Meghana

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UNDERSTANDING THE OPINIONS AND ATTITUDES OF THE
LGBT COMMUNITY TOWARD MOVIES WITH LGBT
THEMES
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the award of the
Degree of Master of Science in Psychology
SUBMITTED BY
MEGHANA SALDANHA
15MS1PS013
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
JAIN UNIVERSITY
BANGALORE
2015-2017

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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this dissertation titled ‘Understanding the Opinions and Attitudes of the
LGBT Community toward Movies with LGBT Themes’, submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements of the Degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Jain University, has been
written by me under the guidance and supervision of Ms. Deepti Swamy.
This Dissertation or any part thereof has not been submitted for any purpose to any other
University.
Bangalore Meghana Saldanha
May 2016 Register No.: 15MS1PS013

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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this Dissertation titled ‘Understanding the Opinions and Attitudes of the
LGBT Community toward LGBT Themes’, submitted by Punita Somani in partial fulfillment of
the requirements of the Degree of Master of Science in Psychology of Jain University, is based
on the results of the research work carried out under my guidance and supervision.
This Dissertation or any part thereof has not been submitted for any purpose to any other
University.
Bangalore Ms. Deepti Swamy
May 2016 Research Guide
Dr. Shailaja Shastri
Head of Department,
Dept. of Psychology
Jain University

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It gives me immense pleasure to express my gratitude to all those who have been instrumental in
the completion of my dissertation.
I am extremely grateful to Ms. Deepti Swamy, my project guide for guiding, supporting and
providing her exceptional insights. I would also like to thank Dr. Shailaja Shastri, Head of
Department and all the other faculty members of the PG department of Psychology, Jain
University for their encouragement and kind support throughout the course of the completion of
the dissertation. I express my gratitude to Dr. Chenraj Roychand, Chairman of Jain University;
Dr. Sundarajan, Vice Chancellor; and Dr. Shanti Iyer, Centre Head for all the infrastructural
facilities and for their support in academic endeavors.
I also express my heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Sheikh Ambreen whose dissertation helped me
tremendously in amending the format of my dissertation. I would like to acknowledge the
NIMHANS library, for the resources they have, and would also like to thank the researchers who
contributed to the field. I would like to express my gratitude to the NGOs without whose time
and help I would not have been able to meet my sample size. My gratitude goes to all the
participants who agreed to take part in my study and took the time for the interviews, without
which this study would not have been possible.
Finally I would like to thank my family for their unceasing encouragement and support in the
completion of my dissertation.

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CONTENTS
Chapter No. Topics Page No.
LIST OF TABLES 1
ABSTRACT 2
1 INTRODUCTION 3 – 9
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
NEED FOR STUDY
10 -16
17 - 18
3 METHODOLOGY 19 -25
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 26 – 79
5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 80 – 85
6 LIMITATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 86 – 87
7 REFERENCES 88 – 92

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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE No. TABLE TITLE PAGE No.
Table 4.1
Indicating the themes of the open-ended semi-structured
interview
28
Table 4.2 Theme 1: Movies with LGBT themes 29
Table 4.3 Theme 2: Accuracy of LGBT themes in movies 34
Table 4.4
Theme 3: Problems with family and/or society because of
LGBT themed movies
39
Table 4.5
Theme 4: Comparison or association with LGBT
characters from movies
45
Table 4.6 Theme 5: Minimal portrayal of LGBT in lead roles 49
Table 4.7
Theme 6: Negative portrayal of transgender people in
movies
55
Table 4.8
Theme 7: Exaggerated portrayal of gay men and minimal
portrayal of lesbian women in movies
60
Table 4.9
Theme 8: Difference in the portrayal of the LGBT
community in western and Indian movies
65
Table 4.10
Theme 9: Desired improvements in the portrayal of the
LGBT community in movies
69
Table 4.11
Theme 10: Movies that have accurately portrayed the
LGBT community
75

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ABSTRACT
The aim of the current study was to understand and analyze the opinions and attitudes of the
LGBT community toward movies with LGBT themes. The study undertaken utilized a
qualitative research design. The technique of purposive sampling method was used to collect the
sample which consisted of 12 individuals, i.e., three each from the four sexual categories of
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. An open-ended semi-structured interview was used to
collect data from the sample. The data from the interview was analyzed using qualitative method
of Thematic Analysis after which themes and subthemes were derived. The themes are discussed
under the following headings: Movies with LGBT themes, Accuracy of LGBT themes in movies,
Problems with family and/or society caused by LGBT themed movies, Comparison or
association with LGBT characters from movies, Minimal portrayal of LGBT in lead roles,
Negative portrayal of transgender people in movies, Exaggerated portrayal of gay men and
minimal portrayal of lesbian women in movies, Difference in the portrayal of the LGBT
community in western and Indian movies, Desired improvements in the portrayal of the LGBT
community in movies, and Movies that have accurately portrayed the LGBT community.
Limitations and implications of the study are discussed as well.
Keywords: LGBT, Portrayal, Cinema

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This is a study that attempts to analyze the opinions and attitudes of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender) community toward movies that portray the community.
The main concept of the study is how the LGBT community has been and is being portrayed in
the world of cinema, and how the same community perceives this portrayal of theirs. The aim of
the study is to confer several English, Hindi, and Kannada movies which depict lesbians, gays,
bisexuals, transgender, and transsexuals with members of the LGBT community and to evaluate
their opinions and attitude toward it.
LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. Lesbian and gay are the two
divisions of homosexuality, i.e., being emotionally and/or sexually attracted to someone of the
same sex. Bisexuality is being attracted to both male/men and female/woman. A transgender is
someone who lives as a member of a gender other than that expected based on the sex assigned
at birth. Adding to the list are other types of sexual orientations like, Intersex (earlier known as
Hermaphrodites), in which someone whose combination of chromosomes, gonads, hormones,
internal sex organs, and genitals differ from the two expected patterns of male and female,
Questioning, in which an individual who is unsure about their own sexual orientation or gender
identity, Pansexual, in which an individual who experiences emotional and/or sexual attraction
for members of all gender identities, and many more.
1.1 Sex and Gender:
In the English language, the terms sex and gender are often used interchangeably. However, in a
medical and technically scientific sense, these words are not synonymous. Increasingly, the term
gender is being accepted to define psychophysiological processes involved in identity and social
role. Gender comes from the Latin word ‘genus’, meaning kind or race. It is defined by one's
own identification as male, female, or intersex. Sex, from the Latin word ‘sexus’, is defined by
the gonads, or potential gonads, either phenotypically or genotypically. It is generally assigned at
birth by external genital appearance, due to the common assumption that this represents
chromosomal or internal anatomic status. When an intersex condition is noted in a newborn, one
sex is often chosen with the intention of simplifying social interactions and rearing.

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As gender and sex are not interchangeable terms, neither are gender development and sexual
development interchangeable. Physiologic sexual development progresses through distinct stages
from the neonatal period through infancy, childhood, puberty and adolescence, and adulthood.
Such physiologic change is distinguishable from gender-related behaviors during each of these
stages. The sexual identity that emerges beyond childhood is very clearly a separate entity from
gender identity. Aspects of physical sexual growth, eroticism, and eventual sexuality, although
closely related to gender, do not necessarily draw conclusions about an individual’s gender
definitions.
1.2 Sexual Orientation:
Sexual Orientation is a term used to describe our patterns of emotional, romantic, and sexual
attraction, and our sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions. A person's
sexual orientation exists along a continuum, with exclusive attraction to the opposite sex on one
end of the continuum and exclusive attraction to the same sex on the other. Heterosexuality,
homosexuality, and bisexuality are the three most commonly discussed categories of sexual
orientation, though are by no means the only categories in the world of sexual identification
labels. The term ‘queer’ is useful for its non-specificity to orientation, and acts as an umbrella
term.
1.3 Gender Identity and Gender Role:
Gender identity is defined as a personal conception of oneself as male or female, or rarely both
or neither (agender). This concept is intimately related to the concept of gender role, which is
defined as the outward manifestations of personality that reflect the gender identity. Gender
identity, in nearly all instances, is self-identified, as a result of a combination of inherent and
extrinsic or environmental factors, and gender role on the other hand, is manifested within
society by observable factors such as behavior and appearance. For example, if a person
considers himself as a male and is most comfortable referring to his personal gender in
masculine terms, then his gender identity is male. However, his gender role is male only if he

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demonstrates typically male characteristics in behavior, dress, or mannerisms. Thus, gender role
is often an outward expression of gender identity.
1.4 Coming Out
Coming out, i.e., the act of disclosing ones sexual orientation or gender identity to others
represents a major psychological decision. For those who do decide to come out, coming out to
family, especially parents, is often the biggest challenge. The responses to coming out varies.
Some parents and peers withdraw support, rejecting the “queer” individual, while others come to
accept and/or affirm the individual’s sexual and gender identity. The usual steps in the process of
coming out are firstly self-acknowledgement of their sexuality, then sharing this identity with
one other person, and gradually making contacts with other members of the LGBT community.
In time, individuals learn to accept who and what they are.
A study by Boxer et al. (1989, reported in Savin-Williams, 1995) on the coming out of
homosexual individuals revealed the average age of disclosure to be about 16 years, for both
boys and girls, although homosexual activity was likely to have begun at an earlier age (around
13 years for boys and about 15 years for girls). Some youth reported ‘relief and joy’ when they
reached self awareness, and generally there was a positive association between
acknowledgement (and later acceptance) of sexual identity and feelings of self-worth. This is not
the case for all young people however. Gay and lesbian adolescents are very much aware of the
prevailing attitudes held within society and in their own families towards ‘queers’. Gay and
lesbian adolescents are aware of one of the powerful fears, that of social rejection and isolation.
Such feelings act as defenses against self-recognition, and delay the process of ‘coming out’ to
oneself and others.
People around the world face violence and inequality, and sometimes even torture, because one
of the major reasons being sexual orientation and gender identity, which are integral parts of a
human being. Over the recent years, members of the LGBT community who are also called
“queers”, and their supporters have been getting a lot of attention, both positive and negative. All

