Chapter 3: Visibility
Ellen coming out moment
“Puppy Episode” Part 1
“Puppy Episode” Part 2
Celluloid Closet clip, “The Sissy”
The Birdcage “Walking like John Wayne”
“Jack MacFarland’s 10 Best Moments”
Glee Kurt’s Football Dance
Barnhurst, K. (Ed.). (2007). Media/queered: Visibility and its discontents. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
Becker, R. (2006). Gay-themed television and the slumpy class: The affordable, multicultural politics of the gay nineties. Television and New Media, 7(2), 184–215.
Condis, M. (2014). No homosexuals in Star Wars? Bioware, ‘game’ identity, and the politics of privilege in a convergence culture. Convergence, 1–15.
Henderson, L. (2013). Love and money: Queers, class, and cultural production. New York: New York University Press.
Moscowitz, L. (2013). The battle over marriage: Gay rights activism through the media. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
Raley, A.B. & Lucas, J.L. (2006). Stereotype or success? Prime-time television’s portrayals of gay male, lesbian and bisexual characters. Journal of Homosexuality, 51 (2), 19–38.
Reed, J. (2009). Lesbian television personalities – A queer new subject. The Journal of American Culture, 32 (4), 307–317.
Shaw, A. (2009). Putting the gay in games: Cultural production and GLBT content in video games. Games and Culture, 4, 228–253.
Yep, G.A., Lovaas, K.E., & Elia, J.P. (2007). A critical approach of assimiliationist and radical ideologies underlying same-sex marriage in LGBT communities in the United States. In M.M. Jenkins & K. Lovaas (Eds.), Sexualities & communication in everyday life: A reader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Visibility in Gaming
Read Shaw’s “Putting the gay in games” and Condis’ “No homosexuals in Star Wars?” listed under Chapter Three’s recommended readings. Then, view clips from Dragon Age: Inquisition, in which gamers are introduced to Krem, a transgender male mercenary and learn of the rift between Dorian, a gay character, and his father. What factors have led to fantasy game creators’ inclusion of more sexual and gender diversity in characters? Is this new visibility “positive?” What does your answer reveal about your own perspective on sexuality and your view of the relationship between media and identity?
(Special thanks to Dr. Steve Klien, whose extensive knowledge of Dragon Age greatly informed this activity.)