Something Queer Here Reading

In chapter one, “There’s something Queer Here”, Doty talks about how the word "gay" no longer covers a range of sexualities, but instead uses the term “queer” or “queerness” to cover various sexualities. He talks about how using the word “gay” and talking about the subject used to be a touchy subject because many things and people were not yet openly gay, like today. He suggests that even during these times media still appealed to the queer and had subtle queer instances. He says as a gay man he chose to identify with the female characters because of the way he viewed himself with feminine qualities. He also says, that a lesbian woman and a straight women may choose to identify with the character. He gives the example of the character Russell, in Gentleman Prefer Blondes. Although, she is a women is depicted in a butch-femme way and has ‘male’ mannerisms, like holding the door open for another woman. He concludes in saying that “queerness has been in popular culture and their audiences all along” (Doty, 16). I think Doty's main idea is that despite your sexual orientation queer culture is there and experienced. 

In today’s media, more specifically TV shows are becoming openly gay or queer, as Doty would put it. Maybe media has always had “queerness” to it, but until recently it wasn’t open. The first example I can think of is Pretty Little Liars, which aired in 2010 on ABC Family. ABC Family is known for covering hardships teens go through by addressing it through their characters and offering support after the episodes. I remember watching Pretty Little Liars and being shocked as one of the characters on the show, Emily Fields, comes out as lesbian. What was even more astonishing was the episodes showed her kissing girls. There was a lot of talk as to the show should be taken down off ABC Family because it is made for families. ABC Family does not censor heterosexual scenes of kissing as they are viewed as romantic. So, why when its two women is it concerned “too much”. I think by bringing in openly gay scenes and characters to medias its opening doors to the future. Viewers can choose to identify with whomever they choose queer or non-queer.

Another example that raised uproar in negative and positive ways was the release of Orange is the New Black in 2013. As media was more openly gay, it was viewed as acceptable as showing some scenes of kissing, but never like this. Orange is the New Black covers not only lesbians as pretty feminine women, but also as butch. The show also has a trans-gender female. There were rumors about the show being taken off Netflix because of the rated R content, but it was not taken down. It is now one of the most watched shows despite the criticism of the “queerness” of the show. 

In my opinion I like that our medias are being bold and including queerness openly. There are LGBT people all over and I think it’s a wonderful thing they can be open and happy. Why do they have to be excluded, or censored?