CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN

GENDER AND SEXUALITY

REPRESENTATION – HAVING
SOMEONE OF OUR SOCIAL GROUP
(GENDER, RACE, PROFESSION…)
APPEARING POSITIONS OF
PROMINENCE, INFLUENCE, AND
POWER.

OUR REPRESENTATIVES SHOW US THAT

PEOPLE LIKE US CAN GAIN, ACCEPTANCE
AND SUCCESS, AND IT GIVES US AN
IMAGE TO ASPIRE TO.
IN TERMS OF GENDER, REPRESENTATION MEANS ALL GENDER
IS REPRESENTED. IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS DAILY LIFE,
PRESENT THEM AS REAL PEOPLE NOT AS STEREOTYPES.

• GAY MEN AS MORE THAN COMEDY RELIEF, SIDEKICK,

BEAUTICIAN AND PARLORISTA
• LESBIAN WOMEN AS MORE THAN “TOMBOY” HAVING
DEEP VOICES, CHASING AFTER WOMEN
• SHOW THEM WITH THEIR OWN FULFILLED LIVES, OWN
STRUGGLES
HINDRANCES TO REPRESENTATION
• GENDER NORMATIVITY / HETERO NORMATIVITY
 genders should, boys should, girls should.
 LGBTQIA+ stereotypes
 Gendered advertising (boys and girls toys, domestic products for
women, vices for men, pink tax)
• CISGENDER PRIVILEGE
• OBJECTIFICATION
Male gaze (sex sells, game costumes, movie costume design)
Fat shaming
HOW IMAGES HARM

• FAT SHAMING
 Body positivity.
• HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY
 Represent other masculinity
 Shift Gender norms
 Normalize Coming out
FEMINISM
FEMINISM – A MOVEMENT THAT WANTS THERE TO BE EQUAL
TREATMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEN AND WOMEN
(AND ALL GENDERS)
• RIGHT TO HAVE A VOICE
• RIGHT TO VOTE
• CONTROL OVER WOMEN’S BODIES REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH
• SEXUAL POSITIVITY
• WOMEN CAN HAVE DIFFERENT ROLES IN SOCIETY /
REDEFINE GENDER ROLES / WORKING WOMEN
• WOMEN CAN BE WHAT THEY WANT TO BE
• DIFFERENT WOMEN HAVE DIFFERENT STRUGGLES
• THERE ARE DIFFERENT NEEDS
• VICTIM BLAMING
• POLICING WOMEN’S CLOTHES AND BODIES
• BOYS WILL BE BOYS
EFFECTS OF FEMINISM ON ALL GENDERS

• LGBTQIA+ RIGHTS
 Homophobia and how gay men were seen as “more feminine”
 Subordinated Masculinity / Other Masculinity
• INTERSECTIONALITY
Different women from different backgrounds have different struggles
Fat shaming