BBC gets criticized for the portrayal of LGBT people on TV

The BBC network conducted research of the portrayal of LGBT folks on TV and radio. This is what they found:

• The research found that 37% of the LGB respondents rated the BBC’s portrayal of LGB people as good or very good, but 24% rated it as poor.

• It also said that, while 44% of them agreed that the BBC’s portrayal was realistic, 37% thought it was stereotyped. Of the sample, 27% also thought the BBC’s portrayal was outdated, with 23% describing it as groundbreaking.

• BBC’s research found that half of the UK population is comfortable with LGB portrayal, but that 18% are not. Taking the heterosexual responses alone, 21% felt there was too much portrayal of gay men on television. From the LGB sample, 52% said there was too little portrayal of lesbians on TV, compared with just 11% of the heterosexual population.

• The results found that viewers want LGB characters to become more established before storylines around their sexuality are developed and feel that storylines should not just revolve around their sexuality. 

• Both LGB viewers and those heterosexual viewers who were found to be comfortable with LGB portrayal said that LGB characters should experience “more positive resolutions to storylines”.

• In comedy and entertainment, it was found that jokes at the expense of the LGB community were accepted if they came from within that community. The research found that humour with “apparently malicious intent and without an LGB person present to respond” was considered unchallenged homophobia.

Interesting... I always thought they were waaay ahead of us. For info, go here.