by Lion of Judah Site Owner, March 2003

As a heterosexual Christian, I take the Bible's condemnation of homosexuality in all its divergent forms (lesbianism, bi-sexuality, etc.) seriously.

So as to avoid confusion, from the outset I will explain that in this article, I will at times be using the term "homosexuality" to refer to all these groups, and not only gay males, as is the usual custom.

	Actress who portrays lesbian "Willow" on the Buffy television series on cover of OUT magazine

What prompts me to write this article?

While searching for news about music and movies, I have come across writings by lesbians on the web, who fret, lament, and disparage that there is supposedly a conspiracy of sorts among the entertainment world to negatively characterize homosexuals in film and television.

I have in mind specifically these pages (though there are other, similar pages out there):

The Lesbian Cliche FAQ and AfterEllen.com: Teen Thrillers and the Evil Bisexual Girl Two Witches One Love ... Willow and Tara

I have not even read all the "Lesbian Cliche FAQ" page, and already I have discovered many problems with its reasonings, so I do not think I will even address the author's entire list.

Such homosexuals as those of the web sites linked to here, the ones who cry "discrimination" in regards to how Hollywood presents homosexuals (and recall, in most cases, I am using this term to refer to bi-sexuals, lesbians, as well as male homosexuals), usually claim that the methods employed to make homosexuals look bad, or to disseminate anti- homosexuality sentiments, are

• to depict the homosexual character as being insane or evil; or
• have the homosexual character killed, particularly after a sex scene

Homosexuality is Presented in a Positive, Not Negative, Light in the Media

I contend that the opposite situation is true: homosexuality is presented in various media (whether fictional or non-fictional) as being laudable (or at least acceptable), and, to make matters worse, its critics are characterized as being (pick one or more):

• ignorant, backwards, "red necks"
• hateful, intolerant bigots (this is especially so if they are conservative Christians)
• homophobic (i.e., one who is afraid of homosexuals)

Frequently, one will find television shows "sermonizing" on behalf of the homosexual community, not against.

The Entertainment Industry tends to be favorable to homosexuals

Sometimes in mainstream movies, this is the case, but usually homosexuals in films are depicted in an affectionate manner as being either stylish, sophisticated, eccentric, colorful, or over the top, so that the audience is expected to find them warm and funny and perhaps exotic.

With the exception of homosexual characters who happen to also be cast as shady, criminal types in film, homosexuals seem to be presented as comedy relief rather than as a form of social commentary, whether for or against their sexual orientation.

However, the very fact that the film director, script writer, and producer try to make the audience approve of and like the homosexual character by making him or her appealing and lovable is in and of itself a form of Hollywood promoting homosexuality, even though it may not neccesarily be intentional or a conscious decision.

Hollywood further presents a positive picture of female homosexuals by casting thin, pretty actresses to play the parts of female homosexuals, such as Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. I have yet to see a mainstream film in which the lesbian appears to be grossly unattractive, with rolls of fat, no fashion sense, and the like.

Too often in television and film of the last few decades, in which the story involves homosexual characters being harassed in some fashion, the harasser usually gets his or her "come upance."

The message from the "come upance" that is being conveyed to the t.v. viewing audience is more of a lecture, whether implicit or explicit, about how we should all be tolerant, loving or accepting of the homosexual lifestyle.

Double Standards

Some will no doubt see the obvious connection to my next point and the debate in the United States about "hate laws."

I find it odd that lesbians and other homosexuals are not appalled, or do not reach the same conclusions, when a heterosexual ("straight") person is harmed in an entertainment piece as they do when the same happens to a homosexual character.

At this stage, I am sure that most of them would claim to care deeply about the plight of heterosexual characters in fiction, as well as that of homosexuals, which only makes my point:

One does not generally find homosexuals at the start and up front being upset about heterosexuals being murdered in movies, (unless they are extreme liberals who are very much against firearms and the NRA). They will wait until after the criticism is made.

Some homosexuals, of course, may care, but only if the heterosexual is not a white, conservative male or female, or if they are parent of a heterosexual child.

Years ago, as I was channel surfing, I came across a public (as in PBS) news and commentary show about homosexuality hosted by homosexuals.

	PBS sometimes airs programs hosted by homosexual rights activists

On the episode I caught, the black lesbian and white homosexual male were ridiculing Christians.

I watched this show long enough to see one of the cast members dressed up as a preacher and carry around a Bible, all the while banging it and saying all sorts of hateful things about homosexuals.

