LettersHow same-sex stereotypes can leave some LGBT people in the shade
- A male-centric portrayal of gayness in popular culture can see the other sexual minorities relegated to the background
Such elements in popular culture seem to reinforce the stereotype that sexual minorities tend to engage in promiscuous behaviour and situates them in a position deviating from the “normal”.
This contributes to the LGBT communities being socially stigmatised and often rejected by the mainstream, and even deemed difficult to get along with or as posing a risk to public health, with labels such as being “sexually perverted” or being a possible HIV carrier adding to the stigma.
Since sex is often at the centre of discussions about LGBT groups, the negative labels stick to these minority individuals, compounding difficulties for traditionally conservative societies like Hong Kong to encourage the general public to accept the idea of same-sex marriage or even “diverse family structures”.