Two sixteen year old boys sit at the back of the school bus holding hands. Both are quiet, but the bus echoes with the same loud whispers that follow the boys everywhere they go. That is so gay! God says that's wrong! It's gross! The whispers hurt the boys, but they continue to suffer in silence and nobody is willing to speak up for them for fear of going against the crowd. In Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who, an elephant called Horton discovers a city on a speck of dust inhabited by a species of very small persons, the Who's and decides to protect them because 'a person's a person, no matter how small.' Today, homosexuality is attacked by many groups such as the church, media, and businesses. If someone were to speak up for these individuals, like Horton did for the Who's, people like the two boys might not have to sit at the back of the bus, but at the front accepted as part of society now matter how different they may be.
The first time an on screen kiss was televised was in 1960 on the family favorite British soap opera, Coronation Street (Coward). It was a breakthrough for a society where the issue of homosexuality was rarely talked about, let alone shown on TV. Years later, homosexuality is appearing everywhere-shows like Sex in The City, Queer Eye for The Straight Guy, and Will and Grace have shown that it, quite frankly, sells. All My Children became the first show to include a major homosexual role in Bianca Montgomery played by Eden Riegel.
Homosexuality is also being openly portrayed in other countries, many of which where the issue has been taboo for several years. For example, Bollywood, India's major film making industry, recently released a film called Dostanaa directed by Karan Johar. The film takes place in America, where two individuals pretend to be gay in order to rent space in an apartment, as one of the rules state that any man who rents a room must be married. They get the rooms, albeit renting both instead of one, and end up battling their feelings for their beautiful room mate, a mother's reactions, and several other obstacles put in the way. While the film is politically incorrect and sometimes outright offensive, it shows that homosexuality is becoming an open topic where it was once considered shameful to mention it. Thus homosexuality is becoming better portrayed on television shows and more frequently around the world, and is slowly ditching it's image as dirty and immoral.
However, the news media still tends to distort the lives and experiences of homosexuals. A 1998 study that analyzed 50 years of coverage of gay and lesbian issues found that homosexuals are often linked to criminal behavior without evidence to support such claims. It was also discovered that the media liable to reprint offensive and homophobic messages (Bennett). When HIV/AIDS became a public health issue in the 1980's, coverage of homosexuality became even more intense and negative, portraying gay men as a serious risk to society. The coverage essentially showcased society's dislike and fear for the gay community. But overtime, as homosexuality continues to come into light and people gain a proper understanding for it, it is quite possible that homosexuality might gain the positive depiction it deserves, just as the Who's were accepted as people when they raised their voices loud enough to be heard.

Homosexuality has been attacked in many groups such as the church, the media, and in business much like the Who's in Horton Hears A Who. Maybe if someone speaks up for them like Horton did, they would become an accepted part of society.

Bibliography....so far

Bibliography

Sashca Coward, “Homosexuality in the media: is the press good?” Sunday March 26 2006, the Gay Youth Center
http://www.thegyc.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=825

This article is useful because it gives quick and straight to the point answers to whether homosexuality in the media is a good. It doesn’t drag on, and it mentions well known programs such as: Sex and the City, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Coronation Street. It gives one an insightful view on homosexuality and the media, it’s points are solid and justified.

Adam Shapiro, Megan Schultz, Christina Roush, Cassandra Shofar, Emily Shilling, Tawnia Simpson, and Natalie Sampiller, “Portrayal of Homosexuality in the Media”
http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/tcom/faculty/ha/tcom103fall2004/gp16/gp16.pdf

This essay gives one a long and extensive over-view of homosexuality in the media. It includes its references so it allows one to make further research.

“Gays and Lesbians in the News”, Media Awareness Program,
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/gays_and_lesbians/ gay_news.cfm

This article is interesting because it sheds a new light on the news coverage. It gives on an insightful view on how the news covers homosexuality. It gives strong points and reasons. The article is efficient in it's views and allows the reader to understand the topic simply.


Rowan Hooper, “Pope misuses science to attack homosexuality”, Short Sharp Science, December, 23^rd 2008
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2008/12/pope-shows-his-ignorance-of-ec.html

A short quirky article from an online science blog by “New Science” is as dull as it is sharp. It gives interesting and satisfying information, but seems to be a little too short overall. Although it does have quite a few interesting quotes from the Pope.

