Symbolic Annihilation - The Gay and Lesbian Case

The Gay and Lesbian Case

Like feminist scholars, gays and lesbians also argue that the misrepresentation of LGBT people in mainstream media has bolstered negative treatment towards many self-identified gay and lesbian individuals in the last century. Media educators Larry Gross and George Gerbner argue that "the commercial structure of the mass media limits the opportunity for representing diverse characters." Many similar scholars and activists feel entertainment media networks and film companies avoid portraying openly gay and lesbian characters in the plots of prime-time shows and big-budget films for fear of alienating or offending advertisers, investors, and audiences who remain loyal to heteronormativity.

Many LGBT activists posit profit motives scare away openly-gay or lesbian characters from scripts or advertising imagery due to the perceived repercussions or backlash of heterosexuals in the media consumer market.

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