Gender Diversity Advocacy project: Language in the lgbtq+ community

According to Nielsen’s “Being Seen On Screen: Diverse Representation & Inclusion on TV” report (2020), there has been an increase in LGBTQ+ on-screen representation over the past couple of years. There has even been an increase in demand for overall diverse representation by viewing audiences (Nielsen, 2020). Unfortunately, oftentimes the media will check a diversity and inclusion box just by including characters or actors from the LGBTQ+ community while still perpetuating negative stereotypes about them in the roles they play. This underscores the difference between “presence” and “representation” of the LGBTQ+ community. For example, typically you’ll see a gay male character in a TV show acting in a supporting role as the “gay best friend” who is really flamboyant but doesn’t have a lot of character development.

There is still a long way to go in regards to accurate and equal representation of the various gender expressions of the LGBTQ+ community in the media. However, we’ve included examples of steps that have been taken in the right direction in the following list:

Historically, the LGBTQ+ community has not been treated equally in the United States of America. According to Koppelman (2020), institutional heterosexism has been so prevalent that the LGBTQ+ community has had to consistently vouch and fight for their rights to be treated as equals among the heterosexual community. Despite the debunking of myths that have perpetuated about the LGBTQ+ community over the years, hate crimes aimed toward the LGBTQ+ community are still the most common hate crime in the U.S. (Koppelman, 2020).

Recently, more federal legislation has been issued toward the advancement of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, such as the Equality Act that amends the current Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Equality Act would provide consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service (The Equality Act, 2021). On February 25, 2021, the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, but in order for the Equality Act to be signed into law, it must be approved by the Senate majority. The House passed the Equality Act in 2019, highlighting the constant battle and hurdles that the LGBTQ+ community has gone through just to attain equality under the law.

Adjacently, you will find a few recent news articles that have played pivotal roles in the advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community in this country.