Tony Heryla, “Wal-Mart amends anti-discrimination employment policy for GLBT’s”, The Penn, 7/14/2003

http://media.www.thepenn.org/media/storage/paper930/news/2003/07/14/News/WalMart.Amends.AntiDiscrimination.Employment.Policy.For.Glbts-2228270.shtml

The Penn is a college online newspaper that covers many issues. It has a broad focus, and it was interesting to see that it had covered this topic. The article included a lot of information, and wasn’t a bias perspective. It allowed the reader to just read the article without feeling pressured in choosing side.

Sarah Kershaw, “Wal-Mart Sets a New Policy That Protects Gay Workers”, New York Times, July, 2^nd, 2003

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9407E5DB133AF931A35754C0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

This article had basically the same information as the Penn article; however since it was included in the New York Time it seemed to be a good idea to read it and compare the details. The New York Times included a few more in depth details that further progressed research.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, Wikipedia,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_ask,_don't_tell

Wikipedia provided quick and extensive information on the policy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

Homosexuality and the Workforce Revisited

Paragraph Revisited:

In their suits, uniforms and jeans you can find them in the work place. Doing their jobs, making the money they have to, to live. However, there are some people who are being shunned, and ignored. A minority of many cultures and religions: homosexuals have been targeted by many different perspectives, but when it affects career paths and the income needed to live, there is definitely an undertone of wrongness. The extreme attack on homosexuals in the work force definitely compares with the attack on Who-Ville in Horton Hears a Who.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the U.S military is an open discrimination to homosexuals. “"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is the only law in [the United States] that authorizes the firing of an American simply for coming out as gay, lesbian, or bisexual” (Georgetown). Two bills have been pushed forward to allow homosexuals to be open in the U.S military, but neither made it pass the committee. President-elect Barack Obama hopes to repeal the policy, but doesn’t believe he’ll be able to touch the issue until 2010. Thankfully many militaries have a policy that allows homosexuals to be open about their orientation. Canada for example, although did have a similar policy as the United States was repealed in 1992, allowing homosexuals to be open, without the repercussion of being released from the military. In May 2005 Canada’s first military gay wedding took place. Also ten officers from the Canadian marched in the 2008 Toronto Pride Parade, a month twelve gay and straight officers marched in the Vancouver Pride Parade.
On July 1st 2003 Wal-Mart, a Fortune 500 company, “amended their anti-discrimination policies to include language pertaining to sexual orientation” stores to inform them on the decision. What pushed the decision to be made was the several letters written to Wal-Mart by homosexuals informing them “they would continue to feel excluded” (Times) if the policy wasn’t changed. It was said that “a computer-based training program would include discussion of sexual orientation” (Times). The fact that 9/10 of the largest companies apart of Fortune 500 have improved their policies to include and benefit homosexuals
Horton Hears a Who is a simple story with the moral of standing up for others. As companies of importance change their policies to include and benefit homosexuals, they are indirectly standing up for the minority. Homosexuals, just like Who-vill, have their own hero, even if they don’t notice it.

In their casual monkey suits, you can find them in the work place. Doing their jobs, making the money they have to, to live. However, there are some people who are being shunned, and forgotten. A minority of many cultures and religions: homosexuals have been targeted by many different perspectives, but when it affects career paths and the income needed to live, there is definitely an undertone of wrongness. The extreme attack on homosexuals in the work force, definitely compares with the attack on Who-ville in Horton Hears a Who.

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the U.S military is an open discrimination to homosexuals. “"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is the only law in [the United States] that authorizes the firing of an American simply for coming out as gay, lesbian, or bisexual” (Georgetown). Two bills have been pushed forward to allow homosexuals to be open in the U.S military, but neither made it pass the committee. President-elect Barack Obama hopes to repeal the policy, but doesn’t believe he’ll be able to touch the issue until 2010. Thankfully many militaries have a policy that allows homosexuals to be open about their orientation. Canada for example, although did have a similar policy as the United States was repealed in 1992, allowing homosexuals to be open, without the repercussion of being released from the military. In May 2005 Canada’s first military gay wedding took place. Also ten officers from the Canadian marched in the 2008 Toronto Pride Parade, a month twelve gay and straight officers marched in the Vancouver Pride Parade.

On July 1^st 2003 Wal-Mart, a Fortune 500 company, “amended their anti-discrimination policies to include language pertaining to sexual orientation” (Penn). This has allowed many to feel included in the work force. A letter was sent to 3, 500 thousand stores to inform them on the decision. What pushed the decision to made was the several letters written to Wal-Mart by homosexuals informing them “they would continue to feel excluded” (Times) if the policy wasn’t changed. It was said that “a computer-based training program would include discussion of sexual orientation” (Times). Hopefully the fact that 9/10 of the largest companies apart of Fortune 500 have improved their policies to include and benefit homosexuals shows a change in our world today. (ß how can I improve this conclusion?)

