Americablog Takes NYT to task for Picture Choice in Gays-in-Military Story

[Matsubara]

http://www.americablog.com/2007/05/us-military-talking-to-brits-about-how.html

This was something the American press did like clockwork in the 1990s and before. If they covered a gay event or gay issue, they simply had to accompany the article with a flamboyant photo of a drag queen. I love a good drag queen, and the photo in the Times is adorable. But I like that photo because I'm gay (and/or gay-friendly). I wonder how many straight people who find themselves in the middle on gay issues, or even those slightly (or majorly) predisposed against us (especially on the gay-ban), will have their subtle prejudices reinforced by a photo that pretty much makes gay people look like effete fools. Because, you know, nudge nudge wink wink, the women are butch and everything, so maybe they're okay in the military, but the guys are all men who just yearn to put up on women's make-up and wigs - hardly the manly men you'd want fighting the terrorists, let alone sleeping in the cot next to you. That's the stereotype, and that's why there was such an outcry against the previous media bias about publishing such photos every time a gay issue arose. The media got over their bias a long time ago. And now, it seems, we've had a relapse.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. For what its worth

I looked at the photo and saw a group of regular folks in uniform--and two guys who were dressed very much like men dressed in the eighteenth century. If I didn't have context, I would have thought them to be historical reenactors. Men's fashions have gotten so drab--I think it was easier to be flamboyant under George III, the Mad King, than under George the Idiot Boy.

[Clark2008]

2. Yeah - they're pretty boring now, aren't they: slacks and a golf shirt.

But we don't have to stretch that far back to see flamboyance in men's fashions.

The 60s had some good stuff:





Heck, even the 80s showed that men could be flamboyant:

[zalinda]

3. Well, you know, they wanted to make sure that

they HAD a "gay" picture and not just some picture of regular people. So in order to do that they HAD to have 2 guys "dressed up" and the rest somewhat manly looking females. Nope, not a doubt there, these are them gay people. I would expect it in the southern press but not British.

zalinda

[zalinda]

4. Woops, sorry it's the American press trying to make

the British look bad.

zalinda