From when I was a baby until the age of nine, my parents hired housekeepers or nannies to take care of my siblings and I, and also to do house chores. They were usually female housekeepers however, when I was about eight years old, my parents hired a gay housekeeper. He was tall, thin, and had shoulder length hair. He stayed in a room that we previously had and still had all our (my siblings and I) clothes in it. So one time, I was looking for something in his room and I opened one of the drawers, I found his underwear. He had men’s underwear. This stunned my eight year old self because I expected him to wear women’s underwear. He was feminine in his actions and used stereotypical gay lingoes. Through the media, I was introduced to the stereotypes of how gay men would act and what they would wear.
The media in the Philippines portrayed gay men as people who wear scarves around their necks, even though it was 25-27 degrees outside, and who also acted very feminine. Some of them even wear women’s clothes, with a lot of sequins, and a fringe swept to one side of their face. Society assumes that gay men must act feminine and men that are slightly feminine are presumed gay.
Gay men aren't the only ones that are victimized by these stigmas. Stereotypes against lesbians also exist. They are assumed to act and look masculine. Lesbians are portrayed in the media as independent and tough women who have certain dislike towards men. Gay people that don’t usually have the feminine or masculine characteristics are often confronted by this statement: “But you don’t look gay.” People are used to seeing feminine gays and masculine lesbians in the media that they think those are the only possible characteristics they would have.
These stereotypes exist because we allow the media to influence us about these ideas. Even gays and lesbians don’t like how they are portrayed in the media, they want more realistic and diverse characters (Robinson).
However, these awesome people show society that not everyone fit into the stereotypical gay characteristics:
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| Neil Patrick Harris |
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| Matt Bomer |
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| Portia de Rossi |
In the recent years, the media has been trying to lessen characters that are stereotypically perceived as gays and lesbians. Now, they are showing more gays and lesbians that don’t fit the stereotype or introducing characters that do not follow society’s expectations of them. The TV sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, shows a perfect example of how gay men don’t have to have feminine characteristics. James, Barney’s brother, is portrayed as a masculine man who can attract heterosexual girls.
Another example is the Danny from Teen Wolf. He is the opposite of the stereotypical gay men. He is considered a jock at their high school and has no femininity in him.
However, I think that these stereotypes shouldn't exist anymore. Gays and lesbians can look and act like a heterosexual person, its just that they are attracted to the same gender. Just like how heterosexual men and women shouldn't have to justify their sexuality because they don’t look and act like the social norm.
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| Wayne Brady played Barney's gay brother |
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| Keahu Kahuanui plays Danny |
Questions :
- So, what if you were in there place and were asked why you don’t look like the social norm for your sexuality, how would you feel?
- Why do we have to categorize ourselves to a certain gender?
- Why can’t we just be people that accept how each of one of us look?
- Do you think stereotypically gay men and women are more accepted in the society or the ones that don’t fit into the stereotype?
- Do you think stereotypes will ever go away?
*None of these photos are mine and only using them for education.
Robinson, James. "One in five unhappy with portrayal of homosexuality on TV, report claims." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 30 Sept. 2010. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/sep/30/one-five-uncomfortable-homosexuality>.
I completely agree with you. Stereotypes should not be there at all. If i were to put myself in their shoes, i would be very offended if someone asked me why i don’t look like the social norm for my sexuality. The stereotypes do not only affect gay people but also heterosexuals as well. For example, females who wear baggy clothing are termed as tomboys. In most cases, they are labelled as lesbians. These stereotypes are taught to us through media, family peers and, many other sources. They revolve around us hence cannot be avoided. That is why i think stereotypes will never go away because they will continuously be passed on from to generation-to-generation.
ReplyDeleteYes, i do think that stereotypically gay men and women are accepted in society than those who do not fit into the stereotype. This is because they already have the characteristics that society expects of them so they are more accepted. One can look at it as a test in the sense that the gay people who portray the stereotypes that surround them pass the test and are therefore more accepted by society. When one is born, they are automatically identified as male or female. I think this is the reason why we have to categorize ourselves to a certain gender because that is the information that was presented to us from birth. The fact that there are terms that define who a person is attracted to just shows to what extent our stereotypical our society is.
