Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

LGBT representation and activism occupy a precarious position in our political and cultural landscapes. With new Supreme Court nominees shifting the ideological makeup of the court, previous political gains for the LGBT community such as gay marriage have become vulnerable. Politics seep into media and vice versa and political activism and media activism share similar goals and barriers. Understanding LGBT representation on television can help enlighten cultural and political perceptions of the LGBT community. In this paper, I weave together analysis of salient LGBT representation, censorship documents such as the Production Code and the Television Code and past LGBT activism to understand contemporary representations of LGBT characters as well as fans’ activist responses. I argue that historical industry codes and wider cultural norms rooted in systemic structures of homophobia have facilitated troubling treatment of contemporary LGBT characters. I hone in on the industrial factors that have perpetuated negative portrayals of LGBT representation on television as well as assess the ways fans from all over the world employ social media to promote human connection, foster community and mobilize. By examining fan activism’s history and the current activist group, LGBT Fans Deserve Better, I uncover how this movement incorporates older activist strategies with newer technological tools to lobby for better LGBT representation on television.