Presenter(s): Olivia Dozois
Faculty Mentor(s): Dean Mundy & David Markowitz
Oral Session 2 O
While LGBTQ+ representation in the media has greatly improved in recent decades, asexuality remains underrepresented and misunderstood. While there are several examples of LGBTQ+ characters across many channels and streaming services, there have only been two recurring asexual TV characters to date. This lack of asexual representation could be having an effect on public knowledge of the asexual identity. I explore this question using a multi-method approach. First, I do a content analysis of the two recurring asexual characters. I analyze a single episode from each of the shows the characters are featured on. Aside from the content analysis, I conduct a short online survey to evaluate anonymous respondents on their media consumption and knowledge of the asexual identity. My continued research, analysis, and data collection aims to determine if there is a connection between TV representation and general public knowledge of the asexual identity. This study is an attempt at extrapolating the television industry’s current circulation of information regarding the asexual identity, and how a greater understanding of asexuality may be achieved through a greater asexual character presence on television.