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over the world the community has been facing a lot of problems as well as derogation. These
people have been victims of name calling, teasing, hate crime, ragging, and mainly homophobia,
in India as well.
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code reads as “Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse
against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment
for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and
shall also be liable to fine”, and the explanation says “Penetration is sufficient to constitute the
carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section”. Lacking precise definition,
Section 377 became subject to varied judicial interpretation over the years. Initially covering
only anal sex, it later included oral sex and still later, read to cover penile penetration of other
artificial orifices like between the thighs or folded palms. This regards homosexuality as an
unnatural offence, especially by criminalizing homosexual men, and leaving the gay community
with a lot of restrictions and very less freedom.
Attitudes toward the LGBT community have been changing positively and gradually. Earlier the
whole community was considered a matter of taboo and now over the recent years there has been
an improvement with these “queers” excelling in various fields like athletics, politics, music,
cinema, and many more. These people seem to be changing the attitudes of people toward the
whole community. With celebrities and other famous people openly coming out, the closeted
common man is likely to gather courage and come out as well. A number of people have been
disowned by their own families for the same, but being “queer” is not a choice. The granting of
gay rights to the American LGBT community in 2015 seems to be having a positive impact on
the LGBT people in other countries as well, with a lot of people coming out and voicing out their
opinions with confidence, a number of NGOs supporting them, documentaries and movies
portraying them being made. But cinema seems to have not been a supporter always, considering
the sensitive subject to be taboo.
Despite the opportunity to build accurate character portrayal, archaic and unrealistic LGBT
characters pervade mass media, specifically in cinema. Such characters are built for a single
purpose and are often driven by the plot, rather than driving the plot themselves; to this end,
LGBT characters are often consigned to the status of supporting character, at best, to a
heterosexual lead. Such characters often represent predictable roles that fall into stifling,

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thoughtless categories. Most roles for most LGBT characters, particularly for those in hetero-
driven comedies, is that of comedic relief. That is, their LGBT status in itself something to laugh
at, to mock, or to generally deride in some fashion. Mainstream commercial movies have always
depicted heterosexual characters playing the lead roles, and LGBT characters that play the role
of a couple have hardly received such coverage. In Indian cinema, the depiction began with
mainstream Bollywood movies by simply delineating members of the transgender community as
pimps and sex workers. Homosexual characters, mostly gays were shown as victims of hate
crime, HIV/AIDS, gay men with overly feminine characteristics, mainly as comic characters, and
as victims of homophobic jokes. But then Indian cinema took a sharp turn with the release of
Deepa Mehta’s 1996 film Fire, in which Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das played the role of a
lesbian couple. The movie was obviously considered controversial, but gained a lot of positive
publicity as well for being bold and for opening up a portal for more Indian movies with weighty
LGBT themes, like My Brother…Nikhil (2005), Gulabi Aina (2006), and Margarita with a Straw
(2015). Apart from movies in the west, soap operas like Orange is the New Black, Modern
Family, Grey’s Anatomy, and many more have had actors playing LGBT characters in them. But
in the history of Indian soap opera, there has never been a single TV show which depicted the
LGBT community. Indian movie makers are taking baby steps to make films with LGBT themes,
though not as main characters, but by leaving subtle hints like characters coming out, being made
fun of for having dominantly having the opposite sex’s traits, and mostly by pretending to be
gay. But there seems to be a number of movies with LGBT themes and documentary films
screened at queer film festivals which proceed to be the voice of the LGBT community.
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a U.S. non-governmental media
monitoring organization founded by LGBT people in the media, conducts frequent surveys on
Hollywood films with LGBT themes, by mapping the quantity, quality, and diversity of LGBT
people in films released by the seven major motion picture studios, i.e., 20th
Century Fox,
Lionsgate Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Sony Columbia, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney
Studios, and Warner Brothers. GLAAD uses the Vito Russo Test, a set of criteria intended to
analyze the representation of LGBT characters in films. The criteria is, 1) The film must contain
a character that is identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender, 2) The character must
not be solely or predominantly defined by their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 3) The

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character must be tied into the plot in such a way that their removal would have a significant
effect.
The current chapter discussed the themes and basic concepts of the current study. In the
following chapter, evidences for the literature reviewed will be given, and the need for the study
as well as its implications will be discussed.

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Chapter 2:
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

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The current study aims at understanding the opinions and attitudes of the LGBT community
toward movies with LGBT themes. In the previous chapter the various themes and concepts of
the study were discussed. In the present chapter, while there have not been many studies made
specifically on the portrayal of the LGBT community in movies, the three aspects of the study,
i.e., attitudes toward the LGBT community, the LGBT community and their attitudes, and the
impact of cinema, will be discussed. Also the evidences for the literature reviewed will be
presented, and the need for the study as well as its implications will be discussed.
2.1 Attitudes toward the LGBT community:
Herek and Norton (2012) studied heterosexuals’ attitudes toward transgender people in the USA.
The study showed that, when compared to their attitudes toward gay men, lesbians, and bisexual
people, heterosexual people showed less favorable attitudes toward transgender people. The
negative attitudes were seen more in heterosexual men than in women. These attitudes were
associated with endorsement of a binary conception of gender, higher levels of psychological
authoritarianism, political conservatism, religiosity (for women), and lack of personal contact
with the LGBT community.
Mazur and Emmers-Sommer (2008) studied the impact that the portrayal of sexual orientation in
movies had on the attitudes of the audience toward sexual orientation. Viewers were divided into
two groups; the control and treatment groups were assigned to watch the movies Father of the
Bride II (a nontraditional family movie) and Object of My Affection (a movie regarding sexual
orientation) respectively. Results showed that the treatment group experienced more favorable
attitudes toward homosexuals than the control group after viewing the film. Gender differences
like men being less tolerant than women toward homosexuals were also observed.
Eliason and Hughes (2004) studied the difference in attitude between urban (urban Chicago) and
rural (rural Iowa) treatment counselors toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender clients.
Though Chicago counselors reported to have considerably more knowledge about the LGBT
community, the results showed that they had less positive attitudes toward the community when
compared with the Iowa counselors.

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Lewis (2003) studied the difference in attitudes of Blacks and Whites toward homosexuality and
gay rights. Analysis of 31 studies since 1973 showed that despite their greater disapproval of
homosexuality, Blacks’ opinions on gay rights and laws are quite similar to Whites’ opinions,
and African Americans are more likely to support laws prohibiting antigay discrimination. Once
religious and educational differences are controlled, Blacks are seen to be more disapproving of
homosexuality than Whites, but are more supportive of gay civil liberties and markedly more
opposed to antigay employment discrimination.
Stokes and Peterson (1998) conducted a study on homophobia, self-esteem, and risk for HIV
among African American men who had sex with men. These men perceived members of the
African American community to be less accepting of homosexuality than the White community.
This attitude of their community toward homosexuality was likely to lead to lower self-esteem
and psychological distress in young gay and bisexual men. The participants also articulated
several mechanisms by which feelings of insecurity might be associated with sexual behaviors
that put one at risk for HIV. The study concludes that changing society’s negative attitudes are
important components of an approach to reduce transmission of HIV.
Herek (1998) studied the differences among heterosexuals in their attitude toward gay men,
based on the gender differences. The study showed that heterosexual males expressed more
hostile attitudes toward gay men, than heterosexual females did. The attitudes appeared to build
its grounds on religiosity, traditional ideologies of family and gender, perception of friends’
agreement with one’s own attitudes, and past interactions with homosexual people.
Herek and Capitanio (1995) studied the attitudes of Black heterosexuals toward homosexuality.
It showed that negative attitudes toward homosexuality were less prevalent among Blacks when
compared with Whites. Black Heterosexual men showed more negative attitudes toward gay men
than toward lesbians, when compared with the attitudes of women, and this appeared to result
primarily from men’s tendency to regard male homosexuality as unnatural. A comparison
between people who thought homosexuality is a choice and people who thought homosexuality
is beyond one’s control indicated that the latter showed more favorable attitudes toward gay men
and lesbians. Respondents were likely to show favorable attitudes if they were highly educated,

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unmarried, politically liberal, and if they had experienced personal contact with people who were
homosexual.
It is seen in this section that people who have been exposed to the LGBT community seem to
have a favorable attitude toward them when compared with people who haven’t been exposed,
and that exposure to the LGBT community matters more than having knowledge about them to
form positive attitudes toward them. It is also seen that most of the mentioned studies indicate
that lesser favorable attitudes are toward gay men when compared with the same toward lesbian
women, and that the least favorable attitudes are shown toward transgender people than any
other section of the LGBT community.
2.2 The LGBT community and their attitudes:
Lock and Steiner (2009) conducted a study to see the difference in the intensity of health
problems between gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) youth, and heterosexual youth. The results
showed that the GLB youth was more prone to mental and general health risks, and sexual risk
taking, but not in health domains associated with substance abuse, homelessness, or dropping out
from school.
Glass, Perrin, Hanson, Bloom, Gardner, & Campbell (2008) conducted a study to assess the risk
of re-assault in abusive lesbian relationships. Results indicated increase in certain behaviors of
the abuser, such as physical violence, constant jealousy, possessiveness, cohabitation, threats or
use of gun, alcoholism, and illegal drug use. There was also increase seen in the failure of
individuals to take the victim seriously when sought help, and in secrecy of abuse.
Martin and Meezan (2008) did a study on the application of ethical standards to research and
evaluations involving populations which included the LGBT community. Taking into account
heterosexist and genderist biases as ethical issues, the researchers studied the use of social
work’s Code of Ethics and psychology’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of
Conduct to examine these ethical issues as they arise in researches that involve LGBT
populations. It points out the researchers’ need to take additional measures to protect the
participants from harm and to ensure the relevance and usefulness of their findings.

