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Abstract
The present study examined the effects of a gay male television portrayal on a sample of 107 college-aged participants. Participants were exposed to either a representation of a feminine gay male character, representation of a masculine gay male character, or no gay male character and were subsequently asked questions to determine the stereotypes they associate with gay men and their overall level of homonegativity. Results indicated that political identification was a significant moderator of the relationship between exposure to depictions of a gay character and levels of homonegativity and between exposure and the application of gender-based descriptors to gay men. Findings suggested that the mere presence of a gay male character, whether masculine or feminine, primed homonegative attitudes and opinions about gay male masculinity and femininity.
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Notes on contributors
Brandon Miller
Brandon Miller (MA, Syracuse University) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Missouri. His research investigates mass and user-generated media's effects on LGBTQ stereotypes, identities, and communities.
Jennifer Lewallen
Jennifer Lewallen (MA, Pepperdine University) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Missouri. She examines representations of women and nondominant cultural groups in popular media and the influence of media on perceptions of the self and other.