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PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

ADVANCING LGBTQA+
ACCEPTANCE
THROUGH MEDIA
NORMALIZATION
HANNAH LEHEW

ENGL 138H
PROFESSOR JAN BABCOCK
Abstract
The advancement of LGBTQA+ rights and equality is a large debate in modern politics.
Although there have been advancements legislatively towards sexual equality such as the
legalization of same-sex marriage, gender equality continues to become restricted. The Trump
Administration has responded to the controversy by making it a state issue. This has had a
devastating impact on the communication and hate crimes towards gender minorities continue to
climb. With over half of the global population having internet access, social media could be the
key towards a change in the attitude of society by personalizing the issue. Previous campaigns
such as the It Gets Better Project show the positive, influential nature social media can have on
rights advancement and policy. With rights for sexuality minorities well established, focus of the
LGBTQA+ movement should shift towards gender equality and ways to prevent discrimination.
The purpose of this paper is to provide background information on the push towards LGBTQA+
equality and identify ways to normalize the community into society.
Figure 1: School victimization can take a
toll on LGBTQA+ teens.

Putting it into Perspective


"When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all
more free. --Barack Obama i
Social media is a strong force in todays society. In 2017, over half of the global population uses
the internet and almost two thirds of the global population currently owns a smartphoneii. With
such a wide audience, many marginalized groups such as the LGBTQA+ community have begun
to use the outlets as a means of promoting and gathering support for the community. This
advocacy has occurred in countries such as the United States that tolerate LGBTQA+ rights as
well as in intolerant countries such as Sudan where being openly gay or bisexual is punishable by
death.
In the United States, LGBTQA+ rights have improved tremendously with the legislation of
same-sex marriage on June 26th, 2015. That being said, there is still an enormous amount of
work to be done. Although LGBTQA+ communities are legally the same as their heterosexual
counterparts, a large amount of stigma, protest, and discrimination remain prevalent in society.
According to the National School Climate Survey, 74.1% of LGBT students were verbally
bullied (e.g., called names, threatened) in the past year due to sexual orientation and 55.2%
because of their gender expressioniii. Bullying has been proven to take an immense toll on the
victims mental well-being. A meta-analysis in 2014 found that students experiencing
victimization from their peers are 2.2 times more likely to have suicide ideation and 2.6 times
more likely to attempt suicide than students lacking this victimizationiv.With the increase of
legislation permitting schools to determine whether or not to let transgendered individuals use
the bathroom of the gender they identify with, many LGBTQA+ teens may feel insecure and
victimization could increase. Looking for anyone who will listen, many resort to social media
platforms. LGBTQA+ avocation can decrease the elevated suicide rate within teenagers
identifying as LGBTQA+ by giving them hope, allies and a community that understands. In
order to encourage diversity and acceptance of the LGBTQA+ community, unbiased platforms
should be available to educate and normalize their presence.
What is the Gay Rights Movement?
The Gay rights movement strives towards equality of all Americans regardless of gender or
sexual orientation. The movement in America began in 1924 with the start of the formation of the
first organization, The Society for Human Rights in Chicago. The movement was stagnant and
did not begin to make its way into society until Alfred Kinsley published his book Sexual
Behavior in the Human Male in 1948. This publication included the Kinsley Scale of sexual
orientation that was used until it was replaced by the Purple-Red Scale in 2016. In 1955, the
movements mission broadened its focus to include all genders and orientations. The first state to
enact legislative change was Illinois who decriminalized all private homosexual acts in 1962.
Early state LGBTQA+ legislation laid the foundation for future federal rights and recognized the
community as a minority group.
Until 1969, the movement was not very public and run by small organizations with few
followers. The expansion of the Gay Rights movement occurred after a gay bar was raided by
police on June 27, 1969. Patrons of the bar protested the search, sparking three days of riots and
widespread media coverage. This coverage exposed LGBTQA+ discrimination and allies of the
community began to ask for change. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed
homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. In October 1979, over 75,000 people came to
Washington D.C. and participated in the largest political march for LGBTQA+ rights to datev.
After the march, LGBTQA+ rights progressed quickly with other states following Illinois lead.
The movements mission attracted the Democratic Party which vowed in 1980 to protect all
groups from discrimination. On April 25, 1993, over 800,000 people marched and participated in
events in response to the militarys recently adopted Dont Ask Dont Tell policy that led to the
discharge of thousands of LGBTQA+ service membersvi.In April 1997, millions watched Ellen
DeGeneres come out of the closet on national television. After Ellen paved the way, a new era of
media visibility and celebrity support of the movement made headway into society. More
celebrities such as actors Nathan Lane and Danny Pintauro followed the comedians lead. Soon,
the LGBTQA+ community was represented in songs and television series such as Soap, The
L word, and Orange is the New Black. All of these shows increased the visibility of the
movement and led to the modern push towards equality. The expansion of the Gay Rights
movement allowed for the formation of community and allies to push the movement forward in
the Obama Administration.
The Obama administration made a lot of progress towards LGBTQA+ equality. In 2009, the
administration passed laws to extend the coverage of hate crimes to include LGBTQA+ members
and to extend same-sex partner benefits. In February 2011, The Defense of Marriage Acts
(DOMA) policy of defining marriage between a man and a woman was rejected by President
Obama. This led to the court case Obergefell v. Hodges which declared the act unconstitutional
in 2015. On September 20, 2011, the Obama administration repealed Dont ask Dont tell. This
allowed LGBTQA+ individuals within the military to come out without it affecting their
livelihoods. In July 2014, an executive order prohibited federal workers from discrimination
against LGBTQA+ coworkers. All of the orders established by the Obama administration
increased the safety of LGBTQA+ and allowed more individuals to come out.
History of LGBTQA+ Advocacy through Social Media
At the dawn of social media, marriage equality and the reduction of discriminatory acts were the
main focuses of the Gay Rights movement. For Example, the It Gets Better Project social
media campaign was one of the first to successfully reach out to teens both gay and straight.
The 2010 campaign began after two LGBTQA+ African American teens committed suicide
because of extreme bullying for their sexual orientation. The project quickly gained followers
from all orientations, with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and allied supporters of different
ages, shooting videos that discuss their own experiences and how their lives as adults improved
with their hardships. Within months, dozens of celebrities created their own videos calling for
support of LGBT teens and the end of harassment. Within three years the project gathered more
than 50,000 user-created videos in support of LGBT teensvii. The project includes videos from
major politicians such as former President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The It Gets Better Project allowed LGBTQA+ individuals to reevaluate taking their lives by
giving them motivation to strive for a better world.
In addition, a Facebook campaign flourished in light of the community in March 2013. Millions
of people around the world changed their profile pictures in unity with the Human Rights
Campaign's red and pink logo. This display of support for marriage equality resulted in
Facebook's most viral campaign in its historyviii. The Campaign reflected the 59 % of Americans
that supported marriage equality and 87 % of Americans who claim to know someone in the
LGBTQA+ community in 2013 ix. The increase in visibility of allies and support gave
LGBTQA+ individuals the confidence to testify and fight for marriage equality.

