LGBT Community
Tell me, why can’t we accept people as people and not label them? Good morning/afternoon I am Jacinta Strathearn and today I am presenting to you an on-going issue of the marginalized group LGBT community. For those who aren’t aware the LGBT community are a group of people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender in our society. Throughout this presentation you will quickly learn that the media has an enormous amount of power over society. The unequal treatment of the LGBT community by the media must be addressed. The unnecessary attention to their sexuality stereotypes alienates them from the rest of society. While the equal treatment of the LGBT community has grown over time there is still a lot of adjustments that need to be made in order for them to be treated equally. It will become evident that the media uses positive and negative, sensationalized, biased and powerful representation of the LGBT community.
An Instagram post made by Israel Folau’s proclaims ‘hell awaits drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators.’ This comment has damagingly portrayed the LGBT community on social media causing a media outburst of negativity. The significance of this post was so highly portrayed through the use of a recent 7 news report ‘Israel Folau’s has been found guilty of a high level breech of the professional code of conduct.’ Both Israel Folau’s and the 7 news were fishing for a reaction from the viewers and readers of the media. The comment made by Israel Folau’s positioned the audience to believe that drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators are minorities of this society. The word ‘hell’ is portrayed as a place for criminals and evil people. Classing homosexuals with these groups of people can influence readers to believe that they do belong together due to the fact that the other ‘category’s’ are highly minimized. However, this post may divide the supporters Israel Folau has built up over the years. 7 news has portrayed the Instagram post as high level breech of professional code of conduct. Therefore, the use of language and the representation of the information was portrayed negatively by the 7 news report. Consequently, the significance of an idol/ famous person portrayed throughout the media can influence the viewer’s thoughts and actions. Therefore, it is evident that the media influences the audience position of the LGBT community.
Although the LGBT community’s growth of equality has improved over time, there is still a long way to go to reach full equality. The media portrays the LGBT community as a marginalized group, a particular stereotype depending on how you identify and people of an extreme nature. The perspectives of a young woman Dale Holliday has expressed how she believes the media and people of society treat the LGBT community. ‘ The LGBT community is alienated, attacked both verbally and physically more than they’re not. Things are slowly changing but society still has a long way to go before we’re truly accepted.’ The use of the adjective ‘alienated’ and the verb ‘attacked’ positions the readers to believe that the LGBT community feel separated and criticized by society for being themselves. ‘Society still has a long way before we’re truly accepted.’ The use of emotive language positions the audience to realize that the LGBT community receive unequal treatment from our society. It influences society to improve and grow to accept people as people and not label them.
The power of the medias impact of the view on the LGBT community is influential when coming from the government Tony Abbott. Tony Abbott expressed his view on the LGBT community stating ‘ Already, indeed, same-sex couples in a settled domestic relationship have exactly the same rights as people who are married.’ The influential language Tony Abbott uses belittles the LGBT community causing them to feel separated from society. This statement positions the audience to believe this is true by using confident and clear language to clearly outline the main point. The audience is also easily persuaded due to the fact that Tony Abbott is highly listened too throughout the media. The use of logical and ethical language throughout the media portrays the values, attitudes and beliefs of Tony Abbotts view on the LGBT community. The influential language Tony Abbott uses belittles the LGBT community causing them to feel separated from society. The issue of the media unfairly portraying the LGBT community has to come to an end. We need to treat people as people and treat them equally without labeling them.
The main source of information comes from the media which then influences us to believe what we see and hear is always true. However, many of us are not aware that the information gathered is usually not produced as the full story. A recent 7 news report ‘James Faulkner five-year-long same-sex relationship’ was an interpretation of information from the media. James Faulkner posted a picture of his mother, and long term business partner, with a caption of ‘birthday dinner with the boyfriend (best mate!!!).’ 7 news did not consult James Faulkner and assumed that he had ‘come out’. 7 news positioned the audience to believe that James Faulkner revealed a same-sex relationship with his best mate. This was done by the use of persuasive language, social ‘proof’ and the use of repetition. Using these techniques persuade the audience to trust the interpreted information. It was later revealed that James Faulkner was not in a same-sex relationship. It is evidentially shown that the media does not always provide the right facts. Therefore, can create untrue conceptions of the LGBT community, alienating the community from society. Consequently, this then influences the society’s understanding of the information. Therefore, it is evident that the use of sensationalized information is overly used within the media when representing the LGBT community.
Subsequently, the media has a lot of power over our society, influencing our thoughts and actions towards the marginalized group LGBT community. It has become evident that the media’s portrayal of the LGBT community is influential towards the viewers of society. The media uses positive and negative, sensationalized, biased and powerful representation of the LGBT community to position the viewers and readers. Therefore, the unequal treatment of the LGBT community by the media must be addressed. The unnecessary attention to their sexuality stereotypes alienates them from the rest of society. While the unequal treatment of the LGBT community has diminished over time there still is a lot of adjustments that need to be made in order for them to be treated equally. So as a society we need to work together to enable an equal and welcoming society for the LGBT community. We need to accept people as people and not label them.
