"Lesbian and gay stereotyping involves nuances of prejudice and dehumanisation and often subjects these characters to ridicule. The portrayal of lesbian and gay stereotypes in the media misleads the general public into thinking that being lesbian or gay is a matter of performance or lifestyle choice. These heterocentric mediatypes may have a negative influence on how lesbian and gay people are perceived by the general public" (Chung 101).
In media, lesbians are usually put into two categories: a Femme/Lipstick or a Butch. A Femme or Lipstick lesbian is known as being more feminine and girly, while a butch lesbian is known as being more masculine, the man of the pair, or what is known as a dyke. The media has separated lesbians into two different categories so it is easy to find characters that fit into these stereotypes. Furthermore, there has been more of an emphasis on lesbians being butch. In the media, people can see lesbians being portrayed as wearing more baggy, boyish clothing, having a short haircut, and liking a lot of rock music. It seems as if there are two extremes to lesbians and that there can only be a feminine lesbian or a masculine lesbian. Furthermore, the media has shown that in a relationship between two women, there is usually one who is more feminine, while the other is masculine. An example of this is famous talk show host Ellen Degeneres and her wife Portia De Rossi. Ellen is to be seen as the "man" of the relationship and Portia as the "woman." Even though these stereotypes and generalizations are not always true, the media has made it seem as if these are the only things lesbians should be known as.
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Throughout society today, there are several examples of gay men in media and they usually follow a certain stereotype. For instance, gay men are usually feminine, which means they are more interested in fashion, interior design, and superficiality. The media also expresses that gay men are more likely to follow professions in those fields. In addition, gay men are also stereotyped to be interested in Broadway show tunes and theater. Gays have also been stereotyped as promiscuous, and being rumored to carrying sexually transmitted diseases such as aids. However, ever since the fight for equality in marriage came about, gay men in the media are now stereotyped to be in a long-term relationship with a desire to create a family, like in the popular television series "Modern Family". Regardless of the fact that it is a more positive stereotype, it is still a stereotype, as all gay men might not be interested in settling down and creating a family.
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