Figure 2:
LGBTQA+
Legislation
by state.

Current State: Legislation


After the 2015 Obergefell v Hodges Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage,
the LGBTQA+ community was hit with an assault of state bills to allow workers, public and
private, to deny certain services if it violates their religious beliefs. Other bills were drafted to
deny transgender people the use of the public bathroom of their choice. So far only five of the
200-plus bills drafted have been enacted into lawx.According to the Human Rights Campaign, at
least forty anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in sixteen states this yearxi. President Donald
Trump since becoming elected has pledged to sign a federal "First Amendment Defense Act,"
prohibiting the federal government from taking "discriminatory action against anyone who
discriminates due to a religious opposition to the LGBTQA+ community. The majority of these
laws have been drafted and introduced into the southern states. In the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic
and West Coast, LGBTQA+ rights have advanced with the passing of 48 laws expanding rights
and services for LGBT individualsxii.

Figure 3: The number of


Americans that like a LGBT
pages on Facebook has been
steadily increasing since
marriage equality was enacted

Current State: Social Media and Progress


As social media has expanded into everyday society, so have platforms that expose, connect and
educate the LGBTQA+ community. The number of blogs, accounts and Youtube channels
depicting LGBTQA+ events and issues has continued to increase and normalize the community.
Currently 10 million Americans4% of the population identify as LGBTxiii. The increase of
the population of the LGBTQA+ community can be attributed to the normalcy and stronger
presence of the community as a whole in society. LGBTQA+ networks such as HER, Scruff,
Moovz and Q allow community members to meet and notify users of nearby LGBTQA+ events.
Social media has increased the effectiveness of the Gay Rights movement by creating a cohesive
environment for society to connect and meet people within the community.
As social media becomes a mainstream part of modern society, many questions have arisen to
define a boundary between company and personal responsibility. On March 20, 2017, the
question of who is responsible for ensuring speech was brought up on Youtube when the
LGBTQA+ community found out that the company used sexuality as a keyword on the sites
restricted mode. Restricted Mode, is a feature designed to use community flagging, age-
restrictions, and other signals to identify and filter out potentially inappropriate content for young
viewers.xiv The program restricted the majority of LGBTQA+ media including anti bullying,
coming out, and engagement videos. News of the restriction resulted in outcry on Twitter with
the hashtags #YouTubeIsOverParty and #ProudToBeRestricted trending for over a week. A few
hours later, LGBTQA+ you tubers spoke up. Some Youtubers such as Rosie Ellis discussed their
opinion of the issue on their channels. Others such as Melanie Murphy, a bisexual Youtuber with
500,000 followers discussed her frustration Twitter, claiming that on Youtube a single button
could make everyone appear straightxv. At 2:00pm on March 20th, Youtubes creators apologized
publically on Twitter stating that they are honored to have the community represented on their
platformxvi. A large amount of the community was not satisfied with the companys response,
including many high profile vloggers such as Jenna Marbles and Thomas Sanders. Currently,
LGBTQA+ videos continue to be restricted without further comments from the company.

