Homosexuality and the Media

Times have changed. In the modern world we live in, those of "different" sexual orientations, such as homosexuality, are free to do what they want without fear of being judged, harmed, or persecuted for their actions and feelings. As such, the media has responded accordingly. Never before have members of the LGBTQ community have been so well-represented. What was once a taboo subject has now become a strong focus on the screen and on the internet. However, is the media just capitalizing on this new-found acceptance of homosexuality? In the past decade or so, the inclusion of gay and lesbian characters on TV and in film has risen dramatically. While on the surface, this would appear that the media has embraced homosexuals, a more in-depth analysis shows reveals something far more troublesome. What originally started out as an positive representation of the gay and lesbian community, one that showed the general public there was nothing to be afraid of while simultaneously empowering those who are of a homosexual orientation, has evolved into almost a joke. Now, it seems that the media is using gays and lesbians as a fad of sorts, only inserting them to help drive ratings up. While it is a positive to show those who may be different than the "norm", the way the media does it is almost sickening. In the eyes of the media, there must be an appropriate amount of gay to show. In my opinion, there are two ends to the spectrum of what is acceptable. One on side lies those who do not act as if they are gay. These people tend to do "normal" things and are forced to hide their sexual orientation from the world. On the other side of the coin are those who act flamboyantly gay. These people are proud of their sexual orientation and must share it with the world any chance they get. Both of these lead to problems in the sense that we have created a false reality where homosexuality is perceived as something different, rather than something that is normalized.