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Meyer, Dietrich, and Schwartz (2008) conducted a study on the lifetime prevalence of mental
disorders and suicide attempts in diverse lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Prevalence of
psychiatric disorders in people who were lesbian, gay, and bisexual, belonging to the Black,
White, and Latino communities was assessed. Results showed that the population belonging to
the Black community had lower prevalence of all disorders than did the Latinos and Whites. The
younger population had fewer mood disorders than did the older population. Bisexual people had
a higher prevalence of substance us disorders than did the homosexual population, and Latinos
attempted suicide more often than the White population.
Studies show that smoking prevalence rates are high among LGBT individuals, but little is
known about how they perceive tobacco industry targeting, which is why Smith, Thomson,
Offen, and Malone (2008) conducted a study on the attitudes and perceptions of the LGBT
community toward such targets. Targeting connoted community visibility, legitimacy, and
economic viability, and results showed that the participants did not view tobacco as a gay health
issue.
Mehra and Braquet (2006) did a study on queer youth experiences during the coming-out process
which was based on qualitative analysis of data gathered during in-depth narrative interviews
and informal discussions about queer youth experiences with twenty-one queer individuals.
Important characteristics of coming-out were discussed in the study, especially as a lifelong
process for queer individuals to acknowledge their sexuality and share that awareness with
others.
Croteau (2002) conducted a qualitative study on the work experiences of lesbian, gay, and
bisexual people. He studied pervasiveness of discrimination at the workplace, formal and
informal types of discrimination, fear of discrimination, variability of workers in their openness
about sexual orientation, and correlates of workers’ degree of openness versus concealment of
sexual orientation.
In this section, the studies state that queer youth are more prone to mental and general health
risks and sexual risk taking habits when compared to heterosexual youth. Lifetime prevalence of
mental disorders and suicide attempts in diverse lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations was seen
more in Black and Latino communities when compared with the White community. Along with

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health problems, smoking habits were also analyzed and it was found that such smoking was
comparatively higher in the queer population.
2.3 Cinema and its impact:
Towbin, Haddock, Zimmerman, Lund and Tanner (2008) studied images of gender, race, age,
and sexual orientation in Disney feature-length animated films. This study examined the
portrayal of these organizing principles in a sample of 26 full-length animated Disney films.
Findings indicated that gender, racial, and cultural stereotypes have persisted over time in Disney
films. Few examples of positive portrayals emerged, but were increasingly common in later
films. Marginalized groups were portrayed negatively, rarely, or not at all in these films.
Charlesworth and Glantz (2005) did a study on how rise in smoking in movies causes increase in
adolescent smoking habits. By performing a comprehensive literature review and after
identifying 40 studies and doing research, they came to a conclusion that exposure to smoking in
movies makes viewers’ attitudes and beliefs about smoking and smokers more favorable toward
it.
Janssen, Carpenter and Graham (2003) conducted a study to understand gender differences in
sexual responsiveness to erotic films, and to identify the variables that influence sexual arousal
and explore whether these variables differ for men and women. The overall results indicated that
the movie clips caused sexual arousal more in men that they did in women. Men’s sexual arousal
was dependent on the attractiveness of the female actor, imagining oneself as a participant,
watching as an observer, and feeling interested. But women’s sexual arousal was dependent only
on imagining oneself as a participant.
Smith and Smith (1986) conducted a preliminary empirical analysis of films over the past forty
years to understand the characteristics of successful films and concluded that characteristics in
general had changed over the years to adapt to the likelihood of consumer demand.
Sakheim, Barlow, Beck and Abrahamson (1985) studied the comparison of patterns of sexual
arousal in heterosexual males and homosexual males when exposed to films with sexual content.

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Results supported previous studies with these groups and indicating that films produce more
arousal than photographs or audiotaped stimuli, and that arousal to homosexual stimuli content
were best able to discriminate heterosexual and homosexual arousal patterns for well matched
groups of subjects.
Mosher and O’Grady (1979) studied negative attitudes of undergraduate males toward
masturbation, sex guilt, and males’ sexual and affective reactions to films with explicit sexual
content. Films with heterosexual content elicited more subjective arousal and less disgust, anger,
shame, depression, and guilt that did films with content of male masturbation and homosexuality
in general. Films with homosexual content elicited more sexual arousal, disgust, anger, shame,
and guilt than did films with content of masturbation. The personality inventories used for the
study predicted sexual arousal and affective reactions, but the evidence was better for convergent
than for discriminant validity.
In this section, the first study suggests how the LGBT community, along with other minorities
wasn’t depicted at all in the earlier animated Disney films, but how these themes have been
emerging in the recent years. The second study showed how the rise of smoking scenes in films
resulted in the increase of smoking habits in adolescents. By linking this study to the current one,
we can say that the exaggerated portrayal of the LGBT community can lead to development of
stereotypical attitudes toward the community. The patterns of sexual arousal in homosexual
participants when exposed to films with relevant content, and the attitudes of the youth toward
certain sexual content in movies was also studied.

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NEED FOR STUDY
The previous chapter showed evidence for the literature reviewed for the study. This chapter will
explain the need and implications of the current study. The aim of the study is to understand the
opinions and attitudes of the LGBT community toward movies with LGBT themes.
Movies with LGBT themes have two kinds of portrayal. The first kind has weighty themes like
the problems the characters face while coming out, them falling prey to hate crimes, bullying,
and homophobia, and being isolated by society. The other kind, mainly seen in Bollywood
movies the portrayal of the community has been exaggerated. These people are mostly depicted
as comic characters, pimps, mostly as victims of HIV/AIDS, and gay men with overly feminine
characteristics lusting for the hero. Such depiction causes viewers to have a stereotypical attitude
toward the whole LGBT community. When Bollywood movie Taare Zameen Par was released,
which depicted the exaggerated portrayal of dyslexia; it had a major impact, both positive and
negative, on the audience. It undoubtedly attracted the attention of educationists, teachers,
parents, administrators, and others interested in education. For example, the education
administration of Chandigarh decided to start a course for teachers to deal with children with
learning disabilities, which proved to be the result of the positive effect of the movie. But the
negative impact was that the audience seemed to be fascinated with the exaggerated portrayal of
dyslexia, which resulted in many people claiming to be suffering from the disorder, saying they
fought the disorder and overcame it, and even went to the extent of seeking treatment because of
the imagined exaggerated stigma attached to it. Similarly, if there is accurate portrayal of LGBT
themes in movies, the LGBT community’s condition could probably be voiced out, and there
could be more activists and NGOs supporting them. But the exaggerated portrayal of the
community leaves a false notion among the audience concerning these people, giving way to
problems like homophobia.
 Studies have been made on the topic of LGBT community, but very few have been made
on the opinions and attitudes that these people have, which is why this topic was chosen.
 The major need for the study is to know what the members of the LGBT community
think of such movies, both with non-exaggerated and exaggerated LGBT themes, if they
find them offensive, or what more they expect from these movies.
 The study needs to find out if the depiction of the LGBT community is accurate.

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 One of the other needs is to eradicate the stigma of the LGBT community that people
have.
 The study could be a stepping stone to future research in studying minority groups from a
psychological perspective, and could also be a source of awareness of the problems the
LGBT community faces.
 Since the study will be carried out by examining the opinions and attitudes of these
minorities, it can act as a ground for further qualitative studies on the topic.
 The study could be utilized by professionals of different fields like mental health and
media to understand the different perspectives and viewpoints of the people belonging to
different categories of the LGBT community.

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The current study aims at understanding the opinions and attitudes of the LGBT community
toward movies with LGBT themes. In the previous chapter the evidences for the literature
reviewed was presented, and the need for the study as well as its implications was discussed. The
current chapter discusses the description of the methodology which includes the title, research
questions, objectives, variables, the operational definitions, research design, and the procedure.
TITLE:
Understanding the attitudes of the LGBT community toward LGBT themes in cinema.
RESEARCH QUESTION:
What are the attitudes of the people of the LGBT community towards LGBT themes in cinema?
OBJECTIVE:
To study the Attitude of the LGBT community toward LGBT themes in cinema.
VARIABLES:
 INDEPENDENT: Movies portraying the LGBT community.
 DEPENDENT: Opinions and attitude of the LGBT community toward the movies.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION:
LGBT Community:
A pamphlet presented by the American Psychological Association (2008) says that, “LGBT is
shorthand for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. The “LGB” in this term refers to sexual
orientation. Sexual orientation is defined as an often enduring pattern of emotional, romantic
and/or sexual attractions of men to women or women to men (heterosexual), of women to
women or men to men (homosexual), or by men or women to both sexes (bisexual). It also refers
to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, related
behaviors and membership in a community of others who share those attractions and behaviors.