Figures 5&6: National Hate Crime Statistics from 2013-2015

Figure 4: The US has one of the highest


instances of LGBTQA+ victimization in
schools.

Time to Take Action


With President Trumps current hands off approach in LGBTQA+ rights and the administrations
repeal of the public school bathroom order, it is clear that the next four years will be difficult for
the LGBTQA+ community. The bathroom issue directly affects over 700,000 Americans who
identify as transgender or non-conformingxvii. Many people recognize the detrimental effects a
lack of acceptance can have on a persons mental health, yet in 2017, 86% of LGBTQA+ youth
report harassment at schoolxviii. The harassment received by these individuals often carries on
outside of a school environment. Of those surveyed, 58% report cyberbullying. The reported
bullying rate of LGBTQA+ individuals is three times higher than any other marginalized
groupxix. In addition; a 2014 study conducted by Indiana University found that only 55% of
individuals approved of public displays of affection by LGBTQA+ couplesxx. A lack of
acceptance of the LGBTQA+ can lead to devastation. Last year, the LGBTQA+ community was
victim of the largest mass shooting in recent United States history, killing 49 people and injuring
53 at a nightclub in Orlando Floridaxxi. While most states have laws that protect against
orientation, very few protect the entirety of the LGBTQA+ community. Although the hate crime
rate in the country due to sexual orientation has declined from 20.8% in 2013 to 17.7% in 2015,
the amount of hate crimes for gender identity has increased from 0.7% to 2.1%xxii. This increase
could be contributed to the increase in recent state anti-transgender laws throughout the country
and the hands off approach of the Trump Administration. With the lack of current federal
influence and protection in some public places such as institutions, it is up to the individual to
take a stand and fight for equality.
Changing Public Perception through Normalization
While pro LGBTQA+ laws would improve the rights and wellbeing of the LGBTQA+
community, discrimination will not stop without a change in the public perception. One way to
stop discrimination is through education. It has been found that 50%% of all youth do not
understand the offensive nature of discriminatory language or its harmful impact on LGBTQA+
youthxxiii. Exposure to the LGBTQA+ community at a young age could normalize the community
and aid in bullying prevention. There are currently programs in place such as the Rainbow
Reading program in Dayton Ohio that expose youth to messages of diversity through exposure to
books on topics such as self-awareness and transgendered individuals. Images of these programs
on social media or live streams of the events could further increase the audience of the program
and would allow it to educate more youth.
Another approach is to increase the prevalence of the LGBTQA+ community on social media
platforms. Studies have shown that LGBTQA+ youth spend more time online than non-
LGBTQA+ youth. LGBTQA+ youth often make friends online and use the Internet to gather
information about sexuality and health including vital information about STD and HIV
prevention that is not discussed in the modern education system. Anti-bullying ads depicting the
destructive nature of discriminatory language on common media platforms could become
influential to young adults and make more children aware of the impact of their actions.
Although many LGBTQA+ channels, blogs and sites exist, very few are seen or explored outside
of the community. Youtuber Sophia Alexandra in one of her videos states that you are most likely
in the community if you access her channelxxiv. Making them more mainstream would allow
people to further their education and break down stereotypes and myths about the community to
their raw form.
How It Can Be Implemented
An increase in LGBTQA+ accessible content could be obtained easily with the assistance of
social media companies such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. All three of these companies
state that they pride themselves on diversity so it could be easy to get them to begin to make a
change. The beginning of the transition could involve a LGBTQA+ member pride month that
could involve celebrities and the company itself advocating for equality. Two campaigns that can
be used as examples are the #ProudToLove and #ProudToBe campaigns implemented on
YouTube in 2015 and 2016. These campaigns involved a core video that starred creators
discussing why they are proud of being themselves. Additionally, videos were made on
individual channels by creators. In addition to a video, the inclusion of a library or list of easily
acceptable, youth appropriate videos and articles on social media platforms would allow a
broader audience to explore LGBTQA+ topics.
Even with the increase in accessibility of LGBTQA+ media, it will be up to individuals to access
the newfound information and evaluate their stance. The LGBTQA+ community is a personal
issue for the four in ten Americans who have close relatives or friends in the LGBTQA+
community. Those who have a personal connection with the community are more than twice as
likely to support the advancement of LGBTQA+ rights-55% to 25%xxv. In order to achieve
complete acceptance of the LGBTQA+ community, the next step would be to target the seven
out of ten individuals without a personal connection to the movement.
Looking Forward
If President Trumps stance on the LGBTQA+ community continues to stay how it is currently,
we could see an increase in Anti LGBTQA+ laws and discrimination in the southern United
States. Days after the election, Senator Ted Cruz announced that he will reintroduce the First
Amendment Defense Act into Congress. If this occurs, businesses will have the right to refuse
service to LGBTQA+ individuals. The most drastic effect of this bill if it gets passed would be
the ability for medical professionals to refuse care for LGBTQA+ individuals. This has occurred
in the past with the death of Tyra Hunter in 1995 due to the refusal of a first responder to help her
after she got into a car accident because she identified as transgender.
If the amount of people advocating for gender equality continues to increase and more
individuals refuse to hide how they identify, the LGBTQA+ community could normalize and
become mainstream by 2035. The just like what happened with other minority groups such as
womens rights, everything current within the LGBTQA+ movement could become a part of
future history books. LGBTQA+ culture would become less stigmatized and seen equal to the
hetero community. With this normalization, the Equality Federation expect the LGBTQA+ label
to be retired as a piece of history with a more inclusive term such as Gender and Sexual
Minorities (GSM) taking its placexxvi. LGBTQA+ Americans will be able to marry who they
want and be who they want free of judgement. Many will look at this moment with fondness and
will be truly grateful for the journey.
As these changes occur, we could lose the communities constructed by sexual commonalities and
oppression who refused to play by modern societys rules. We would miss all of the openness
and amazing stories written and received on social media about the LGBTQA+ community. The
coming out process could never be nerve racking again. We would miss all of the rallies and
parades that bring the community closer together.
Conclusion
The Gay Rights Movement has been around since 1924 with the mission of achieving equality
for all regardless of gender or sexuality. Most of the movements recent successes have occurred
with the assistance of social media platforms. Social media has brought the community together
and have fostered a sense of community and hope. Part of the reason some Americans object to
LGBTQA+ rights advancement is due to a lack of personal connection to the cause. Increasing
exposure of LGBTQA+ community members on social media as well as through education could
decrease the bullying and hate crime rates of community members and encourage diversity in
younger generations. This newfound diversity could allow the LGBTQA+ community to become
a normalized part of society by 2035. Most of the means of achieving exposure to the community
currently exist, however they are hard to find and are not often accessed outside of the
community. Partnering with media platforms that thrive on diversity to make these links more
accessible to mainstream viewers could be achieved easily if enough members ask for the
change. It often feels that an individual cannot make a difference however with enough support,
anything is possible.

