because I do not think there is another sexuality term for him.
1. Two decades later I feel like LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media hasn't changed drastically, it's improved because there is more diverse representation. I still think most LGBTQ+ are more comfortable online or talking to friends, because it's more realistic than how the LGBTQ+ experience is portrayed in media.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the numbers would be higher for if kids that run aways or were kick out of their homes were included in the data, LGBTQ+ minor would probably go to the city if the left their hometown or friend in a different town.
3. Intersectionality could create a possible identity crisis, in Brandons case if he wasn't accepted by his black friends he could have felt like he was no longer a part of them and he said in the article a lot of the chatrooms he found didn't have other black people, so that could make him feel alienated from the LGBTQ+ community because there's no one there that he can specially identify with.
4. I think that a gay outlet might be important because it gives Brandon a place to be himself, since people can be prejudice and gay people are marginalized, Brandon is probably altering his parts of himself in his daily life, so a gay outlet is probably somewhere he doesn't have to be mindful of everything that he's doing.
5. John on the gender Unicorn is male in his gender identity, I think that his gender expression is masculine, sex expressed at birth might be male, he is sexually attracted to people willing to try bondage with him and emotionally attracted to men because in the article he didn't talk about any previous relationships with women and he talks about "possibly" settling down with his boyfriend. I don't know of a term to describe John but it is also possible that he is gay and because he isn't similar to the gay people around him, he could think maybe he not gay.
1. I feel as if now the representation of the LGBTQ+ community has improved because they are not just stereotypical characters anymore and some shows even dedicate episodes on the difficulties of being part of the community.
ReplyDelete2. If those children were included in the data then the results would be much higher depending in the area of the study as well. I feel as if many minors would be homeless if no relative/ friends would be able to help them and take them in.
3. Some communities aren't very accepting to the LGBTQ+ community because it is not part of their culture or religion so some families might dismiss their family members over that.
4. Having a sort of outlet is essential for many young and even older members of the community because it gives them the ability to express themselves freely and relief themselves from the pressure they hold from hiding their true identity.
5. I would classify john as male for gender, gender expression, and sex assigned at birth. For the sexually attracted to I would put him for men and for emotionally i would put both men and women since he doesn't classify himself as fully gay.
1. I think LGBTQ representation in the media has improved by a lot. For the most part, I think individuals belonging in the LGBTQ community are not represented in stereotypical ways anymore, and it seems to be much more realistic.
ReplyDelete2. I think the data would be very different if the number of kids that were kicked out or ran away from home was included in this research. LGBTQ minors that moved out of their hometown might go to a bigger city where they can find an LGBTQ community.
3. It could be very difficult for the individuals, especially if members of one community aren’t accepting of your identity. It could be very unhealthy too if someone is constantly trying to hide one of their identities and might make someone choose one over the other.
4. Having an outlet is crucial because it allows people to express themselves and connect with others.
5. I would say John’s gender identity is male, his gender expression is masculine and his sex assigned at birth is male. I would say he might be sexually and emotionally attracted to both men and women, but mostly men.I am not sure what word would describe John best even though he isn’t 100% sure the term “gay” is right for him.