Gays in the media

[WillParkinson]

Recently there was a thread about "Glee" where some people said that they did not watch it due to Kurt's portrayal of a gay person on TV.

I wanted to get more in-depth representation of gay people on television and decided to start with the one I just watched:

Riley Stavros from Degrassi: http://degrassi.wikia.com/wiki/Riley_Stavros

Star player on the football team. Closeted gay person. Self-loathing. Wants to not be gay. Goes to therapy until he finds out it will cost him $2000 or more to get "de-gayed". Commits a violent act against an openly gay teen on the show. Near the end of the episode there is a confrontation with the same teen in the men's room that leads to him being asked "how is the self-hatred and violence working out for you?"

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What other representations, positive or negative, have you seen on TV?

[qb]

1. A couple of old movie references with mixed messages

In Sleepaway Camp (1983), Angela's father is in a happy, loving relationship with another man. However, there is the implication that this relationship contributed to Angela's psychosis.

In Kindergarten Cop (1990), one of the mothers is devastated because her husband left her for another man, and Arnold's character is sympathetic towards the mother and disapproving towards the father. However, later in the movie, her son proudly proclaims he has 3 dads, which is played for laughs, but is still positive imo.

I think in some respects, the celebrities' adage that "Any publicity is good publicity" applies. Aside from the blatant portrayal of sexual confusion inevitably leading to violent crime sprees, somewhat accurate portrayals of non-heterosexuality in the popular media further establish us as indisputable members of society.

Any implication that gays have to act straight to be accepted is bs.