It is not very often
that you see members of the LGBTQ community represented on reality TV. MTV,
being well known for it’s reality TV shows such as “Jersey Shore, and “True
Life,” decided to change this and give members of the LGBTQ community their own
show. This new show is called “It Get’s Better.” David Hinckley wrote an
article (2012), “New MTV series tells gay teens that things improve once you have
survived the high school years,” about this particular show. The show is made
by the creators of the It Gets Better Project and explores the lives of three
teens struggling with various issues including coming out and being
transgendered. The show documents these struggles and how the teens face and
overcome them (Hinckley, 2012). I will examine the multitude of issues faced by these
teens as members of the LGBTQ community relating to Barbara Smith’s article
(1993) “Homophobia, Why Bring It Up?” and in addition the safe spaces found to
cope with these issues similarly found in Mary Gray’s article (2007) “From Websites to Wal-Mart: Youth, Identity Work, and the Queering of
Boundary Publics in Small Town, USA.”
In Smith’s article, she articulates that homophobia is usually the last form of oppression to be recognized and taken seriously. When homosexuality is recognized it is thought to be a white disease, and only affecting wealthy males (Smith, 1993, 113-114). Homosexuality is a lot more diverse than that, and Vanessa from the “It Gets Better” show exemplifies this. Vanessa is a black lesbian teenager whose mother refuses to accept this. Being black herself, you would think her mother would understand the negative effects of oppression of any form, but when it comes to this issue she does not. This refusal to believe that every person has an equal chance of becoming homosexual and denial when it does occur is exactly why it is not taken very seriously. This lack of recognition can potentially be fatal (Smith, 1993, 112), as shown through an additional character Gary on the show. Gary has been sent to the hospital because of his constant effort to be like everyone else and not be gay to please his family. Although he is white, homosexuality is brushed under the rug as something to be dealt with privately, not taking into consideration the life-destroying issues homosexuals face (Smith, 1993, 113). Fortunately, gay lesbian/feminist activism groups have made progress in bringing to light the oppression homosexuals face (Smith, 1993, 114).
The progress made by activist groups are successful, but many people have decided to take things into their own hands and spread the word further. Gray’s article (2007) investigates members of the LGBTQ community bringing light to homosexuality in rural areas, which sometimes need it the most. A certain LGBTQ group called HPA, has decided to perform drag shows through the aisles of Walmart, allowing Walmart to become a safe spot for homosexuals all around (Gray, 2007, 50). Although the HPA is white males with some spending money in their pockets, it is still a step in the right direction (Gray, 2007, 56). Furthermore, AJ, who is a female to male transgender, decided to take matters into his own hands as well. He created a blog documenting his step-by-step process of sexual reassignment. He came to the conclusion not much information was available on this topic, especially in his area, that provided such in depth detail and thought it should be known to help others dealing with similar things (Gray, 2007, 53-54). AJ is very similar to Ayden on the “It Gets Better” show, who is also a female to male transgender. Instead of sharing his journey through a blog he does it by participating in this television show, providing a safe space for all who watch.
All of the participants on this show provide a safe space for their viewers by sharing their setbacks and how they dealt with them. Ayden dealt with his setbacks by moving on with his life as a transgender and getting engaged to the women of his dreams. Vanessa continues to identify herself as a colored lesbian despite her mother’s disapproval, and eventually her mother learns to accept it. Lastly, Gary seeks help through support groups and eventually comes out to his family successfully (Hinckley, 2012). The It Get’s Better Project is all about the constant torment and bullying faced by members of the LGBTQ community while young, and tries to show them that things will look up, even though things seem tough. These people have developed a safe space for themselves by taking what life has handed them and accepting it, embracing it, and urging others to embrace it.
Works Cited
In Smith’s article, she articulates that homophobia is usually the last form of oppression to be recognized and taken seriously. When homosexuality is recognized it is thought to be a white disease, and only affecting wealthy males (Smith, 1993, 113-114). Homosexuality is a lot more diverse than that, and Vanessa from the “It Gets Better” show exemplifies this. Vanessa is a black lesbian teenager whose mother refuses to accept this. Being black herself, you would think her mother would understand the negative effects of oppression of any form, but when it comes to this issue she does not. This refusal to believe that every person has an equal chance of becoming homosexual and denial when it does occur is exactly why it is not taken very seriously. This lack of recognition can potentially be fatal (Smith, 1993, 112), as shown through an additional character Gary on the show. Gary has been sent to the hospital because of his constant effort to be like everyone else and not be gay to please his family. Although he is white, homosexuality is brushed under the rug as something to be dealt with privately, not taking into consideration the life-destroying issues homosexuals face (Smith, 1993, 113). Fortunately, gay lesbian/feminist activism groups have made progress in bringing to light the oppression homosexuals face (Smith, 1993, 114).