21
Some people who have same-sex attractions or relationships may identify as “queer,” or, for a
range of personal, social or political reasons, may choose not to self-identify with these or any
labels. The “T” in LGBT stands for transgender or gender non-conforming, and is an umbrella
term for people whose gender identity or gender expression does not conform to that typically
associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. Some who do not identify as either
male or female prefer the term “gender queer.””
RESEARCH DESIGN:
 TYPE OF STUDY: The researcher opted for the qualitative research method as there is
no published research on the opinions and attitudes of the LGBT community toward
movies with LGBT themes. Qualitative research can generate meaningful results with a
small sample group of LGBT members as it provides an in-depth analysis of the human
behavior, perceptions, and viewpoints which cannot be inferred through statistical data.
For the study, a checklist of selected movies with LGBT themes, combined in three
languages (English, Hindi, and Kannada) were made and presented to the sample.
Following is the checklist of the twenty films with LGBT themes that were considered
for the study.
1) The Silence of the Lambs (1991): Ted Levine plays a psychopath with feminine traits, and
toward the end of the movie he is shown to have female genitals.
2) Philadelphia (1993): Tom Hanks plays the character of a gay man who is infected with AIDS
and keeps his homosexuality hidden from his bosses which results him to lose his job.
3) Brokeback Mountain (2005): Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play the role of gay men,
who develop an emotional and sexual relationship but become it complicated as they marry their
respective girlfriends.
4) Milk (2008): Starring Sean Penn, the movie tells the story of California’s first openly gay elected
official, Harvey Milk, and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights

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5) Dallas Buyers Club (2013): Jared Leto plays the character of a drug addict, HIV positive
trans-woman.
6) Blue is the Warmest Color (2013): A French movie in which the lead actors play the role of
a lesbian couple, with one of them being bisexual.
7) The Normal Heart (2014): The movie depicts the rise of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York
City during 1980s. Actors Mark Ruffalo, Jim Parsons, and Matt Bomer play the characters of gay
men.
8) The Danish Girl (2015): Eddie Redmayne plays the role of a trans woman, as he discovers
his sexual identity after his wife paints a portrait of him as a woman.
9) Fire (1996): The Deepa Mehta film portrays Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das in the role of a
lesbian couple.
10) Girlfriend (2004): The controversial film has Esha Kopikar and Amrita Arora play lesbian
characters.
11) Water (2005): The Deepa Mehta movie portrays a transgender who pimps the beautiful
young widow and the little girl.
12) My Brother…Nikhil (2005): Portrays Sanjay Suri and Purab Kohli as a gay couple, with
Suri being derogated for being a victim to HIV/AIDS.
13) Gulabi Aina (2006): The entire story revolves around two transsexuals who are drag
performers, one of them being HIV positive.
14) Dostana (2008): Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham pretend to be a gay couple.
15) Fashion (2008): Portrays two gay men, one of whom marries a woman to please his mother
and to fit in society.
16) Student of the Year (2012): Rishi Kapoor plays the role of the college principal who is
attracted to the coach of the college football team.

23
17) Bol Bachchan (2012): Abhishek Bachchan pretends to be a gay man to escape the wrath of
his lover’s brother.
18) Bombay Talkies (2013): Randeep Hooda and Saquib Saleem play the character of gay men
who are attracted to each other.
19) Margarita with a Straw (2015): Kalki Koechlin plays the role of a bisexual girl who has
cerebral palsy.
20) Naanu Avanalla…Avalu (2015): The Kannada movie is based on the life Vidya, a
transgender, and revolves around her life as she, growing up as a boy cherishes her feminine
characteristics and begins living as a female.
SAMPLE:
The sample consisted of individuals who had identified themselves as members of the LGBT
community. The sample size was twelve and three individuals each from the four categories, i.e.,
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, were selected to be part of the study. The sampling
method chosen for the study was purposive sampling method.
INCLUSION CRITERIA:
 All participants have to have openly come out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, to
family, peers, or society, and are firm about their sexual orientation and identity, since the
objective of the study is to understand the opinions and attitudes of the members of the
LGBT community toward their portrayal in movie
 Participants must voluntarily agree to be a part of the study so that the results of the study
are not distorted
 The sample has to have watched at five to ten of the selected movies in the checklist
 Participants must be able to comprehend and be comfortable to converse in English,
considering that the study employs a qualitative design with open-ended semi-structured
interviews

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EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
 Individuals who haven’t yet come out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, to family,
peers, or society
 Individuals who are only doubtful about them being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender, and those who are confused about their sexual orientation and identity
 Bicurious individuals, i.e., individuals who are only curious about having an attraction to
people of the same gender/sex, will not be considered as bisexuals
 Individuals who are not able to comprehend and/or uncomfortable to converse in English,
considering that the study employs a qualitative design with open-ended semi-structured
interviews
PROCEDURE:
The sample size being twelve, three individuals who have openly come out, each from the four
categories, i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, were selected by using the technique of
purposive sampling method. First, rapport was established with the participants individually and
it was made sure that they were comfortable, since it would increase their willingness to be more
honest with the responses during the interview. The researcher assured them that confidentiality
would be maintained, after which she presented to them the list of the twenty movies considered
for the study. This was followed by the open-ended semi-structured interview which was
conducted by the researcher where she asked the participants the questions mentioned above and
follow-up questions as well, and recorded their opinions in an audio recorder.
CONTROLS:
 Participation of the sample would be voluntary.
 Consent of the participant would be sought prior to the interview.
 Permission would be taken for audio recording before the commencement of the
interview.
 Spontaneity would be maintained to make the participants more comfortable.
 Participants would have the right to withdraw from the study.
 Confidentiality of the participants’ details would be strictly maintained.

25
TOOLS:
 List of 20 Movies With LGBT Themes:
 Interview Schedule with the following open-ended, semi-structured questions-
1. What do you generally think about movies which contain LGBT themes like the
movies in the list that was just given to you?
2. How accurate do you think these themes are?
3. Did these movies or any others pose any problem for you either before or after
you came out? With your family or in society?
4. Have you ever been compared to or associated with the portrayal of the LGBT
community in movies?
5. What is your opinion on mainstream commercial movies portraying only
heterosexual characters in the lead roles and not characters belonging to the
LGBT community?
6. What is your opinion on the negative portrayal of transgenders, especially in
mainstream Indian cinema?
7. What is your opinion on the exaggerated portrayal of gay men and the minimal
portrayal of lesbians in mainstream Indian cinema?
8. Do you think there is a difference in the portrayal of the LGBT community in
mainstream Indian cinema and Western cinema?
9. What would be something that you would actually like to be portrayed in the
movies? What are the improvements that you would like to see?
10. Do you have at least one movie in mind that you think has portrayed the LGBT
community accurately? What is it in the movie that makes you think so?
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS:
 Thematic Analysis was utilized to analyse the results.
The following chapter presents some of the themes brought out during the interviews.

26
Chapter 4:
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

27
The current study is titled- ‘Understanding the Opinions and Attitudes of the LGBT Community
toward Movies with LGBT Themes’. As the title says, the study is aimed at understanding the
viewpoints of different members of the LGBT community on LGBT themed movies. The
previous chapter laid out the methodology employed for the current study. This present chapter
looks into the analysis and discussion of the results obtained.
The objective of the current study is to study the attitudes of the LGBT community toward
movies with LGBT themes.
A qualitative research is a type of scientific research that consists of an investigation that seeks
answers to a question, systematically uses a predefined set of procedures to answer the question,
collects evidences, and produces the findings. It attempts to understand the complexity of the
situation, and it seeks to understand a given research problem or topic from the perspectives of
the local population it involves. Qualitative research can generate meaningful results with small
sample groups as it provides an in-depth analysis of the human behavior, perceptions, and
viewpoints which cannot be inferred through statistical data. It is especially effective in obtaining
culturally specific information about the values, opinions, behaviors, and social contexts of
particular populations. The three most common methods or techniques used to obtain data in a
qualitative research are participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups; each
method used to obtain specific kinds of data, like field notes, audio and/or video recordings, and
transcripts. Participant observation is appropriate to collect data on naturally occurring behaviors
in their usual contexts, in-depth interviews are useful for collecting data on an individual’s
personal views and experiences usually on sensitive topics, and focus groups are effective in
obtaining data on the cultural norms of a group and in generating broad overviews of issues of
concern to the cultural groups or subgroups represented. A similar approach was adopted in the
current study to understand the opinions and attitudes of the LGBT community toward movies
with LGBT themes.
Thematic analysis is a qualitative analytical method for identifying, analyzing and reporting
patterns (themes) within data. It minimally organizes and describes your data set in (rich) detail.
However, frequently it goes further than this, and interprets various aspects of the research topic
(Braun and Clarke, 2006). The purpose of thematic analysis is to identify patterns of meaning

28
across a data set that provide an answer to the research question being addressed. Patterns are
identified through a rigorous process of data familiarization, data coding, and theme
development and revision. A theme captures something important about the data in relation to
the research question and represents some level of patterned response or meaning within the data
set.
A Qualitative data analysis was conducted among members of the LGBT community, i.e.,
lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender people which revealed predominant themes. These themes
addressed a number of issues associated with their opinions and attitudes toward LGBT themed
movies. Results of the open-ended semi-structured interview are presented under specific
themes/outcomes. It is important to note that these results are representative of the interviewed
participants only. However, it provided in-depth details of their attitudes, thoughts and opinions.
All the participants provided information by providing answers to specific questions and also to
follow-up questions by actively participating in the interview and the responses were audio
recorded by the interviewer. The interview was conducted with each participant separately. The
interview sessions with homosexual (lesbian and gay), bisexual, and transgender people helped
the researcher gain an overview of their perspectives on LGBT themed movies based on their
responses to the questions.
Table 4.1 indicating the themes of the open-ended semi-structured interview:
Theme 1 Movies with LGBT themes
Theme 2 Accuracy of LGBT themes in movies
Theme 3 Problems with family and/or society caused by LGBT themed movies
Theme 4 Comparison or association with LGBT characters from movies
Theme 5 Minimal portrayal of LGBT in lead roles
Theme 6 Negative portrayal of transgender people in movies
Theme 7
Exaggerated portrayal of gay men and minimal portrayal of lesbian women in
movies

