The De-Gayification of American Media
By Josh Aterovis

For one brief, shining moment in U.S. history -- before the Lawrence vs. Texas decision and the gay marriage debate -- it was cool to be gay. At least in the American media. Just a few years ago, we were everywhere. The Queer Eye guys were a phenomenon that crossed all lines and barriers, there were 20 LGBT characters on network TV, gay books were more popular than ever, and news coverage was positive and sympathetic.

Today, after a nationwide backlash against all things gay, there are fewer gay characters on television, gay books are under attack, and anti-gay politicians and religious leaders crowd the airwaves. It's the de-gayification of American media, and I believe it's quite intentional.

Libraries are virtually under siege by conservatives around the country. These self-righteous, uptight parents and politicians are working to have gay books and periodicals removed from the shelves. The American Library Association reports that attempts to have library books removed from shelves increased by more than 20 percent in 2004 over the previous year. Three books with gay themes were among the works most criticized -- Maya Angelou's memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and King & King, by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland.

Conservative anger over King & King prompted the Oklahoma House of Representatives to pass a resolution that would ban books on gay families from the children's sections of public libraries throughout the state. Recently, in Columbus, Ohio, several dozen people demanded that the library remove two gay publications, Outlook Weekly and Gay People's Chronicle. The library voted unanimously to keep the magazines, but did move them to an area that is harder to access.

Politicians at every level of government, from the President on down, are using gay issues for political gain. Whether it's fighting gay marriage or banning gay books, the LGBT community has become the ultimate political hot button, even surpassing the old standby -- abortion. Barely a day goes by that I don't read about some new instance of a politician or religious leader spouting homophobic, hate-filled rhetoric.

TV may be the worst example. In 2001, not only was Will & Grace ruling the ratings, but that year's fall season even included a bisexual father and a transgender best friend. All in all, there were 20 LGBT characters on network stations, and many more on cable. Four years later, instead of seeing progress, we've actually regressed. According to GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), there will only be 16 regular, supporting, or reoccurring gay, lesbian, or bisexual characters (no transgender) on network shows this fall. While that's up from 11 last year, when you look at the big picture, it's still quite discouraging. Those 16 characters appear on just 14 shows out of a total of 110. Gay, lesbian, or bisexual characters only make up 2 percent of all characters on the 2005-2006 season.
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