The Importance of LGBT Representation in the Media
Imagine for a second what it would be like to never see people like you in the media. Everywhere you look, it’s another straight person, another cisgender person, and never any LGBT people. Imagine taking years to realize you’re LGBT because you simply don’t have any access to seeing it in the media. This is the unfortunate reality of being LGBT.
Many forms of media only show LGBT characters as side or supporting characters. While this is technically representation, it is not good representation. By only showing LGBT characters in supporting roles, a message is being sent that LGBT people might never be anything than just the sidekick for a cisgender heterosexual person. This is not the correct message to be sending to LGBT people, especially young and impressionable LGBT teens. It is important to make it known to LGBT youth that the story can be about them, and that they are more than just a supporting role, but this cannot be done with LGBT people only shown as supporting characters.
In addition, increased representation will likely increase acceptance for LGBT people in real life. Showing LGBT people in the media more often will normalize being LGBT. If someone sees a gay person on television often, it will be less new to them when they see a gay person in real life. The same idea applies to bisexual and transgender individuals as well. This is especially important for young children, who may not even know that a person can be LGBT due to lack of knowledge and representation. Better representation could possibly cut down on bullying amongst youth on the basis of being LGBT because it will be viewed as more common amongst people, and it will make realizing that you’re LGBT much less scary for young people.
LGBT representation is also necessary in music. Often times, music with romantic themes consists of people singing about their attraction to people of the opposite gender, even if the artist is LGBT. When there is music about being LGBT, it is often like Macklemore’s “Same Love”, a song performed by a straight person about gay people. While this song is good for raising awareness about homophobia, more music by and for LGBT people is necessary. An excellent example of this is the musician Hayley Kiyoko. Kiyoko is an LGBT artist, who frequently performs songs about her attraction to other women, such as the songs “Pretty Girl” and “Ease My Mind” off of her newest EP, Citrine. This kind of representation is vital for normalizing being LGBT in today’s society.
Better representation of LGBT individuals is critical for our society. This will likely increase support of the LGBT community amongst individuals, as well as help teach children that they can be LGBT and that it isn’t wrong or different. Better representation would also likely decrease the amount of discrimination on the basis of sexuality and gender identity that LGBT people experience. LGBT representation is the next step to creating a society that is more accepting of LGBT people everywhere.
