He states that, "There is an increased gay and lesbian presence on television in general, and that the mere fact that American viewers are accepting it as part of the mix in television may be an indication of things to come." (p 473).
The author, Marguerite Moritz of Old Strategies for New Texts, after close examination, she came to the conclusion that same strategies that have been used in constructing strong women characters in both early and later Hollywood films are being used today by American television in its recent introduction of lesbian characters to prime time television. Moritz states that, "While it may be argued that these scripts are by design relatively unconcerned with gay rights and more concerned with ratings, it is also true that once-taboo subjects in both cinema and television have gained acceptance only gradually. This may not be the first choice of feminists and lesbians, but it is a first step in working toward at least a small measure of social change." (p 327).
Frank Bruni, talks about the reluctance of television to show the gay kiss in Culture Stays Screen-Shy of Showing the Gay Kiss. Bruni discusses how gay cultural critics and activists argue that putting same-sex kisses on-screen, and giving those kisses a respectable, appealing characters in unremarkable settings, is a vital step toward full acceptance of gays in society at large. Instead of showing the usual settings of bizarre scenes of gays in strange and underground bars, a simple kiss affirms not how different gays and lesbians are to everyone else, but how similar. (p 329) .
The literature I reviewed above, are all examples of how the media can have either positive or negative effects on attitudes. I agree that the response to images portraying "normal" people or a heroic figure who is gay, is going to have a more positive and beneficial affect in creating more positive attitudes and acceptance in America and television is a perfect vehicle to express it.
