In the Media

[Sussy]

Broad topic on media representation for LGBT. To kick off I found an article with a study of current popular media stations posted to the AP.

HBO scored highest among 15 networks for its representation of gay characters last season, according to a report released Monday.

In its third annual Network Responsibility Index, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found that of HBO's 14 original prime-time series, 10 included content reflecting the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender people. That totaled 42 percent of the network's programming hours, in series such as "True Blood,""Entourage" and "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency."

By contrast, on NBC and CBS only 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively, of prime-time hours included them, the report said.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/26/entertainment/e210154D01.DTL#ixzz0MRHpJoTx


GLAAD: http://www.glaad.org/Page.aspx?pid=183

[Sussy]

The Doctor and Jack...or Tennent and Barrowman, as you prefer. :)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/advocate/20090727/ts_advocate/tennant_plants_one_on_barrowman

[Sussy]

The long-running game show, now on the GSN cable network, said Wednesday it will feature its first gay couple this season on a celebrity edition. George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on "Star Trek," will appear with his partner, Brad Altman.

For more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090916/ap_on_en_tv/us_tv_newlywed_gay_couple

[Larxenne]

Yay! I have never heard of that game show, but I love the article connected to it...

That opponent of gay marriage who said, "They're trying to use TV and the movies to set the gay agenda and make it mainstream"

I mean, that's probably partially what they're trying to do...but the fact that some 70s game show can do it means that the mainstream has *already* come a long way.

George Takei for the win!

[Sussy]

Study finds more gay characters on network TV

The number of gay and bisexual characters on prime-time network TV is up slightly this season to 18 out of a total of 600 roles, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The increase over 2008 fell well short of the more than twofold percentage jump in the '08 season compared to 2007, according to the group. And on mainstream cable channels the number of such characters continued to drop, slipping from a total of 32 in 2008 to 25 this year. The 2007 tally was 40.

For more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091001/ap_en_tv/us_tv_gay_characters

[f4ngy]

Thanks for sharing that Sussy :) !

[Sussy]

In case none of you know about this HBO film, based on a fantastic book by Shilts, it is about the impact that the AIDS epidemic had on society and in finding ways to stop people dying of the disease--the fear, the anger, the love, the hate, the politics, and the government, people's greed, the stigmatization and rights movements and eventual empowerment of gay community.

I recommend it to those who want a basic understanding of the epidemiology and politics that surrounded the issue. It has many famous actors as well: B.D. Wong has a small but powerful performance, Ian McKellan is marvelous, and Lily Tomlin and Alan Alda are in it too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_the_Band_Played_On_%28film%29

[Elle]

Speaking of HBO, Milk is on tonight at 8. Yes, I do plan on watching it and weeping. ^^