A project for my JOUR 4130 Gender, Race and Media class - addressing the illogical casting and misrepresentation of the LGBTQ+ community in Hollywood

1. Addressing LGBTQ+
Misrepresentation in the
Media: #LGBTQGayze
Dana DeCenzo
4.20.2017

2. Agenda
❖The Problem
❖Our Solutions
❖Target Audiences
❖Phase I
❖Phase II
❖Measuring Impact
❖Sources

3. The Problem
In 2014, 17.5% of the 114 releases by major studios featured lesbian, gay,
bisexual, or transgender characters. In 2016, a third of millennials identified
themselves as somewhere in the “non-binary” middle on the Kinsey Scale.
65% of the 114 movies analyzed featured gay male characters. Less than a
third featured bisexual characters, and about one tenth featured lesbian
characters. There were no characters GLADD determined to be identifiably
transgender among any films tracked that year.
Total number of identifiably LGBT characters in film in 2014 was 28; twice as
many LGBT characters were male.

4. Faking It, MTVTransparent, Amazon
Denise Cloyd,
The Walking Dead
"To you people out there, you producers and you
network owners and you agents and you creative
sparks: please give transgender talent a chance.
Give them auditions. Give them their stories. Do
that. And also one more thing: I would not be
unhappy were I the last cisgender male to play a
female transgender on television." - Jeffrey Tambor
Bury Your Gays,
Dead Lesbian Syndrome
Cis people being cast as LGBTQ
The Problem

5. We can’t rely on LGBTQ+ directors to cast LGBTQ+ actors for LGBTQ+ roles;
need directors of all sexuality to cast
The #LGBTQgayze project will reclaim how the LGBTQ+ community is
represented and portrayed in modern-day media. Authentic and eager
LGBTQ talent is out there to cast in these roles; Let’s showcase it
PHASE I: #LGBTQgayze Instagram campaign
PHASE II: Reproduction + Distribution; casting from submissions to
reproduce films that misrepresented the LGBTQ community
Our Solution

6. Established and aspiring LGBTQ talent;
Social influencers on social media
• LGBTQ Millennials
• LGBTQ Celebritities
LGBTQ Media Organizations;
Film & Television Production:
• Filmmakers
• Television Producers
• Casting directors, etc.
Target Audiences

7. REPRESENTATION
Entire Campaign:
Language referring to the
“male gaze” and the
“female gaze” response
Phase I: Leaving most of
the cultural meaning for
contributors to define with
their experiences and
views
PRODUCTION
Phase I: User-generated,
submission-based photos
and captions
Phase II: Makes the LGBTQ
community more visible,
more difficult to ignore in
casting, and ideally better-
represented
IDENTITIES
Phase I: Photo submission
process creates a place for
LGBTQ feelings of self to
show through and will be
different for each
contributor
Circuit of Culture

8. Phase I
Social Media Campaign + Contest
#LGBTQgayze is an Instagram-based campaign and contest
challenging discriminatory misrepresentation of the LGBTQ+
community in mainstream media; more specifically, the illogical
casting of heterosexuals to play LGBTQ+ film and television roles.
Mission: Encourage proper LGBTQ+ representation in Hollywood,
calling on community members to help us showcase otherwise
overlooked theatrical talent; helping LGBTQ actors fill LGBTQ roles.
Collaborative medium for #LGBTQgayze submissions
Additionally, showcasing LGBTQ talent in the news, Inspirational
pieces, casting opportunities, etc.
@LGBTQgayze

9. Mission: Raise awareness within community by
organizing reproductions of classic LGBTQ-inclusive films
that have misrepresent the community by casting
heterosexuals to play LGBTQ+ roles
Cast of top-notch, authentic LGBTQ+ talent;
“winners” of the #LGBTQgayze contest
Distribute all final products and submissions to LGBTQ+
media organizations
Appeals to “New Queer Cinema” movement
Phase II
Reproduction + Distribution

10. Box office sales &
streaming revenue of
movie reproductions
Content circulation: number of
downloads, shares, etc.
Social media response; gaging
conversation & attitudes
Press coverage, honors, awards
(Oscars, AMAs, etc.)
Measuring Impact

11. • http://www.glaad.org/sri/2015/overview
• http://time.com/lgbt-stats/?xid=newsletter-brief
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Queer_Cinema
• http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/20/12983104/trans-actors
hollywood-representation-jeffrey-tambor-emmys-speech
Sources

12. Addressing LGBTQ+
Misrepresentation in the
Media: #LGBTQGayze
Kirsten Cupach
Dana DeCenzo
Laura Garotti
Zulfa Rizqiya
4.20.2017