This is Alyssa's paragraph, she is praying that it gets edited

Re-done Intro and Part of Media Paragraph

Two sixteen year old boys sit at the back of the school bus holding hands. Both are quiet, but the bus echoes with the same loud whispers that follow the boys everywhere they go. That is so gay! God says that's wrong! It's gross! The whispers hurt the boys, but they continue to suffer in silence and nobody is willing to speak up for them for fear of going against the crowd. In Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who, an elephant called Horton discovers a city on a speck of dust inhabited by a species of very small persons, the Who's and decides to protect them because 'a person's a person, no matter how small.' Today, homosexuality is attacked by many groups such as the church, media, and businesses. If someone were to speak up for these individuals, like Horton did for the Who's, people like the two boys might not have to sit at the back of the bus, but at the front accepted as part of society now matter how different they may be.
The first time an on screen kiss was televised was in 1960 on the family favorite British soap opera, Coronation Street (Coward). It was a breakthrough for a society where the issue of homosexuality was rarely talked about, let alone shown on TV. Years later, homosexuality is appearing everywhere-shows like Sex in The City, Queer Eye for The Straight Guy, and Will and Grace have shown that it, quite frankly, sells. All My Children became the first show to include a major homosexual role in Bianca Montgomery played by Eden Riegel. Either way, homosexuality in the following shows has been portrayed in a positive light, no longer shown as dirty and immoral.
However, the news media still tends to distort the lives and experiences of homosexuals. A 1998 study that analyzed 50 years of coverage of gay and lesbian issues found that homosexuals are often linked to criminal behavior without evidence to support such claims. It was also discovered that the media liable to reprint offensive and homophobic messages (Bennett). When HIV/AIDS became a public health issue in the 1980's, coverage of homosexuality became even more intense and negative, portraying gay men as a serious risk to society. The coverage essentially showcased society's dislike and fear for the gay community.

This is what Sheri has so far. She is unsure how to finish.

She is also curious to know how Alyssa and Jess are doing.

She is also off to work on her exam. She should check back around six.

Introduction

"Two boys sit at the back of the school bus holding hands. Both are quiet, but the bus echoes with the same loud whispers that follow the boys everywhere they go. That is so gay! God says that's wrong! It's gross! The whispers hurt the boys, but they continue to suffer in silence and nobody is willing to speak up for them for fear of going against the crowd. In Dr.Seuss' Horton Hears A Who, an elephant called Horton discovers a city on a speck of dust inhabited by a species of very small persons, the Who's. No other animal believe in the city and scorn Horton, thinking he has gone insane. But he strives to protect the tiny population even as the animals try to thwart him because he realizes the Who's cannot speak up for themselves and 'a person's a person, no matter how small.' Today, homosexuality is attacked by many groups such as the church, media, and businesses, similar to the attacks made on Who-ville by the animals in Horton Hears A Who. If someone were to speak up for these individuals, like Horton did for the Who's, people like the two boys might not have to sit at the back of the bus, but at the front accepted as part of society now matter how different they may be."

Sheri has finally written down the introduction, and hopes Jessica and Alyssa are able to edit. She will have her paragraph posted soon as well.

Here's and interesting link about arguments religion uses to discriminate homosexuality
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2008/12/pope-shows-his-ignorance-of-ec.html

Last Day!!! Take a breath, there's no time for slowing down. Stay calm.

Our outline laid out, our parts sorted...now we only have to write the thing, and edit over the weekend.

Joy.

And poor Sheri has to study for two early exams next week, write a 5-6 business report, a million lines to memorise for a 30% summative in drama, and make two lengthy summary sheets on the weekend as well.

But now that she has vented on the blog meant solely for the assignment, we are able to move on.

Since the introduction, editorial cartoon, and bibliography are being taken care of, we move on too more research.

Again.

These blogs are becoming really cliche. The next one will include us doing more research.

And the one after that.

Alyssa looks at editorial cartoons (again) and Jess looks up ones from Dr.Seuss.

Look at other blog entries to see some!!

Sheri tries to decide whether 'media' covers news media, or movies and/or television.


And while she bickers with herself, Friday comes to a close.

Here's to the weekend!