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Theme 8
Difference in the portrayal of the LGBT community in western and Indian
movies
Theme 9 Desired improvements in the portrayal of the LGBT community in movies
Theme 10 Movies that have accurately portrayed the LGBT community
Each theme has been separately looked into and analyzed along with the sub-themes under each.
Theme 1: Movies with LGBT themes
Table 4.2 Indicating subthemes for movies with LGBT themes
THEME SUB THEMES
Movies with LGBT themes
Appreciation
Wrong portrayal
Support
Comedic portrayal
Need for improvement
Impact
Analysis of data revealed six subthemes centered on the theme of movies with LGBT themes.
These are: appreciation, wrong portrayal, support, comedic portrayal, need for improvement, and
impact.
Discussion of the themes has been derived from the quotes of the participants as mentioned
below. Analysis of the data revealed that the opinions of the participants on movies with LGBT

30
themes differed. Some appreciated only western movies, some appreciated both Indian and
western movies, while some made comparisons between the two based on quality and content.
Most responses indicated that the condition of the portrayal of the LGBT community in Indian
cinema was poor because of the exaggerated and stereotypical portrayal of the certain members
of the community made in these movies. The majority said that gay men and transgender people
were included in Indian movies only for comedic purposes, and believed that it was one of the
reasons for the improvement of the portrayal of the LGBT community in movies. It was also
stated that improvements in Indian cinema had to be made to educate the audiences about the
community. It was noted by a few that people LGBT themed movies were beginning to be
appreciated by a lot of people by being supportive and accepting of them. In their opinion, LGBT
themed movies have been making an impact on the Indian society, since movies with honest
portrayals and depictions have been changing the perception of the audiences toward the
community.
Following is the evidence of quotes of the participants for each theme which is the source of the
discussion.
Appreciation
“Basically that’s a good idea that they are trying to get something new out into the society.”
“Actually the thing is I feel very good about it because uh… they are you know, thinking about
the inner self.”
“It’s a bold move and uh… it’s great because the number of LGBT movies which really have
LGBT theme and also have some substance in them are very less. So if there is something which
has good content in them, I usually feel very excited.”
Appreciation here refers to the positive reception of movies with LGBT themes. A few
participants appreciated these movies. They said they believed that these movies were making a
bold move by accurately portraying the LGBT community in a country where it is still
considered a taboo. They acknowledged the justice these movies were making to the community
and its members.

31
Wrong portrayal
“Sometimes they are extremely wrong when it comes to having a sudden change of heart.”
“In India we can we can say that the condition of the movies are quite bad, not all of them, but
some are bad. I mean, the… you know, the content is not really uh, not true. The content is you
know, it’s like the directors are fooling the audience. Uh, they they go around saying that that
gay men wear pink all the time, and uh, as if in India lesbians don’t exist at all.”
“These exaggerated jokes on the LGBT community is very wrong. It is nice to see good LGBT
movies coming up, but this negative portrayal has to stop.”
Wrong portrayal here refers to the stereotypical and exaggerated portrayal of the LGBT
community. The participants pointed out that some movies were depicting the LGBT community
misleadingly only to entertain its viewers, and that they fail to realize that half of its viewer is
comprised of members of the LGBT community.
Support
“I think, uh, the present time in India, the LGBT movement is gaining momentum… since
because of the media, because of the, um… activism which is taking place, and because of the
awareness which is created by the media and political parties, not the BJP (laughs)… The
Congress have been supportive.”
“We have to be there to actually support the movie franchises for having done a wonderful job.”
“Now we see that our older generation has started to become open minded and started to accept
the community… well not all, but some are. Like you know, they don’t taunt much when there is
LGBT content in movies and all.”
Support here refers to the support the LGBT community gets and the support that the audiences
have to give to the LGBT themed movies. Some participants stated that LGBT themed movies
were getting the support they needed because of recognition it is getting through higher powers
like politics, activism, and revolutions in the film industry.

32
Comedic portrayal
“They portray things like… an LGBT issue, very trivially as a comedy kind of piece in the middle
of the heterosexual movies I would say.”
“Abhishek Bachchan in Dostana and Bol Bachchan... what the fuck is that? It’s not funny
anymore. I understand it was some time ago, but not anymore.”
“These exaggerated comic timings about gay men especially is rude.”
Comedic portrayal here refers to the portrayal of LGBT people in exaggeratedly funny roles,
cracking homophobic jokes and making funny yet derogatory statements about them.
Participants called this portrayal ‘rude’ and said it wasn’t funny anymore.
Need for improvement
“It’s a genre of movie which has to be, uh, which has to be, you know, mainstream.”
“So I think as a… as a genre it has to improve a lot in a country like India that is, still you know
ridiculed and all that.”
“Most of the time they only know what’s transgender but not what homosexual or lesbian or, um,
the bisexuals. Lesbians was there in the history in past but, uh, not the bisexual people. Probably
people don’t know about it in our country. So… these themes have to be noted to make the
people from the, um… as in the older generation to understand what we are.”
Need for improvement refers to the changes that have to be made to get the LGBT portrayal right
and to gradually eradicate the stereotypes. They believed that LGBT movies would improve if
the themes were portrayed in mainstream cinema.

33
Impact
“I’m so glad that in India, especially in our country it’s happening right now. It’s, it’s gonna…
uh, it’s reeling up I would say, because people are coming out and there are a lot of… uh, lot of
media coverage of the LGBT rights.”
“Probably it has started serving as an open door for us, uh, for the Indian environment because
our people don’t know what LGBT is.”
“So… it looks like we are starting to make a move now.”
“Other LGBT movies have taken bold steps, like Aligarh… bold step to convey the messages.”
“The present time in India, the LGBT movement is gaining momentum.”
Impact here refers to the influence LGBT themed movies have had or will have on the audiences.
Some participants said that certain movies with good LGBT themes were getting media coverage
because of which the LGBT community is being recognized as part of the society.

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Theme 2: Accuracy of LGBT themes in movies
Table 4.3 Indicating the subthemes for accuracy of LGBT themes in movies
THEME SUB THEMES
Accuracy of LGBT themes in movies
Accurate portrayal in general
Inaccurate portrayal in Indian movies
Accurate portrayal in western movies
Difference in Indian and western movies
Projection based on perception
Improvement
Analysis of data revealed six subthemes centered on the theme of accuracy of LGBT themes in
movies. These are: accurate portrayal in general, inaccurate portrayal, accurate portrayal in
western movies, difference in Indian and western movies, projection based on perception, and
improvement.
below. Analysis of data revealed that the opinions of the participants on the accuracy of the
portrayal of the LGBT community in movies varied. While some believed that LGBT themes in
movies in general were accurately presented, some went on to compare the portrayal, the themes,
content, and quality presented in western and Indian cinema and stated that the portrayal in
western cinema was comparatively more accurate than that in Indian cinema. Appreciation of the
attempts of Indian films to make accurate and good LGBT themed movies was made by calling
the attempts a ‘bold step’, considering the poor condition of the LGBT community in the
country. The accuracy of the portrayal in western movies was approved of and admired by the
majority of the sample. It was stated that the projection of the LGBT community in movies was

35
based on or was the outcome of the perception and attitudes of the audience toward it. The
majority believed that portrayal of the LGBT community in Indian movies was mostly negative,
while the same in western movies was positive and precise. Even though the negative portrayal
of the LGBT themes in Indian cinema was pointed out, the improvements that have been made
were acknowledged.
discussion.
Accurate portrayal in general
“Generally I would say… they… the portrayal is good.”
“See… some LGBT movies are good, and some are just chumma (simply) made for time pass, for
entertainment. But the ones made with effort and all will always be good.”
“It’s a bold move and uh… it’s it’s great because the number of LGBT movies which really have
LGBT theme and also have some substance in them are very less, and even though they are
less… uh they are good.”
The current theme refers to the accurate portrayal of the LGBT community in movies. Some
participants stated that efforts of movies to make the actual depiction of the LGBT life was
paying off because they were improving in both content and portrayal.
Inaccurate portrayal in Indian movies
“If you’re speaking about Indian movies, they are not at all accurate because they have no idea
what LGBTQ means”
“In this Kannada film she’ll be liking that woman, but suddenly she likes that guy. It’s like, how
can she do that? When you’re loving like… that other girl, all of a sudden she goes away and
suddenly you’ll be like within seconds you’ll like that guy. How is that even possible?”

36
“Sometimes they, uh, they make it very comic, mostly in Indian movies… which are very less.”
“First of all, so many scenes are censored, plus when a person comes out as being… uh queer,
his peers make fun of him.”
The current subtheme refers to the inaccurate themes in Indian LGBT themed movies. Majority
of the sample stated that Indian movies with LGBT themes and characters were not doing justice
to the community. The main drawbacks in Indian cinema were said to be the strict censorship
board, mindset of the audiences, and the audiences being misinformed about the community
through false depiction.
Accurate portrayal in western movies
“If you speak about western movies, they are pretty clear about it, like… spot on.”
“If you go to uh international movies, then pretty much they do have… I mean some of the
lesbian movies have good lesbian content. These movies have accurate content.”
“The western always had a serious tone on it. They always included gay rights, issues on, uh,
LGBT, uh, activism, HIV, uh… this one, um, outrages and and things like that. Even… and the
portrayal of the characters are so intense that you actually feel the character.”
“Western movies’ content is intense… emotionally, sexually, or, or… the very essence of the
character because… there is no rating of A or U or whatever, because those people are always
open minded. The movies are rated, but they do wonderful justice to Hollywood movies.”
The current subtheme refers to the participants’ perception of LGBT portrayal in western
movies. The participants who stated that the portrayal of the LGBT community in Indian movies
was false were mostly the one to say that the western movies depicted the community accurately.
Difference in Indian and western movies
“Um… we can see non Indian movies giving support to the LGBT community by making
beautiful LGBT themed movies, and India is lagging behind in this area.”

