Barriers to Diversity in Film – A Research Review – Aug 07

Russo analysed representation of gay men and lesbians in Hollywood
films from the 1890s to the 1980s and argues that these show a
history of homophobia. These characters are often defined by their
sexual orientation and lack complex character development. From the
1890s to the 1930s homosexuality was presented as an issue of
ridicule and laughter. From the 1930s to 1950s religious and women’s
groups criticised Hollywood for encouraging immorality, so gay and
lesbian characters could not be featured overtly. Even though the
1960s and 1970s represented a historic moment in gay rights, gay
characters were shown to be dangerous, violent and murderous (Russo
1987). Since the 1990s, portrayal has improved, but most films are
still designed to appeal to large portions of the audience and to
potential investors, making producers cautious about a focus on gay
and lesbian characters.
A study on lesbian and gay portrayal on the BBC analysed 168 hours of
programming over eight weeks. It concluded that gay lives were
presented positively for just six minutes out of a total of 38 minutes of
representation, both positive and negative. Gay men and lesbians
were five times more likely to be described or portrayed in negative
terms than in positive ones, with these references most likely to be in
entertainment programmes. Over half of all such references were
designed for comic effect, most revolving around stereotypes of
sexually predatory or camp and effeminate gay men, with lesbians
being invisible. Issues of homosexuality were rarely tackled in factual
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