Homosexual Stereotypes

Gay and lesbian stereotypes have been an important part of Hollywood cinema since its emergence. Stereotypes such as the sissy, the dike, the sad young man, and the unnatural woman have been common character types in many movies in both the classical and post-classical eras. However, each of these stereotypes fail to recognize the true nature of gay men and lesbians. Instead, these stereotypes focus on the negative aspects of homosexuality and present only a narrow point of view that reaffirms the negative connotations associated with a gay lifestyle. For example, the sissy stereotype focuses on creating a male character that is weaker than the rest of the men and women onscreen. This stereotype allows male homosexuality to be expressed in a way that is both inoffensive and non-threatening. On the other hand, the dike stereotype emphasizes the intense dislike of men that characterizes some lesbians. Both of these stereotypes have become common images of homosexuality in American culture despite their inaccurate descriptions. While some of the traits portrayed by these stereotypes are indeed true to certain individuals, they are not general categories into which all gay men and women can be grouped. However, it is often the case that homosexuality is viewed in these terms simply because they have been accepted by society as normal. These pre-determined points of view have profoundly impacted the way society views homosexuality off the screen. By presenting a viewpoint that fails to take into account the true nature of homosexuality and that narrows it into predefined categories, cinema has greatly affected the way homosexuality has been accepted into our modern society. Naturally these stereotypes have been targeted by gay and lesbian criticism in an attempt to rectify the false ideas they instill about gay men and women. By focusing on correcting the popular image of homosexuality, incorrect gay stereotypes will undoubtedly be corrected in the future. In turn, this will lead to the slow elimination of narrowly defined homosexual stereotypes from popular cinema and an influx of more fully developed gay characters.

Hill, John and Pamela Church Gibson. The Oxford Guide to Film Studies. New York: Oxford University Press,1998. Print.

-David Zwick