Historical Interpretations of Queer Community Issues

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The Topic Identification

Topic: How the current monkeypox outbreak is depicted in relation to the LGBTQ population in the media.

Historical Event: Stonewall rebellion.

Understanding of the Historical Roots of the Current Events

How the media has portrayed the LGBTQ+ community in the past has significantly impacted the stigma on the gay community that exists now. During the 1950s and 1960s, when same-sex relationships were illegal, members of the LGBTQ+ community were only portrayed in the media when they were arrested and their identities were made public. When the police conducted raids on areas where it was suspected that members of the LGBTQ+ community would be present, they would arrest persons and transport them in the police van (Amnesty International, 2021). The publication of their names and details of their arrests in the newspaper harmed the reputations of the individuals, including some well-known figures and those who had to live double lives.

In the 1960s, the media shifted their attitudes about the LGBTQ+ population. As a result of the homosexual rights movement, several LGBTQ+ activists started their newsletters and newspapers. When the AIDS epidemic began in 1981, the media and society began stigmatizing and discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community (Koraichi, 2023). From 1981 to 1991, it took ten years for the LGBTQ+ community to be more positively represented in the media.

Individuals and groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, are increasingly seen positively as computers and social media improve. For example, Advocate, Out, and Pink News are among the news outlets that serve the LGBTQ+ community today. In addition, many famous people, like Ellen DeGeneres and Anderson Cooper, have come out as LGBTQ+ and received favorable media exposure (Banks et al., 2020). However, even today, the media can continue to spread negative stigmas and prejudices about the LGBTQ+ community. For instance, research shows that the media still frequently stereotypes LGBTQ+ people, depicting homosexual men as flashy and promiscuous (Chan, 2022). Such depictions may exacerbate the LGBTQ+ community’s ongoing stigma and prejudice.

I learned how the media functions and affects society’s attitudes by researching the historical events that led to the current monkeypox outbreak and how the LGBTQ+ community is represented in the media. One instance of this is how the AIDS pandemic was covered in the 1980s; this led to widespread dread and terror in the public eye and the stigmatization of the LGBTQ+ community. The media coverage of the monkeypox outbreak, which has been connected to the LGBTQ+ population, is evidence that this stigmatization is still present today (Chan, 2022). For instance, some media sites have chosen to report on the afflicted people’s sexual orientation rather than the details of the virus, which has led to unwarranted anxiety and panic (Amnesty International, 2021). This aspect is comparable to how the AIDS outbreak was characterized by the media in the 1980s as a “gay disease,” although it afflicted people of all sexual orientations. As a result, LGBTQ+ people experience shame, discrimination, and lack of access to resources like healthcare.

Furthermore, learning about the history of the stigmatization of the LGBTQ+ group has given me a better understanding of how public perceptions of them may change depending on the context of an occasion or circumstance. For instance, how LGBTQ+ people are portrayed in movies, TV shows, and news broadcasts have evolved. While some media outlets continue to promote prejudice, fear, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, others have attempted to depict these people positively.

The Influence of Biased Perspectives on What Is Known About Historical and Current Events

Biased perspectives greatly impact what is known about historical and current events. Due to discriminatory viewpoints from individuals and organizations, the accuracy of historical records and reporting might be influenced in cases involving historical events such as the Stonewall uprising. Some persons, for example, may have been hesitant to speak up about their interactions with prejudice and police violence due to concerns about being identified as LGBTQ+ or fear of retaliation (Wolfe, 2022). Furthermore, institutions such as the media may have reported events from a biased standpoint due to their prejudices or societal pressures.

Biased viewpoints can affect what information is presented and how it is portrayed, as in the cases of current events like the monkeypox outbreak and the media’s targeting of the LGBTQ+ population. The media may represent the LGBTQ+ community negatively as a result of biases and prejudices, which may encourage discrimination and stigma (Wolfe, 2022). Biased reporting on the outbreak may also highlight certain communities or people rather than accurately portraying the pandemic.

How the Narrative About the Historical Event Might Change if Told from a Missing Perspective

The Stonewall uprising would probably be framed and contextualized differently if the story were given from a perspective that has been missing, for instance, the voices and experiences of marginalized people and groups. Particular emphasis would be placed on the participation in the uprising of sex workers, homeless teenagers, and transgender women of color, all of whom are frequently left out or underrepresented in conventional accounts of the event.

The narrative might also feature the experiences of people like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, who were not present at Stonewall but significantly. Their contributions to the cause, like supporting transgender and gender non-conforming people’s rights, would be emphasized and honored (Brown, 2019). A complete, more nuanced picture of the Stonewall uprising and the people who participated in it would result from including the narrative’s missing perspectives (Brown, 2019). Additionally, it would emphasize the complexity and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, which is frequently underrepresented in mainstream accounts of LGBTQ+ history.

How the Narrative About the Current Event Might Change if Told From a Missing Perspective

The current event—the monkeypox outbreak among gay men in the United States—might change if the story were told from a different point of view (United Nations, 2022). For example, suppose the viewpoints of those affected by the disease, particularly those from the LGBTQ+ community, are not included. In that case, the narrative may be skewed toward the perspectives of health officials and the media. The absence of the viewpoint of individuals experiencing the condition may result in a lack of understanding of the difficulties and obstacles they are encountering, such as the potential for prejudice and stigma. A missing perspective could call into question the prevalent narrative that characterizes the monkeypox outbreak as a problem that only affects the LGBTQ+ community (Wolfe, 2022). Therefore, drawing attention to the systemic issues with healthcare access and quality, poverty, and social inequality at the root of the outbreak.

A lack of perspective may also cast doubt on the public’s and healthcare professionals’ perceptions and prejudices concerning the conduct and disease transmission of homosexual males. For example, focusing on sexual contact as the primary transmission mode may ignore other factors, such as a lack of illness knowledge and awareness (United Nations, 2022). Other factors include scarcity of resources and preventive measures and the influence of social norms and stigma on health-seeking behaviors.

References

Amnesty International. (2021). 50 years after the stonewall riots, don’t forget that pride is still a protest. Web.

Banks, B., Bottaro, M., Griffin, H., Herold, L., Himberg, J., Martin, A. L., & Filippo, M. S. (2020). “Visible: Out on television”: An LGBTQ TV roundtable. Los Angeles Review of Books. Web.

Brown, D. (2019). Marsha P. Johnson: Transgender hero of stonewall riots finally gets her due. USA Today. Web.

Chan, W. (2022). Rightwing media embraces AIDS-era homophobia in monkeypox coverage. The Guardian. Web.

Koraichi, A. (2023). The stonewall riots, AIDS and monkeypox. Grow Think Tank. Web.

United Nations. (2022). Monkeypox: UNAIDS ‘concerned’ about stigmatizing language against LGTBI people. Web.

Wolfe, J. (2022). Monkeypox and the gay community. The New York Times. Web.

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