I really like the topic you chose for your blog post. It was a very interesting read and I agree completely to your views. Firstly I want to mention how even in India (where my mom is from) they categorize homosexual men as extremely feminine individuals that dress themselves in floral women’s garments. They’re portrayed as though they are boisterous and have not a single drop of shame in their system. I think the reason they’re always portrayed in this feminine manner is because of the ignorant stereotypes placed on homosexuals. I would like to connect this to your last question “Do you think stereotypes will ever go away?” I would like to hope that stereotypes will eventually fade away but to be realistic, that isn’t going to happen. I mean yes of course stereotypes are being looked upon as a negative thing in today’s western society but there will always be a sliver of it lurking in the crevices of people’s minds. Individuals are grown and influenced into thinking a certain way from childhood. They’re influenced by the media and the people they know. For example, in the beginning you mentioned how you were shocked to find your homosexual housekeeper didn’t exactly fall under the stereotype that you perceived to be correct because of the media. This is understandable because you were young and were easily taught to think that way. It shows that people are just naturally brought up thinking a certain thing about a peculiar group which eventually leads to stereotyping that group. This argument can also apply to individuals who aren’t homosexual but don’t behave in the norm for their gender.-just like you said in the end. If a woman is ‘tomboyish’ and acts in a more masculine manner she is automatically perceived to be a lesbian.
ReplyDeleteIf I was in the place of any individual being stereotyped because I don’t fit under my sexuality’s norm, I would be extremely offended. People don’t have the right to class me-or any other individual- under their own perception of normal behavior for certain sexualities. They have the right to believe what they want but it’s wrong to force their opinions onto others-to mold them to their likings and what they deem acceptable.
Stereotypes can be very insulting and hurtful. It would be great if they were to be terminated from the society but it’s inevitable that there will always be those perceptions in peoples’ mind about certain groups. Instead I think we should try to educate people into accepting the reality of each group until we can lessen the concept of stereotyping into something insignificant.
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ReplyDeleteI agree stereotypically gay men and women are more accepted in the society because people like to believe in this distorted fact that gay people act more feminine as the truth. Due to the influence of the media, they produce movies and shows such as the Modern Family which portrays and shows the stereotypes of gay couples and how they would raise a child. So it’s a surprise when people meet an actual gay person and who doesn’t fit the stereotype description, they would be confused and misled to see the difference from how the media portrays a gay person and a real gay person.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that stereotypes will never go away because as a human, we like to categorize things from nations and tribes to foods and cultures. This happens because we like to recognize and understand things better and faster without going into too much detail. Stereotypes will never go away because it is based on what we learned in our schools and in our homes. We tend to recognize certain things that is triggered in our minds which it automatically enforces a stereotype by our personal experience.
It's a little embarrassing that we live in a culture that accepts (and at the very least, tolerates) many set of ideals, beliefs, and attitudes, but around the world, people are still drawing barriers between LGBT and the rest of society.
ReplyDeleteIt's as simple as stereotyping a subculture that isolates them from our own culture that subsequently evolve these so called "stereotypes" into what people will genuinely believe as "facts". As quoted by an anonymous spectator,
"Any community that gets its laughs by pretending to be idiots will eventually be flooded by actual idiots who mistakenly believe they are in good company."
How might this quote relate to LGBT stereotypes? Take this instance for example: A group of people make a joke about gays. People laugh briefly and carry on, not taking it to heart, but unbeknownst to them, a member who heard that specific joke may take it seriously on their own accord. It can make certain individuals think: "Oh? Gays wear scarves around their necks? Wow! This confirms my suspicions! It must be true about gays!". A blunt perspective, but unfortunately, real in the minds of those who are ignorant.
So, yes, Zoe. It's not right to highlight gays and assume they dress a certain way and have a specific personality. Having a belief for a generalized group of particular people consequently leads to prejudice, discrimination, and in worst cases, hate crimes. So I think it's important to realize the difference between stereotypes that revolve around LGBT people and the reality. Whether one is gay or straight, every human being is a unique individual that shouldn't be defined by certain assumptions or stereotypes.