The progress made by activist groups are successful, but many people have decided to take things into their own hands and spread the word further. Gray’s article (2007) investigates members of the LGBTQ community bringing light to homosexuality in rural areas, which sometimes need it the most. A certain LGBTQ group called HPA, has decided to perform drag shows through the aisles of Walmart, allowing Walmart to become a safe spot for homosexuals all around (Gray, 2007, 50). Although the HPA is white males with some spending money in their pockets, it is still a step in the right direction (Gray, 2007, 56). Furthermore, AJ, who is a female to male transgender, decided to take matters into his own hands as well. He created a blog documenting his step-by-step process of sexual reassignment. He came to the conclusion not much information was available on this topic, especially in his area, that provided such in depth detail and thought it should be known to help others dealing with similar things (Gray, 2007, 53-54). AJ is very similar to Ayden on the “It Gets Better” show, who is also a female to male transgender. Instead of sharing his journey through a blog he does it by participating in this television show, providing a safe space for all who watch.
All of the participants on this show provide a safe space for their viewers by sharing their setbacks and how they dealt with them. Ayden dealt with his setbacks by moving on with his life as a transgender and getting engaged to the women of his dreams. Vanessa continues to identify herself as a colored lesbian despite her mother’s disapproval, and eventually her mother learns to accept it. Lastly, Gary seeks help through support groups and eventually comes out to his family successfully (Hinckley, 2012). The It Get’s Better Project is all about the constant torment and bullying faced by members of the LGBTQ community while young, and tries to show them that things will look up, even though things seem tough. These people have developed a safe space for themselves by taking what life has handed them and accepting it, embracing it, and urging others to embrace it.
Works Cited
Hinckley, David. "New MTV
Series Tells Gay Teens That Things Improve once
You Have Survived the High School Years ." NY Daily News. 20 Feb. 2012.
Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/mtv-
series-tells-gay-teens-improve-survived-high-school-years-article-1.1025757>.
Smith, Barbara. “Homophobia: Why Bring it Up?” from The Lesbian and Gay Studies
Reader. ed Henry Ablelove et al New York& London: Routledge, 1993.
Gray, Mary L. "From Websites to Wal-Mart: Youth, Identity Work, and the Queering of
Boundary Publics in Small Town, USA." American Studies, Vol. 48, No. 2,
Homosexuals in Unexpected Places? A Special Issue (Summer 2007), Pp. 49-59.
Mid-America American Studies Association. Web. 02 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/40644068>.
Article Link: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/mtv-series-tells-gay-teens-improve-survived-high-school-years-article-1.1025757
You Have Survived the High School Years ." NY Daily News. 20 Feb. 2012.
Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/mtv-
series-tells-gay-teens-improve-survived-high-school-years-article-1.1025757>.
Smith, Barbara. “Homophobia: Why Bring it Up?” from The Lesbian and Gay Studies
Reader. ed Henry Ablelove et al New York& London: Routledge, 1993.
Gray, Mary L. "From Websites to Wal-Mart: Youth, Identity Work, and the Queering of
Boundary Publics in Small Town, USA." American Studies, Vol. 48, No. 2,
Homosexuals in Unexpected Places? A Special Issue (Summer 2007), Pp. 49-59.
Mid-America American Studies Association. Web. 02 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/40644068>.
Article Link: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/mtv-series-tells-gay-teens-improve-survived-high-school-years-article-1.1025757
I agree with you that television shows like “It Gets Better” allow for a safe space for all who watch them; education gained from LGBTQ representation in the media should lead to policies that help it get better sooner for LGBTQ people. You mentioned “It Gets Better” focuses on how things will get better for LGBTQ folk after high school. This is pertinent information, especially since “two-thirds of LGBT students have been verbally harassed, 16 percent have been physically harassed, and 8 percent have been physically assaulted” (Stein, 32). Hopefully, LGBTQ representation in the media can help to alleviate this problem. The understanding and sympathy gained by the viewers of shows like “It Gets Better” will hopefully be used to implement policies of making it better now for LGBTQ children in high schools. Nan Stein suggests what she calls a “zero indifference” rather than a “zero tolerance” policy, “which would mean that we plan to notice the behaviors, comment on them, intervene, and make corrections accordingly”(Stein, 32). This is much different than the policies for ‘bullying’ in schools now, in which gender issues are completely missing. By making LGBTQ issues public, “It Gets Better” and similar shows are a step in the right direction toward making it better sooner for LGBTQ students and the LGBTQ community as a whole.
ReplyDeleteBibliography:
Stein, Nan. Bullying, Harassment and Violence among Students in Radical Teacher, No. 80 “Teaching Beyond Tolerance” Winter 2007 30-35.