I have a running disagreement going with Canada's only LGBT channel, OUTtv. I would like to tell you about the issues, and get your feed back—from everyone, but especially from gay men, who are most affected by the problems I see with the channel's programming.
Canada's population is a little over 36 million. Take 5% of that, and it doesn't leave a very large pool of people who would be interested in OUTtv, so they are always having money problems. The CRTC (Canada's communications licencing agency, the equivalent of the American FCC) makes it difficult for OUTtv by demanding the same percentage of Canadian content as they do for general audience networks. LGBT-interest programs made in or about Canada just are not enough to fill that requirement, and so they constantly have problems. Since OUTtv has a small audience in comparison with the major networks, advertisers are not easy to attract, although it does squeak by (and thank God we are spared the endless commercials for feminine hygiene products!). Their staff, they told me, is made up of gay and straight people because they hire on the basis of who is best for the job, not specifically on orientation. I wondered about this when I first heard about it, especially about programming, wondering if straight people could be as sensitive to issues specifically facing the LGBT world. At any rate, I wish them well and every day I check their schedule for programs to watch. In most areas they do a pretty good job—but not in one:
I am bothered, no, angered by their programs about gay men being biased to the,,,,uh....'flamboyant' edge of the gay male world. Their programming is filled with RuPauls Drag Race, One Girl Five Gays, and the like, with frequent showings of The Bird Cage. I took the time to go through their weekly schedule and calculate the hours given over to this kind of thing. I then compared this with programs showing gay men as regular (if I can put it that way) men. The former far far outweigh the latter. We have a situation where gay men are being presented as the classic, homophobic stereotype of us from which we have suffered for a very long time.
There are two possible consequence of this. First, its effect on the straight world. I doubt that many straight people watch OUTtv. And, I don't care in the least what straight people think of us. No matter how we are portrayed to them, it won't change much. Second is its effect on gay men, particularly on gay men uneasy with their sexual orientation. To put it very simplistically, it is saying that if you insist on being gay you are inevitably going to end up a candidate for RuPauls. I don't begrudge flamboyant men anything. Having had a transgender father, such a stance on my part would be silly. For the entire LGBT world, our struggle is a common one and we must stand together. On the other hand, internalized homophobia exists and is drawn from very inaccurate orientation stereotyping which is largely responsible for the suicide rate, the rate of drug dependency and other such destructive behaviour being so much higher amongst gay men than it is in the male population at large. Should a Canadian media source mandated to serve the LGBT community add its voice to to this?
OUTtv's response to me about this was, basically, that they are more popular than ever, that they are there to make money, and that they are not 'an arbitrator of all LGBT issues.” That doesn't quite handle it for me. They got their licence expressly to serve the LGBT community and, as they told me, to act as a “bridge” to the world at large. Regarding this issue they are not doing that; they are doing a great disservice.
So, what do you think, guys? Please PLEASE let us not reopen the androphile debate, but do you see my point?
