Sexuality

Sexuality

• Sexual orientation is:

– A pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, both genders, neither gender, or another gender.

Homosexual stereotypes

• It’s just a phase

• All gay men will die of AIDS

• All gay men are feminine

• All gay women are butch

• Gay men can’t marry or have children

• Looked down on – seen as abnormal

• Seen as an illness that can be cured

Bisexual stereotypes

• Bisexuality isn’t real

• Bisexuals are confused, undecided, dabblers, insecure, experimenting, ‘greedy’

• People are either gay, straight or lying

• Bisexuals are promiscuous

Heterosexual stereotypes

• Monogamous

• It’s the norm

• Male partners are abusers

• Straight couples always have children

Media representations

• Give people a broad view of sexuality

• Give the wrong impression

• Used to make TV more interesting

• People can relate to characters

Tessa Perkins – theory

• Tessa Perkins – truth to every stereotype

– Gay women often (not always) act ‘butch’ – dress and act like men

– Gay men often (not always) very camp – speak with a lisp and interested in fashion

– Meterosexual men are making the traditional ‘camp’ homosexual stereotype less relevant

– Straight couples often have high rate of infidelity and divorce