The De-Gayification of American Media
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"Gay characters on dramas suffer even more indignities than their sitcom counterparts. With the multitude of procedural crime dramas on the air, you'd think there would be would be at least one main or supporting LGBT character...but you'd be wrong. LGBT characters are relegated to one of two roles on these shows -- they're either villain or victim. For instance, Fox's new crime drama "Killer Instinct," is actually set in the heavily gay-populated San Francisco and features the rape and murder of a lesbian in the pilot episode -- yet features no LGBT "series regulars" to investigate crimes.

In fact, the only network drama to introduce new gay characters this season is NBC's "Inconceivable," a show about an infertility clinic that features a gay male couple who recently had a child through surrogacy. "Desperate Housewives" on ABC will continue to develop Andrew Van De Camp's troubled character, and an NBC midseason show will feature a supporting character who is the gay Republican son of an Episcopal priest on "The Book of Daniel." NBC's "ER" dropped its lone lesbian character, Dr. Kerry Weaver, to reoccurring status.

Reality shows continue to be the most inclusive genre on television. On the broadcast networks, the new seasons of UPN's "America's Next Top Model," and CBS' "Big Brother" and "Survivor," include gay and lesbian cast members and contestants. And for the first time, NBC's "The Apprentice" will feature openly gay participants on both the Donald Trump and new Martha Stewart versions.

The N, a popular cable network for teens, will have not one, but two shows featuring gay or lesbian teens. "Degrassi: The Next Generation" features gay high school student Marco and his boyfriend. This fall, The N will introduce a new teen drama series, "South of Nowhere," a high school-set story where two female students explore their friendship and feelings for each other. ABC Family is developing a show about a teen boy discovering his sexuality and same-sex attraction called "Just a Phase."

While many people dismiss TV as mindless entertainment, or as Frank Lloyd Wright once said, "bubblegum for the mind," research has shown that it has more impact than we think. Studies from the University of Minnesota have found that exposure to positive portrayals of gay characters on television and in film can reduce levels of prejudice among viewers. That's why it's more important than ever that we have positive gay characters on network TV, where more viewers can see them on a regular basis.

We need to support quality shows with LGBT characters and encourage networks to continue making us a part of the stories they tell. We need to fight back against those who wish to censor LGBT books in our public and school libraries. We need to make our voices heard so that the negative anti-gay messages from politicians and religious leaders are not the only ones being heard. If we want to move forward, we have to stop the de-gayification of American media.

© Josh Aterovis, All Rights Reserved. Article provided by GayLinkContent.com