But in instances where the TV does not provide good moral and role models for the teenagers then it is just to say that the TV programs are the major contributing factor towards homophobic tendencies among the society members. The lack of positive role modeling is also being viewed on the side of lesbians, gays and bisexual youth Kielwasser AP and Wolf MA ( 378)
. Most gays and lesbians in the society are brought up in a straight community with few gays and lesbians role models; thus they are specifically vulnerable to the portrayals of gay people in the mass media (Ryan & Futterman, 124).
The mainstream media has treated the sexual minorities as if they are not part of the human race, as if they do not exist. In addition, it was observed that the gay people of whichever age are rarely portrayed, and mostly the little portrayal they are given is normally negative. Gays and lesbians feel more vulnerable when they are growing up, at almost adolescence they are usually confused about their sexuality because there is no one to help them get through, and they can only rely on the few characters they get to view on TV Battles K. And Morrow-Hilton W ( 92)
. This little or no information about their sexuality that results to them isolating from the rest of the society because the society has only majored on heterosexuals leaving behind the non-heterosexuals hence instilling phobia on the majority (heterosexuals) who are not used to such sexual orientation.
Many programs hardly incorporate any aspect of gaiety in their script, and when they are shown, they are normally brought out in an asexual content. An example is the Matt Fielding in the series Melrose Place, where his sexual orientation was only prominently shown in promotions right before the actual show's premiere and thereafter, hardly featured in the program Wyatt DA ( 102)
. But recently, there are two actors with gay personality were openly features on NBC's popular prime-time series; Will and Jack, will and grace. In this series, there has been strong argument that they are reinforcing stereotypes about homosexuals traits, which include flamboyant, gays being feminine, and promiscuous Battles K. And Morrow-Hilton W ( 95)
According to the cultivation theory Gerbner G. et al.( 23)
, which says "watching television might influence viewers' attitude and beliefs through a process whereby the world as portrayed by the media comes to be perceived by viewers particularly those high volume viewers, as an accurate reflection of the reality." This implies that failure by the TV to recognize the non-heterosexual community sends a clear message that homosexuality is creepy, abnormal and extremely rare. In addition, Gerbner (57) adds that television is a major influence on the assumption the community has about the sexual minorities such as the bisexuals, gays and lesbians. This is because the community does not have experience with such people.
Although we are now seeing gays and lesbians portrayed in the mass media with greater frequency than ever before, as yet we know little about the effect of these portrayals on general public with largely negative attitudes towards homosexuals. The few experiments examining effects of media portrayals of homosexuals have shown some promising results. For example, Riggle et al.( 45)
had participants view a documentary film depicting events surrounding the life and death of a prominent gay politician. Those participants viewing the film had a significant positive change in attitudes toward homosexuals. Similarly, Walters (93) had two groups of participants' complete measures of homophobia and empathy for homosexuals at the beginning and end of a school term. One group of participants was exposed to lectures on homophobia and homosexuality along with slides and video scenarios to demonstrate how gays and lesbians are stereotyped in the media. At the end of the term, this group of participants showed an increase in empathy for homosexuals and a decrease in homophobia, whereas the group denied such experiences showed no changes in attitudes Walter ( 94)
Such research investigating the influence of the media on attitudes toward homosexuals is important because gays and lesbians are the target of considerable prejudice manifested in a wide range of behaviors from verbal attacks to violent physical attacks. For example it was found that due to their sexuality: (1) 90% of gay men and 75% of lesbians have been verbally harassed, (2) almost 50% of gay men and more than 33% of lesbians had been threatened with physical violence, and (3) 20% of gay men and 10% of lesbians had been physically assaulted United States Department of Justice ( 1)
61). In principle, adults tend to be drawn to potential romantic partners at least partly because part of the so-called chemistry between them reflects familiar aspects of their psychological pasts. Therefore, as pertains to marital communication issues, they are quite frequently direct consequences of the initial choice of partner more than anything else. When researchers examine the specific communication issues arising within unhappy marriages and other committed intimate relationships, one crucial
passing of the civil rights protection of homosexuals. This paper presents the views and reasons of the people who oppose the passing of this act. This paper then demonstrates the importance of the passing of this act and how it would benefit the society at large. The paper also highlights certain quotes to support its claim. Civil Rights Protection of Homosexuals Human beings claim to represent a society that is
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Queer Identity and Why Its Oppression Results in the Maitenance of Heteronormative Power Structures Ancient beliefs about human sexuality and hetero-normative power structure have transgressed ages and some of them are unfortunately still negatively influencing modern societies. Lucretius was describing in 60 BC the proper sexual position for women who were wives and not whores as that of a beast who is supposed to engage in sexual relationships with the sole purpose
Lesbian Health Care Lesbian Health Issues in a Heterosexual Society The additional burdens placed on the lives of minorities as a result of social exclusion can lead to health disparities. Social exclusion theory has been used in previous research to investigate the health disparities that exist between socioeconomic classes and individuals of different ethnic backgrounds living in the United States, but it has not yet been applied to another important minority group:
Dr. Philip G. Zimbardo has been a professor of Psychology at Stanford University since 1968 and is one of this nation's most famous psychological researchers. In 1970, his Stanford Prison Experiment dramatically illustrated the capacity of ordinary individuals to develop abusive and even sadistic impulses in a classic experiment that has been widely taught to undergraduate Psychology students for nearly four decades. More recently, Dr. Zimbardo was enlisted by the
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