[lostalex]

I think the media (especially the internet) has been great for the gay community, especially gay kids. until about 15 years ago, there were literally no gay people on tv, no mention of gay people at all except homophobic references. Things are definitely always getting better.

When i was a kid in the 80's and early 90's the only time you ever heard about gay people was in church being told gay people would go to hell, or painting gay people as child molesters and pedophiles in the news. even though the vast majority of victims of molestation are little girls, when a little boy is molested it was always painted as gay and much much worse than little girls being molested.

and the only gay people shown on tv back then were always men dressing up as women, or acting like goofy fools. and nothing could be more humiliating than a man acting like a woman, because of course women are inferior, so a man behaving like a woman was degrading.

homophobia and sexism are definitely connected. women are seen as inferior, therefore a man behaving anything like a woman is degrading and threatens men's feeling of superiority.