37
“There’s a lot of difference. There is. There is a lot of difference… in terms of liberalism, uh…
westerners are more liberal while doing movies because they have the complete uh… freedom to
actually bring out the character to life. But… when it comes to Indian cinema, liberalism is kind
of limited… I would say.”
The current subtheme revolves around the differences seen in the portrayal of the LGBT
community in Indian and western movies. Majority of the sample made a comparison between
Indian cinema and western cinema and concluded that western movies had intense depiction of
the LGBT community, be it emotionally, sexually, or physically, and portrayed the community
better than Indian movies.
Projection based on perception
“We only make fun about it, especially in conservative families, leave alone the open minded
families. It’s it’s it’s it’s very less, right? I think… that is because of uh… of the, of the, of the
uh… stigma towards sex education in our country. This is shown in movies also.”
“Okay so… they don’t, Indian movies uh, they don’t represent that fully. It’s basically a joke or
whatever, being gay, or transgender or something. They just laugh out at it. That’s what is the
general perception about this thing. The projection of the LGBT community, especially
transgenders is bad.”
Projection based on perception basically says that the portrayal or projection of LGBT people in
movies is based on the perception or opinions the audiences have of them. Herek (1988) studied
the differences among heterosexuals in their attitude toward gay men, based on the gender
differences. The study showed that heterosexual males expressed more hostile attitudes toward
gay men, than heterosexual females did. The attitudes appeared to build its grounds on
religiosity, traditional ideologies of family and gender, perception of friends’ agreement with
one’s own attitudes, and past interactions with homosexual people. The participants of my study
believed that such perception caused corresponding portrayal of LGBT people in movies.

38
Improvement
“LGBT movies have characters… and, uh, they are good, but when it comes to our country it has
to be improved. They have a long way to go.”
“It’s like… these good movies are showing the background and the real life incidents of the
LGBT. This is a huge stepping stone toward better LGBT movies.”
“Indian LGBT movies will take a long time to get equal with western LGBT movies, but we can
see that attempts are being made.”
As evidence taken from the review of literature, a study (Towbin et. al., 2008) analyzed images
of gender, race, age, and sexual orientation in Disney feature-length animated films. This study
examined the portrayal of these organizing principles in a sample of 26 full-length animated
Disney films. Findings indicated that gender, racial, and cultural stereotypes had persisted over
time in Disney films. Few examples of positive portrayals emerged, but were increasingly
common in later films. Marginalized groups were portrayed negatively, rarely, or not at all in
these films.

39
Theme 3: Problems with family and/or society caused by LGBT themed movies
Table 4.4 Indicating the subthemes for problems with family and/or society caused by LGBT
themed movies
THEME SUB THEMES
Problems with family and/or society caused by
LGBT themed movies
Problems faced
Movie suggestions
Coming out
To relate
Characters compared with
Feelings involved
Support and acceptance
Analysis of data revealed eight subthemes centered on the theme of problems with family and/or
society caused by LGBT themed movies. These are: problems faced, movie suggestions, coming
out, to relate, characters compared with, audience’s perception, feelings involved, and support
and acceptance.
below. Analysis of data revealed certain details of the varied problematic experiences of the
participants with their families and/or society caused by movies with LGBT themes. Majority of
the sample denied having faced any problem with their family and/or society caused by LGBT
themed movies, except for a few, whose conditions was compared to that of “queer” characters
in movies, by a parent. One participant stated that the parent threatened to deny support and
acceptance when suggested to watch a few LGBT themed movies. Most participants agreed to
having been victim to name calling and teasing because of the comedic portrayal of certain

40
members of the LGBT community. They revealed that such actions triggered negative feelings in
them, such as anger and the feeling of being upset. Though some participants were degraded by
their peers for their sexuality, others said that they were suggested good LGBT movies by their
peers as showed support and acceptance towards them. Some participants said that instead of
causing problems, certain LGBT themed films made them connect with the character or relate to
the character, which in turn inspired and encouraged them to come out and gave them
confidence.
discussion.
Problems faced
“Not exactly problems… it’s just that people taunt the whole community and I feel hurt.”
“When we were watching Dostana together on TV, they showed you know, Abhishek Bachchan
and John Abraham, so… my parents were like “If this is your case, it’s gonna be really difficult
for you in society”.”
“It’s just that you get teased when LGBT characters are portrayed in cinema. Otherwise there
was no problem as such.”
“The only problem I’ve ever faced because of LGBT themed movies is my mom asking me to
marry a boy when I suggest she watches movies with LGBT characters.”
“I made her watch thinking she may empathize with the character. No. all she said was “Don’t
expect me to accept all this. Don’t even think about it”. That’s all she said.”
Problems faced here refer to the problems with family or society caused by movies with LGBT
themes. Majority of the sample denied having had any problematic experiences due to movies,
but some said that people, especially parents taunted them while comparing them to LGBT
characters in movies.

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Movie suggestions
“No. actually they used to suggest me, the movies, “This movie is good, you can watch this kind
of movies”. They used to suggest.”
“I was so happy when uh, my friends told me to watch Naanu Avanalla…Avalu because you
know, I came to know that they had accepted me.”
“No problems yet actually. I have this friend… she keeps me updated about every new LGBT
movie that is coming up. She is more excited than me.”
“Actually they used to suggest me, the movies, “This movie is good, you can watch this kind of
movies”. They used to suggest. And uh, whenever they see these kind of movies they will call me
or text me.”
Movie suggestions here refer to the movies that were suggested to the participants by their peers.
They said that their friends and colleagues suggested them certain LGBT movies because they
thoughts these individuals could relate to the characters portrayed in those movies. it was noted
that movies were not suggested to make fun of them.
Coming out
“But my first lesbian themed movie was actually ‘I Can’t Think Straight’, and that has
tremendously helped me to come out.”
“No movie has ever posed a problem, instead all of them, in general have helped me to come
out. These movies make me so confident”
“It is actually based on their true story, so that inspired me and gave me a lot of uh… a lot of
strength to come out to my friends at least.”
Coming out in this context refers to the experiences of the participants caused due to LGBT
themed movies. They were initially asked if an LGBT movie had ever posed problems for them,
but it turned out that they helped them to come out instead.

42
To relate
“And it was a beautiful movie with a happy ending, uh, with conservative parents again. So… I
could relate to that movie and I went on to search you know.”
“The movie had a strong connection.”
“I don’t actually feel bad because I can relate to that character. That’s what I am no?”
To relate in this context refers to the participant being able to connect with the LGBT characters
portrayed in movies. When certain LGBT movies were released and the participants were
taunted for being LGBT, they instead took the criticism positively because they could connect
with the characters.
Characters compared with
“Can you believe my mother compared me to Abhishek Bachchan (in Dostana)? She said I
would end up like him if I did not stop being myself (laughs).”
“In ‘Naanu Avanalla…Avalu’, there is Vidhya. My friend called me one day and said she
reminded her of me.”
The current subtheme refers to the characters which the participants were compared with.
Analysis of the data revealed that there were two types of comparisons made, them being
positive comparison, i.e., appreciating them for being who they are, and negative
comparison, i.e., name calling, teasing, taunting with regard to LGBT characters in
movies.
Audience’s perception
“You know, the exaggerated portrayal of the LGBT creates a negative perception about us in
people.”

43
“People have this mind set people about LGBT community. They think… stereotyping things
about us. This is why they make such comments.”
“People have all kinds of thoughts. It’s like they take a chance every time they can… you know,
to put people down.”
The current subtheme refers to creation of a wrong perception about LGBT people through false
portrayal in movies, or the creation of movies according to the audiences’ perception. Herek and
Norton (2012) studied heterosexuals’ attitudes toward transgender people in the USA. The study
showed that, when compared to their attitudes toward gay men, lesbians, and bisexual people,
heterosexual people showed less favorable attitudes toward transgender people. The negative
attitudes were seen more in heterosexual men than in women. These attitudes were associated
with endorsement of a binary conception of gender, higher levels of psychological
authoritarianism, political conservatism, religiosity (for women), and lack of personal contact
with the LGBT community. This study indicates the perception of a heterosexual sample about
LGB people.
Feelings involved
“I get angry every time my mother asks me to marry a boy when I mention them (LGBT themed
movies).”
“It’s just that I feel hurt, because it’s people like me they are making fun of.”
“I don’t mind people calling me stuff. It’s just what I am”
“So when we watch Dostana I was pissed with the movie and my parents were pissed with me, so
that was the thing.”
“Well, I feel bad. It’s not really posed a problem for me, but I feel hurt, okay, because people are
making fun of the LGBT community.”
Croteau (2002) conducted a qualitative study on the work experiences of lesbian, gay, and
bisexual people. He studied pervasiveness of discrimination at the workplace, formal and

44
informal types of discrimination, fear of discrimination, variability of workers in their openness
about sexual orientation, and correlates of workers’ degree of openness versus concealment of
sexual orientation. Similarly the participants stated that when such behaviors were projected in
movies it triggered feelings like anger, or feeling hurt.
Support and acceptance
“Whenever they see these kind of movies they will call me or text me and say, uh, “This kind of
movie is coming, you need to watch that I guess, check it out”, and all that. That kind of support
I’ll get.”
“I have friends who are accepting and supportive. They encourage me to take a stand. I uh, I
think this puts all the negative vibe away.”
“They will call me or text me and say, uh, “This kind of movie is coming, you need to watch that
I guess, check it out”, and all that. That kind of support I’ll get.”
The current subtheme refers to the support and acceptance shown towards LGBT people by their
family, peers, and colleagues because of their portrayal in movies. Majority of the sample spoke
about the support given to them by their peers. There was no mention of cases where support was
rendered by parents or other family member.

