| Abstrakt: |
Representation of LGBTQ characters in media products plays an important role in the socialisation of LGBTQ individuals, but in many cases visibility has been formulated into negative or strongly stereotyped narratives. In this tense dilemma between visibility and stereotyping emerges the 'Dead Lesbian Syndrome': a television trope where lesbian characters are recurrently "punished" in fictional narratives for openly showing their (homo)sexuality. This paper aims to analyse nonviolent protest strategies applied by lesbian and bisexual fan activists on social media with the goal to persuade, influence and attract public attention to raise awareness on the stereotyped portrayals of female LGBTQ characters in the television industry, and thus achieve a change. The preliminary results show an overall increase in the awareness of the problem among lesbian and bisexual fans who, at the same time, go through a process of self-regulation to neutralising possible forms of violent resistance within their campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
