Language

English (en)

Prize Year

2018

Document Type

Unrestricted

Abstract

Having grown up in the age of New Media, I was practically raised by TV. It provided me with comfort and guidance, while also helping me improve my reading and use of different social cues. Some may argue that TV has become obsolete in the past few years. However, thanks to streaming capabilities and network subscriptions, TV shows are more readily available to be consumed on a regular basis. Therefore, they continue to hold influence over our daily lives and perceptions of reality despite the growth of other forms of media. For example, the relatively recent increase in gay representation on TV mirrors the ongoing mainstreaming of homosexuality. However, on-screen gay characters usually portray a “homonormative” queerness -- an idealized form of queerness that abides by and upholds the dominance of white heteronormativity (Kohnen 28). These depictions subordinate and denigrate the diverse arrays of queer lifestyles, especially for black queers. In addition to the unjust amount of cruelty black queers face as racial and sexual minorities, their voices have been silenced and eclipsed by the white majority. TV may have broadened its diversity of sexual orientation, but that “progress” has only furthered racial disparities within the LGBTQ+ community. On-screen characters became some of my biggest role models; yet, as I got older, I realized that those characters did. not share my experiences as a black queer/questioning youth. I realized that, according to TV, people like me had no value in society. As a platform that creates a visceral experience and understanding of oneself and others, the increasing prevalence of white queer representation on TV juxtaposed with the limited amount of black queer visibility reflects and perpetuates the assumed otherness of queer people of color.

Instructor/Course

Boese, College Writing I

Comments

Winning Research Paper, Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize, 2018

Download

Share

COinS