45
Theme 4: Comparison or association with LGBT characters from movies
Table 4.5 Indicating the subthemes for comparison or association with LGBT characters from
movies
THEME SUB THEMES
Comparison or association with LGBT
characters from movies
Self comparison and association
Positive comparison by others
Negative comparison/teasing
No criticism taken
Unable to compare self
Movie suggestions
Analysis of data revealed six subthemes centered on the theme of comparison or association with
LGBT characters from movies. These are: self comparison and association, positive comparison
by others, negative comparison/teasing, no criticism taken, unable to compare self, and movie
suggestions.
below. Analysis of data elaborated on the experiences of the participants being compared to or
being associated with LGBT characters from movies by themselves or by others. Out of twenty,
only two participants admitted to comparing themselves with characters from movies. They
compared themselves to them because they were able to relate or connect with the character.
Two more characters revealed to being positively compared to certain LGBT characters in
movies by other people. They believed the comparison or association was made as the
participants reminded them of the characters. They called the association positive because of
their liking for the character and its honest portrayal. One participant agreed to having been

46
victim to the negative association with the comedic portrayal of a specific LGBT character. The
comparison was said to have been made along with homophobic remarks and jokes. Three
participants revealed being compared with random LGBT characters or with LGBT characters in
general, which they said never bothered them. One participant said was compared with a specific
LGBT character by her peers. Though she could connect with it, she was unable to compare
herself with the character because of her feeling of being unfit for comparison with the overly
graceful character. Along with being compared and associated, some participants said to have
been suggested movies by their peers, because they could associate the participants with the
characters in the movies.
discussion.
Self comparison and association
“Katherine Moennig from uh, The L Word, yeah. Since she plays the role of a playboy, and
pretty much very uh… you know, related to her, you know… the way I usually go out with girls
(laughs), I just compare me to her.”
“There are movies like Naanu Avanalla…Avalu. So when they show from the childhood it is like,
okay… we also relate to this. We all have gone through this.”
The current subtheme refers to how the participants compared or associated themselves with
LGBT characters in movies. Only two participants were able to associate themselves with a
character, either emotionally or just because they believed their personalities matched.
Positive comparison by others
“It was positive. She is much better than what I am in real life.”

47
“And uh… uh, I often get compared to this gorgeous character from this TV series called
Orange is the New Black, played by actress Ruby Rose who is lesbian, which I like by the way
(laughs)”
“Yes I have. Like I told you earlier, when I made my friends watch Naanu Avanalla…Avalu, they
all said that I was like Vidhya, the character, and that actually made me very happy.”
“But then people have also told me that I am like the main character from Naanu
Avanalla…Avalu. And I don’t have a problem with that”
The current subtheme refers to the positive association made with an LGBT character by others.
The association was considered positive because of their liking for the character and because
they could connect with the character.
Negative comparison/teasing
“When we were watching Dostana on TV, they showed uh… ya, Abhishek Bachchan on the
screen, and my mother said, “Neen yaake hung maadtha iddiya?” (Why are you acting like that).
it is very rude.”
“I have been teased, I have been victim to homophobic jokes, but uh… teased because of a gay
movie character… no.”
The current subtheme refers to the negative association made with LGBT characters in movies
by others. this included teasing, bullying, and name calling, caused by the negative portrayal of
LGBT characters in movies.
No criticism taken
“People have also compared me to her, but… uh I don’t mind.”
“And uh, ya. Though that never really hurt me because I love Ruby Rose (laughs), you know, so I
think it is fine.”

48
“Um… ya ya ya, I remember I was once told that I behaved like that Mitch guy from Modern
Family. But it didn’t really matter because I am Mitch (laughs). ”
This subtheme states that though negative remarks or associations were made based on LGBT
movies, no criticism was taken by the participant. Such a behavior was caused because either
they were not bothered by the association or because they were used to being made such remarks
at.
Unable to compare self
“I can’t compare myself with her because she’s too graceful, and I don’t think I’m that
graceful.”
“But then in some movies, the way the lives of gay men is portrayed, uh…I think like “My case is
nothing compared to their problems”, like uh… ya like Benedict Cumberbatch… in that Turing
machine movie, he committed suicide because of his problems.”
Two participants stated that they weren’t able to compare themselves with certain LGBT
characters both for different reasons, as stated in the participants’ quotes above. They believed
that the portrayal of their corresponding character in those movies was glorified.
Movie suggestions
“I have been requesting them to watch LGBT movies because they help you to actually come.”
“Some of them have watched this and have come… come to me like, “you have to watch this
movie… it’s like, it’s like for me it’s like seeing you”, something like that.”
“I had suggested my sister to watch a few good LGBT movies, you know, to expecting her to
change her views.”
This subtheme refers to the suggestions made by peers to the participants and the other way
around to watch certain movies because of the accuracy of the LGBT content in them.

49
Theme 5: Minimal portrayal of LGBT in lead roles
Table 4.6 Indicating the subthemes for minimal portrayal of LGBT in lead roles
THEME SUB THEMES
Minimal portrayal of LGBT in lead roles
Improvements
Background of LGBT people’s lives
Stereotypes
Audience’s preferences
Condition of good LGBT films
Comedic portrayal
Support
Proper depiction
Evolution of LGBT films
Analysis of data revealed ten subthemes centered on the theme of minimal portrayal of LGBT in
lead roles. These are: improvements, background of LGBT people’s lives, stereotypes,
audience’s perception, audience’s preferences, condition of good LGBT films, comedic
portrayal, support, proper depiction, and evolution of LGBT films.
below. The analysis of data revealed the different opinions of the participants on the minimal
portrayal of characters belonging to the LGBT community in lead roles. Indian movies were
compared with western movies and it was pointed out that movies with LGBT characters playing

50
the lead had always been made. Some believed that the stereotypes the LGBT people were being
made victims of was barricading their possibilities or chances of playing lead roles in movies.
They were able to empathize and connect with the characters and expressed their desire of LGBT
love stories, true stories, revelation of the background of LGBT life to be portrayed in movies.
Comedic, exaggerated, and stereotypical portrayal of the community and the preferences of the
audiences for “entertaining” movies were believed to be the reason for the disempowerment of
the LGBT community in the film industry, and therefore movies with such false portrayal were
still being made. Movies with honest LGBT themes were said to be overshadowed by movies
with inappropriate LGBT themes. All the participants expressed their desire for movies that
revolve around the theme of LGBT and that depict them accurately. Few of them agreed that the
Indian cinema was evolving and that it was receiving attention through activism.
discussion.
Improvements
“They should grow up.”
“Why not make movies for the sake of educating the audience about the queer people they are
living with? This has to be looked at seriously.”
“They need to show the different shades of the community.”
“It’s high time LGBT themes are shifted to commercial movies.”
This subtheme refers to the improvements that need to be made according to the participants to
improve the portrayal of the LGBT community in movies. Most of the participants stated that
making LGBT movies for educational purposes would improve the condition of the portrayal.
Background of LGBT people’s lives
“They are also people, they also have feelings, they also… they also have a love story, right?”

51
“We also have emotions. We fall in love, have cute arguments (laughs)… just like you all.”
“You know, uh… there’s a reason why transgenders are, uh, the way they are. They are forced to
do what they do. The percentage of trans people who willingly do it is damn low. Why can’t they
make movies on such topics?”
Background of LGBT people’s lives refer to the real life events that take place in their lives, like
the coming out process, facing of difficulties, discrimination, their love story, and other aspects
that would bring out the essence of reality in their portrayal.
Stereotypes
“Like again, stereotypes. Like, our mind is been set to that.”
“Homosexual characters are never in the lead. Their characters are degraded… they are always
in the side acting. Why? Because they are stereotyped to be uh… not very man like.”
“Just because one or two people act so, we are also pulled into it.”
This subtheme refers to the stereotypes about the LGBT community that becomes one of the
causes for their negative portrayal in movies. Most participants said they had been victims to
stereotypes which has been showed in movies through exaggerated portrayal of the community.
“The Indian audience has a low viewpoint about the LGBT community”
“People think like ki (that)… “Oh that man is wearing pink, so he must be gay”, they think like
that. Like this only people make fun of us.”
“If LGBT thing is shown as the main thing in films people will not watch. They think there is
something wrong with people like us”

52
Here the audiences’ perception refers to the stereotypes people have about the LGBT
community. Most of the participants said that such portrayal in movies is what causes such a
mind set in the people, and this is what gives rise to stereotypes.
Audience’s preferences
“When it’s a marriage it should be one boy and one girl. That’s the main problem I think and
uh… um, the viewers, more of them will be watching, according to that they are doing the movies
I guess.”
“People want to watch movies for entertainment, and this is why filmmakers make such movies
and people get entertained. It’s so stupid.”
“The viewers, more of them will be watching according to that they are doing the movies.”
This subtheme states that movies are made according to the want or preference of the audiences
for such movies. Some participants believed that because such preferences for entertainment and
false depiction of the LGBT people existed, movies with such themes were made.
Condition of good LGBT films
“There were movies like Fire, My Brother…Nikhil and all. What happened to them? They all
turned out to be scandalous.”
“The awesome Indian LGBT movies that were released back then got good response. But nobody
remembers them now… except us, because these movies are like the backbone for us.”
“And when you think the LGBT scene in the film industry is getting good, suddenly a lame movie
comes kills it…you know, movies like Dostana and shit. There were movies like My
Brother…Nikhil and all and I thought better movies like that would uh, get released. But then
came so many movies that made fun of LGBT, gay men especially. Now that we have Aligarh,
I’m waiting for another stupid movie to come up and kill the vibe.”

