Sexuality (or sexual orientation) refers broadly to an individual’s physical and/or emotional attraction to a person of the same or opposite sex. LGBTQ, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), has become the common shorthand to inclusively reference this diverse set of sexuality and gender-based identities. Historically, many have been intolerant of homosexual, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Media has played a role in both perpetuating and resisting this state of affairs. While there has been an increase in LGBTQ representation in the media since the late 1990s, there are still very few prominent LGBT characters in the mainstream media. See topic overview PDF for more.
