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1. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents In the last ten years there has been a significant rise in publicity regarding homosexuality and gay rights. Most of the commotion over this subject is due to the debates about gay marriage laws that have been popping up across the country. For example, one controversial gay marriage case that has caused news coverage as well as political debate recently is the Supreme Court Case “United States v. Windsor”. Because of this sudden spark in advocacy for the homosexual community, talk about homosexuality through public media, like television, has become much less taboo (O’Connor). Today, many television programs are incorporating story lines that include homosexual characters (Friedlander). For those who support homosexuality in American society, this is a large leap forward. But this change in programming does not just mark a milestone for those who advocate for gay rights, it also changes the way today’s youth are educated about homosexuality. Currently, most young people are receiving the majority of their education regarding homosexuality from television (Calzo 1107). Although television programs now show a variety of content that sheds much needed light onto the homosexual community, some content teaches teens to interact with people of different sexual orientations in a negative way. Because of this, as well as the lack of education on this subject in the classroom parents need to be actively involved in their children’s education on homosexuality. Introduction Television as a Learning Tool The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

2. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents Homosexuality is a topic of discussion that is typically avoided in the classroom. Unfortunately, it is also rarely discussed between parents and children. Parents can be hesitant to talk to their children about homosexuality because they do not want it to influence the way in which the child sexually identifies (Calzo 1111). Because parents may be reluctant to communicate about this topic, teens often educate themselves via television because it is an easily accessible source. Fortunately, today there is a large variety of television shows featuring homosexual couples, as well as teenagers who are discovering their sexuality. This was not the case ten years ago, when there was little to no information readily available to teens who wanted to learn about homosexuality (O’Connor). Introduction Television as a Learning Tool Modern Family Glee The News The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

3. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents One popular show that features an openly gay couple is ABC’s “Modern Family.” In this program, characters Cameron and Mitchell show their affection for one another just as any typical heterosexual couple would. They are accepted by their family members despite their sexuality, and they even have an adopted daughter together named Lily (Wong). Shows like this are beneficial towards young people who may be discovering their sexuality because, with episodes capturing the attention of upwards of 11.5 million viewers each week, “Modern Family” tells audiences that it is okay to be gay (Variety). Introduction Television as a Learning Tool Modern Family Glee The News The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

4. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents “Glee” is a musical television series that debuted in 2009 and gathers audiences of nearly 7.5 million viewers per episode (Variety). This unique show documents the lives of an eclectic group of high school students bound by their loyalty to their high school glee club. Throughout the show, we see a character by the name of Kurt struggle to find the courage to reveal his homosexuality. Although Kurt is teased at school for his sexuality, his friends and his father accept his choice. Kurt’s coming out story is just as much a lesson to parents as it is to teenagers (Friedlander). It shows parents to be proud of their children despite their life choices, especially those regarding sexuality. Kurt and his peers in “Glee” are good role models for teens who wish to learn more about homosexuality, or how to treat others how may be homosexual. Introduction Television as a Learning Tool Modern Family Glee The News The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

5. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents It is obvious that news channels are not afraid of controversial subjects like homosexuality. In fact, many new channels prefer to air stories that involve highly controversial subject matter because the ratings show that it is what the viewers want (Lowry). Because homosexuality is often talked about on the news, some people may believe that youth who are using television to learn about homosexuality are well informed. Although some news broadcasts may present detailed stories on this subject, that does not mean that they show all sides of a particular argument, or that the information being given is understandable to a teenager. Typically, news broadcasts are not geared towards young audiences, and parental supervision is required to help children understand the concepts being presented. An example of a news clip from CNN that may require parental guidance for a young person to understand can be found below. Introduction Television as a Learning Tool Modern Family Glee The News The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

6. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents Unfortunately, where there are those that are supportive and helpful to young people discovering their sexuality, there are also those who tease and bully. In order to portray a realistic story involving homosexual characters, television shows must also take into account that it is alarmingly typical for teens and even adults who identify as gay, to be the victim of verbal and even physical abuse (MBNBD). This is most evident in shows where anti-gay slurs and physical confrontation is prevalent. Even inspiring stories about homosexual people facing adversity must demonstrate a negative side as well. The message of support towards the homosexual community is also often undermined by television shows because they show homosexual characters that portray stereotypes that may be demeaning to people who identify as homosexual (Kanter 12). Introduction Television as a Learning Tool The Disadvantages Bullying Stereotypes What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

7. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents Bullying is a theme that is extremely prominent in television shows with homosexual characters. One example of this is found in Fox’s “Glee”. Although the majority of the scenes in this program show the homosexual character, Kurt, being accepted by his peers, there are also some that bully him because of his sexual orientation. In several scenes, Kurt is seen being verbally abused with words like “fag”, and even being “slushied” by aggressive football players (Weinman). Kurt isn’t the only character to be tormented because of his sexuality. When football jock, Dave Karofsky reveals that he is gay, his peers begin to cyber bully him to the point that he attempts to take his own life in the episode entitled “On My Way” (Glee). Introduction Television as a Learning Tool The Disadvantages Bullying Stereotypes What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

8. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents Not everyone sees the growing number of homosexual characters on television as a victory, some members of the homosexual community believe that the roles of homosexual characters in programming is very stereotypical, and does not provide an accurate representation of how most homosexual people behave. Shows like “Will and Grace” have stories focused heavily on homosexual male stars, however, these characters are often depicted as men with extremely feminine qualities (Kanter 17). Some actors even raise pitch of their voices while playing homosexual characters in order to achieve a more female persona (Cartei 88). This shows teens that homosexual people act differently than heterosexual people. Some teens may infer from this that they should be treated differently as well. Introduction Television as a Learning Tool The Disadvantages Bullying Stereotypes What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

9. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents Introduction “30% of all completed suicides have been related to sexual identity crisis.” Television as a Learning Tool The extreme situations of bullying portrayed on television shows is all too real for homosexual students. Many teenagers see television characters like Kurt in “Glee” being slushied or teased and think it is okay to do the same. Recently, students at a Toronto school were cited for shouting anti-gay slurs and trying to soak homosexual students with frozen drinks. It was soon discovered that the students got the idea from an episode of “Glee” meant to advocate against bullying (Weinman). It is obvious that although many shows featuring homosexual characters have good intentions towards educating their audiences, some viewers may need more guidance in order to decide how to treat the growing numbers of openly homosexual adolescents. The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

10. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents Television shows today contain a large amount of content regarding homosexuality. Because this is such an easily accessible source for most young people, it is often the mode most used by teens to educate themselves on the subject (Calzo 1107). Although television provides a large quantity of information to children, these shows do not always portray homosexual individuals in a realistic way. They also tend to show scenes involving anti-gay slurs and bullying of homosexual teenagers. Students who watch shows that include gay bullying may receive the impression that this sort of harassment is acceptable to do in real life (Weinman). It is important that parents watch these television shows with their developing adolescents and take the opportunity to explain to them that although these behaviors may look like fun and games on television, they are hurtful to the people being victimized. It is also necessary to help children realize that many homosexual personalities portrayed on television have over exaggerated stereotypical qualities, such as men being extremely feminine, and women being shown as macho (Kanter 17). If parents help their children understand the facts about homosexuality, harassment of homosexual students could be greatly reduced. Introduction Television as a Learning Tool The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

11. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents Cartei, Valentina. "Acting Gay: Male Actors Shift the Frequency Components of Their Voices Towards Female Values When Playing Homosexual Characters." Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 36.1 (2012): 79-93. Web. Friedlander, Whitney. "Gay and Lesbian Characters Are Popping up on Shows for Young People." Editorial. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 03 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. Glee-Behind the Scenes. Perf. Max Adler and Chris Colfer. YouTube. YouTube, 02 Mar. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. "Grammys Grab Kudos Crown." Variety 426.4 (2012): 24. Vocational and Career Collection. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. Calzo, Jarel P. MA & L. Monique Ward PhD “Contributions of Parents, Peers, and Media to Attitudes Toward Homosexuality: Investigating Sex and Ethnic Differences.” Journal of Homosexuality, 56:8 (2009), 1101-1116.Web. Kanter, Annie. An Analysis on the Influence of Fictional Gay Television Characters on the GLBT Community. American.edu. American University, Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. Introduction Television as a Learning Tool The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited More Works Cited By Melynda Hoover

12. Television: The Textbook on Homosexuality for Teens Contents Lowry, Brian. "Religion! Controversy! And (hopefully) ratings: Savvy marketers increasingly rely on the news media to generate free coverage." Daily Variety 30 Mar. 2005: 2. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 4 May 2013. MBNBD. "Bullying & Homosexuality." Make Beats Not Beat Downs. MBNBD, 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. O'Connor, John J. "Gay Images: TV's Mixed Signals." Editorial. NYTimes.com. New York Times, 19 May 1991. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. Schemo, Diana Jean. "Lessons on Homosexuality Move Into the Classroom." New York Times 15 Aug. 2007: B6(L). Biography In Context. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. Weinman, Jaime J. "Not much Glee over these slushies: a show that takes a stand against bullying might have given bullies some ideas." Maclean's 14 Feb. 2011: 65. Biography In Context. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. Wong, Curtis M. "'Glee,' 'Modern Family' And Other LGBT-Themed TV Shows Drive Gay Marriage Support: Poll." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 05 Nov. 2012. Web. 7 Apr. 2013. Introduction Television as a Learning Tool The Disadvantages What Needs to Change? The Parents’ Role Works Cited By Melynda Hoover