Works Cited
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ii Kemp, Simon. "Digital in 2017: Global Overview." We Are Social, 24 Jan. 2017

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xi Human Rights Campaign

xii Milligan, Susan Gay Rights Activists Face New Hurdles ,23 Jan. 2017

xiii Allen, Samantha. "Just How Many LGBT Americans Are There?" The Daily Beast, 14 Jan. 2017

xiv Griffin, Andrew. "YouTube Admits That LGBT Videos Are Hidden in Its 'restricted Mode',
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xv Allen, Samantha "Why YouTube Wants to Hide These LGBT Videos From Young People." The
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xvi Lopez, German. "9 Questions About Gender Identity and Being Transgender You Were Too
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xix Milligan, Susan Gay Rights Activists Face New Hurdles ,23 Jan. 2017

xx Barry, Dan. "Orlando Shooting - The New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News,
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xxi "Latest Hate Crime Statistics Report Released FBI." Federal Bureau of Investigation, 8 Dec.
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xxiv Alexandra, Sophia. "HOW TO SPOT A LESBIAN." YouTube, Nov. 2016

xxv Neidorf, Shawn, and Rich Morin. "Four-in-Ten Americans Have Close Friends or Relatives Who
Are Gay." Pew Research Center, 22 May 2007

xxvi Equality Federation


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