53
Two participants noted that the condition of Indian LGBT themed movies was degrading. Even
though good movies were made earlier, they are no longer talked about, because they are being
replaced by movies with inaccurate LGBT themes.
Comedic portrayal
“They can’t be always used for fun.”
“Their love stories, their orientation, their love towards the same sex cannot be always a
comedy, or cannot be used um… like you know, jokes or something like this.”
“Most of them use gay characters only for this particular purpose, so that people can have fun,
they can laugh.”
“Hello…this exaggerated nasal voice, pink clothes, uh… making obvious hand gestures and all
is not funny.”
This subtheme indicates that LGBT characters in movies are used only to make fun of, to be the
subject of homophobic jokes, and get portrayed in the most exaggerated manner possible.
Comedic portrayal of the LGBT community is one of the major reasons for the creation of
stereotypes toward them.
Proper depiction
“Please watch Aligarh if you haven’t. Manoj Bajpai brings out all the emotions in you because
his acting is awesome. It’s a very honest movie. It has done justice to the community to a certain
level.”
“West Bengal has the highest rate, uh, of lesbians marrying and they actually carry on their life
as a couple. Like… um, usually how any heterosexual couple would spend their day, they still do
it like that. They don’t have the recognition, but they still are happy. They should show that in
movies.”

54
Participants stated that though there were horribly portrayed LGBT themed movies made, there
were very few that actually left a strong impact on the audiences by changing their attitudes
toward the LGBT community.
Evolution of LGBT films
“I agree that there are movies in Indian cinema that make fun of us, but then the industry is also
evolving, if you see movies like Aligarh.”
“People are rebelling against wrong portrayal, there’s a revolution. We just have to be patient,
because there will be exposure received through people fighting for LGBT.”
“This new ad by Google has portrayed a gay relationship in it. I think this is a good step.”
Some participants believed that the LGBT scene in Indian movies was evolving. There were
movies being made that showcased the LGBT community accurately. There were also movies
being made that overpowered the LGBT stereotypes and made justice to the characters.

55
Theme 6: Negative portrayal of transgender people in movies
Table 4.7 Indicating the subthemes for negative portrayal of transgender people
THEME SUB THEMES
Negative portrayal of transgender people in
movies
Stereotypical portrayal
Background to transgender people’s lives
Need for exposure and recognition
Good portrayal
False information through false portrayal
Improvements
Creation of awareness
Analysis of data revealed seven subthemes centered on the theme of negative portrayal of
transgender people in movies. These are: stereotypical portrayal, background, need for exposure
and recognition, good portrayal, false information through false portrayal, improvements, and
creation of awareness.
below. Analysis of data revealed the varied opinions of the participants on the negative portrayal
of transgender people in movies. All participants first pointed out that transgender people were
victims to their exaggerated, stereotypical, and negative portrayal in movies, and people’s
negative perception of them in reality. Majority of the participants agreed that it was important
for movies to first present the background story, as to why transgender people involve
themselves in certain undesirable activities such as begging, pimping, and such other behaviors,
and then vilify them if necessary. Some mentioned a few movies where transgender people

56
where portrayed accurately. Some participants spoke about their transgender friends who were
doing well for themselves by studying or by working at respected places, and how this kind of a
scenario should create scope for the honest portrayal of the LGBT community in movies, or for
better LGBT themed movies. The three participants who identified themselves as being
transgender expressed their disappointment with Indian LGBT themed movies. Them being a
student, a radio jockey, and a social worker, respectively, said they were offended by the false
portrayal of transgender people because when there are stereotypes, they get included in them as
well. Most participants believed that if honest depiction of the transgender community was made
in movies, people would change their attitudes toward them, there would be creation of
awareness, and the condition of LGBT themed movies in the Indian film industry would
improve.
discussion.
Stereotypical portrayal
“They just show these transgenders to be someone who begs for money, or you know… who’s
gonna sell their body.”
“We are called ‘Chakkas’ and all. What does that even mean?”
“I am not like the transgenders they show in movies. This itself shows that the portrayal of
transgenders in movies is wrong. It is true that… some transgenders do such things, like begging
and prostitution. But why are they doing this? They are all forced to do such things.”
This subtheme discusses the stereotypical portrayal of transgender people, mostly in Indian
cinema. They are portrayed as sex workers, pimps, and beggars, and there are hardly good
movies that portray the true depiction.

57
Background to transgender people’s lives
“If you see in our community there will be like always uh… there will be always with all the
people like LGBT, all… whenever a… what to say, uh pride happens or uh, film festivals happen,
anything, they’ll be there and they’ll be very close to us. They love us like anything. If we love
them, they’ll love us. That’s the way they are. But people degrade them, and that’s not good.”
“What what is the thing that makes them beg around in the streets? What are the problems they
are facing? Nobody really shows that.”
“I think if you really want to create some kind of awareness, probably you should also show a
little background.”
“See, transgenders are one of the most visible people in our community, especially in India,
because you see them in the traffic signal, you see them begging, you see them… you see them in
many parts of the society. You, actually the transgenders do not want to do what they are
actually doing.”
Participants argued that if stereotypes about transgender people had to be dropped, their
background stories or the depiction of why they became what they are should be portrayed.
These portrayals would anyway create an awareness about the community and the derogation
would stop.
Need for exposure and recognition
“But I have met transgenders who work for BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited), and many of
them actually are… um… there’s one or two who have been selected as SIs (Sub Inspectors), and
people are even trying in the army… which most of the so called Indian people don’t know. But
they should be given scope.”
“Wrong portrayal creates wrong impression. The things they show in films about us doesn’t
happen all the time, not all transgender people do it… people need to know that.”

58
“They need to um… when, when a director is directing a movie and she is writing some script he
need to think about each and every character.”
According to this subtheme, transgender people need recognition to portray their true self. Some
participants mentioned that there were transgender people who were working at reputed
institutions and that this needed to be given exposure.
Good portrayal
“There are movies where transgender people portrayed well, shown as police officer, political
figure, writes competitive exams, there are strong transgender figures.”
“If you’ve watched Murder 2 or 3, I’m not sure, the one with Emraan Hashmi and Jacqueline
Fernandez, uh, they uh, they… they portray a community of transgenders, and um… and there’s
one trans person in it who plays the role of a political figure. The movie wasn’t great, but I think
you know, that um, this portrayal should be shown in many other movies as well.”
“I think there’s a movie where a trans person writes a competitive examination and becomes an
IAS officer or something like that, it’s really good.”
Some participants noted some movies that had portrayed the transgender community accurately.
The need for such movies was desired by most of the participants.
False information through false portrayal
“We are always portrayed in a negative manner. Parents don’t know that this pressurizes their
children to take up respective gender roles.”
“It’s like portrayal and perception is like a cycle… like uh, wrong portrayal creates negative
view points, and on the other hand negative perception makes directors and all to make movies
with negative portrayal.”

59
Derogation of the transgender people, stereotyping them, and portraying them exaggeratedly in
movies sends out the wrong information about them and the community. Participants said that
this could happen the other way round, where wrong information about them could result in
creation of movies with inaccurate portrayal.
Improvements
“Like I said earlier, the portrayal itself has to be honest.”
“Movies about our community should be more sensitive towards the theme.”
“Indian cinema especially, shouldn’t violate rights of LGBT. We already have been criminalized
by the judiciary system. We don’t want more of that in movies.”
“False portrayal has to be stopped and the positives should be highlighted. It’s high time this is
adopted.”
The need for improvement in the portrayal of transgender people was one aspect that every
single participant discussed. They believed that improvements regarding the portrayal of
transgender people made in movies would in turn improve their condition in real, as these
movies would send out the right message.
Creation of awareness
“They are actually beggars. They are actually pimps. So if you wanna show them as that way,
give um, give a little background as to why are they doing it, right? That’s how people will also
come to know and it will create some kind of awareness.”
“The things that portray them are films…obviously, and for that matter, we need to make movies
which support them.”
“You know uh, so people need to be educated about this. We can’t keep making fun of them, and
I don’t like it that they are called “Chakkas”. It’s very derogatory.”

60
One participant believed that the stereotyping of transgender people was actually true. The only
thing wrong about it wad the absence of the portrayal as to why they do so. If that also is
portrayed, awareness is created about their true depiction.
Theme 7: Exaggerated portrayal of gay men and minimal portrayal of lesbian women in
movies
Table 4.8 Indicating the subthemes for exaggerated portrayal of gay men and minimal portrayal
of lesbian women in movies
THEME SUB THEMES
Exaggerated portrayal of gay men and minimal
portrayal of lesbian women in movies
False depiction
Comedic portrayal
Need for accurate portrayal
Gender discrimination
Portrayal of lesbian women
Need for lesbian themed films
Portrayal of bisexual people
Portrayal of masculine gay men
Analysis of data revealed eight subthemes centered on the theme exaggerated portrayal of gay
men and minimal portrayal of lesbian women in movies. These are: false depiction, comedic
portrayal, need for accurate portrayal, gender discrimination, portrayal of lesbian women, need
for lesbian themed films, portrayal of bisexual people, and portrayal of masculine gay men.

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