Sassy Gay Stereotype Goes Shopping, Claims "It was FIERCE."

As a young, openly gay man growing up in Indiana, I've faced a lot of struggles. Now, I haven't had nearly as bad an upbringing as some of my LGBTQ peers and I am very thankful for this, but no one can deny that there is a lot of work that needs to be done before homosexuality is completely accepted in the heteronormative world we live in. I believe that the start of this momentum will come from pop culture.

There has been a huge move  in the direction of LGBTQ transparency in culture. From The New Normal (may it RIP) to Glee, gay characters are out there. The question is, however, whether or not they are TOO out there.

So, I love shopping. Don't get me wrong, but I am also a fraternity brother who watches the Olympics for more than just figure skating (although figure skating is the best) and does NOT use the word fierce. Why am I pointing all of these things out? Because these are the things that the media says I should do.

The New Normal  was a great show that lasted only one season. The show followed a gay couple who were looking to adopt a baby and stumbled upon a woman who offered to become a surrogate. It followed them through to their baby's birth before coming to an early end due to low ratings (#heteronormativeproblems).

The show portrayed gay culture in two ways: represented in the two main characters. Bryan, the "mom dad" was the more stereotypical "gay". He spent too much money on expensive clothes, he was needy and emotional, and was sassy as hell. Normally, I'd have a problem with this portayal, but Bryan was juxtaposed by his husband David, who was a sporty, doctor, boy scout with mostly male friends. While the show did offer two extremes, aka stereotypes, it was one of the first shows that showed a spectrum that gay men can fit into. It allowed me to see myself somewhere in the middle: something that, to my knowledge, had not been done before. It showed me that it is alright to hit the mall with my girls, then go hang out with my fraternity brothers and sit down to watch the NCAA finals. While the show was not perfect (especially when it comes to stagnant gender roles in relationships), I believe that it was a step in the right direction away from heteronormativity.

In opposition to this portrayal of gay culture sits Glee. With two of its main characters being a gay couple, Glee offers role models to many young homosexuals, especially those trying to survive what prove to be the toughest 4 years of many young gays' lives: High school. Glee  has the potential to be huge for the gay community, but there was actually an episode of the show that faced the two men against each other in a "Diva off". They discuss hair products, fight about interior design, and EVEN get drunk and make out with their girlfriends.  Glee has done nothing for the gay community beyond teaching young gay men that if you do not fit this rainbow-colored mold, you aren't gay enough, or are too gay. Glee is responsible for helping to establish the sassy, gay stereotype that seems to be present in every current TV show and movie; the same scarf-wearing, man-purse toting gay that I have lived in the shadow of since the moment I left the closet.

To get to where gay culture needs to be, gay people need to be portrayed as ACTUAL PEOPLE, with ACTUAL PERSONALITIES. We are not all the same, and the minute that the media stops portraying us as so is the minute that we can actually start our journey towards complete acceptance.