In this video from BuzzFeed, a digital news and entertainment company, a group of gay men dispel stereotypes about themselves by saying, “I’m gay, but I’m not…” For example, the men say that they are not fashionable, promiscuous, or into pop music or “gay” TV shows like Will and Grace or RuPaul’s Drag Race. Then, the video asks the men, “In addition to being gay what are you?” The men talk about their hobbies, interests, occupations, ethnicities, relationships with partners and families, and political commitments, highlighting the diversity of this group. The video ends with several men saying that they are proud to be gay.

discussion

What kind of people do we meet in this video? How is the video cast?

What are some of the stereotypes that these men dispel about being gay? How are gay men treated in society and portrayed in media? 

Why do you think Buzzfeed made this video? What point were they trying to make about gay men? Why do they structure the video around the statement, “I am, but I’m not…”

How are other groups like lesbians stereotypically represented in the media? Is their representation similar or different to other LGBTQ groups?