Sexuality

Definition of sexuality:

Sexual orientation is a romantic pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, both genders, neither gender or another gender.

Sexualities

Hetrosexual; Attracted to the opposite sex 

i.e. Male attracted to a Female

Homosexual; Attracted to a person of the same sex

i.e. A Woman attracted to another Women

Bisexual; Attracted to both genders

i.e. Men attracted to other Men and Women

Explanation of stereotypes associated with this in the media:

Common stereotypes of sexuality are used in the media to present a person's character. Examples of these include: Homosexual males (gay) being camp and overly feminine. Homosexual females (lesbians) being butch and man like. The media may choose to stereotype characters of a certain sexuality so that the audience can make assumptions of these people.

A selection of TV shows that include the stereotype:

• Doug Carter: Doug is a homosexual male character in the hit TV Drama Hollyoaks. He is presented as your 'stereotypical gay'  as he has a very high pitched voice and wears pristine clothing and hair styles.

•  Christian: Christian from the well known TV Soap Eastenders is presented as an overly sensitive homosexual with a love for other hetrosexual characters included in the show. 

• Bobby: Bobby from The Only Way Is Essex or 'TOWIE' is presented as your stereotypical homosexual as he cares for himself like a women would. He 'fake tans,'  wears make up, grooms himself including getting his eyebrows waxed and is overly sensitive and extremely emotional.

• Orange is the new black; this TV Drama features a group of lesbians inside a prison. They are stereotypical lesbians as they are presented as butch.

The issues that can arise through sexuality can be the misconception of the stereotypes. Not all gay men are feminine and not all lesbians are butch. Some homosexuals can become embarrassed of their sexuality as people can frown upon the thought of the same sex being together. 

Downtown Abbey, set in the early 1900's, does not include any characters that are homosexual as it was very much frowned upon in that era. People with mental illnesses were locked up in this time and being 'gay' was perceived as a mental illness.