By: Sam Gruetter

Editor-in-Chief

Ever since the introduction of traditional gender roles into society, those who stray from the conventional notions of femininity and masculinity have faced categorization, resulting in broad generalizations about individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community and a failure to recognize the nuances amongst them. Society needs to abandon its adherence to strict gender expectations for queer men and women by no longer treating gay women like men and gay men like women. 

As homosexuality grew more visible in the West during the late 1900s, it increasingly came to be associated with gender non-conformity. Instead of society accepting an internal duality within gay men and women where they are attracted to the same gender but still maintain traditionally masculine and feminine qualities, it sought to contain them to a binary, one where gay men were feminine and lesbians were masculine. This trend extended beyond social and cultural practices, permeating even the medical world. In the late 19th century, sexologists developed the theory of “sexual inversion,” where gay women were inverted men and vice versa. As if the scientific reinforcement of these limiting stereotypes were not offensive enough, queer representation in the media has frequently emphasized the femininity of gay men and the masculinity of gay women. In popular media such as Mean Girls, Glee, Modern Family, and Sex and the City, homosexual men behave in almost entirely feminine ways, with no acknowledgement of the gender spectrum. 

By treating members of the LGBTQIA+ this way, even within relationships, society reinforces the notion that heterosexual relationships are the status quo and that gender integrity cannot be upheld for both parties within homosexual relationships. That is to say, this dynamic is even replicated within relationships; just because one’s girlfriend presents traditionally masculine, it should not mean they assume the boyfriend role. However, this is often not the case, as the National Library of Medicine reports that within same-sex couples, the division of domestic labor is more equal between both parties, indicating that relationships do not have to conform to a heterosexual format in order to be successful or beneficial. 

Gay men are still men and gay women are still women; the media and society need to treat them as such. Through adopting more realistic queer representation and avoiding indulgence in limiting stereotypes despite physical presentation, society can better understand the queer community. This simple behavior will lead to a broader social recognition of the gender spectrum and nuance within the queer community. 

(Sources: National Library of Medicine, University of New Hampshire)