This was supposed to be their parody and idea of stereotypical Christian actions, attitudes, and beliefs. I take it from that skit, and similiar t.v. routines and on- line material, that some in the homosexual community

1) think that respect for, tolerance for, and accuracy in the depiction of groups in the media should apply only to them (after all, they do not mind to see Christians lambasted and scorned); and

2) they think that there is no such thing as Christian homosexuals -- and there are. And I'm sure plenty of the Christian homosexuals would have been equally offended by the skit I described.

Couldn't I argue that a straight person being written in a movie script as getting murdered or going crazy is an attack on heterosexuality? No, because it is not.

I am aware that off screen, in real life, that some individuals may pick another individual to harm based on one factor, say, for example, the person's skin color or sexuality, but then, what criminal does not?

For instance, most male rapists on the streets target women, lesbian women or not; most of the rapists do not take surveys before choosing a victim: "Say, what sexual orientation are you?"

Most male rapists do not choose elderly men, fire hydrants, or poodles to violate.

Bank robbers choose bank tellers, no matter the skin color or sexual orientation of the tellers.

Bank Robber Baby Face Nelson

Muggers choose to mug whomever is handy at the time, or whomever they think can be easily overpowered and intimidated (in their view, it is probably the elderly, or non- self- confident- looking people).

All of this means that it may be a "straight" person who is on the receiving end of crime, and statistically speaking, since there are more heterosexuals than homosexuals in American society, crime happens in reality to a larger percentage of "straight" people and in entertainment.

Conservative Christians are Depicted in Media as Narrow Minded, Hate Filled Bumpkins

This point has been touched on previously, but it needs further examination.

Even people who do not agree with homosexuality (including Christians such as myself) do not approve of the murder, harassment (whether workplace or otherwise), or mistreatment of homosexuals in society in any form. We do exist. Really.

People such as myself further believe that anyone who does mistreat a homosexual person should pay the price -- and that it should be the same price that would be paid if the victim was heterosexual, whether that punishment be jail time, a monetary fine, or the death penalty. Or, in the case of job-related harassment, demotion or dismissal.

Christians such as myself recognize that homosexuals are human beings, and as such, Jesus Christ expects us to treat them with compassion and fairness as we would any "straight" person.

Christians are sometimes depicted negatively on television

However, due partially to negative media portrayal of conservative Christians, or wilful ignorance of (and perhaps deliberate censorship by) the homosexual community, one would think that there is no such thing as a person, particularly a heterosexual Christian person, who disagrees with homosexuality but who does not hate homosexuals or wish them ill - will.

As far as I am concerned, the young (heterosexual) men who murdered Matthew Shepard, (who was homosexual), should receive the death penalty: not because they murdered a gay human being for being gay, but because they killed a human being.

Murdering people, no matter what their skin color, religion (or lack thereof), sexual orientation, or what have you, is not right; there is no need for false distinctions and categories:

A human being is a human being.

For the homosexual community to single out a specific crime because its victim was homosexual is actually objectifying homosexual individuals and making them less than human, which is what the murderer of homosexuals already does, if he or she is doing so based on hatred of homosexuals / homosexuality.

There are, after all, other reasons why a straight person may murder a homosexual person (for the same reasons that a straight person would murder another straight person), and what does one do in a case of one homosexual who murders another homosexual?

Is the homosexual community really sure that objectifying homosexuals is what they want?

Another Look at Willow and Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow and Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series

Additionally, in some cases in which a movie or television show allows a homosexual character to be murdered, the perpetrator gets punished, such as "Warren" in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Warren accidentally shoots and kills a lesbian, "Tara," in his attempt to murder a "straight" character ("Buffy"). "Willow," Tara's lover (and also a female), goes on to seek vengeance, and she gets it: Warren dies at the hand of Willow for Tara's death.

The other characters on the Buffy show do not rejoice when they discover that the lesbian character "Tara" has been shot down. None of the "straight" characters say or hold the attitude, "Oh, who cares if Tara was killed? She was just a lesbian, so it does not matter."

On the contrary, they mourn along with Willow -- maybe not as long or as deep as some lesbian writers would like (one complained that the other characters didn't talk enough about Tara's passing), but they do express sorrow nonetheless.

I have more to say about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its treatment of lesbianism below.

Of course, homosexuals tend to downplay these aspects and choose to view such scenarios as "oh no, not another 'lesbian killed and lesbian goes crazy plot.'"

In reality, what they are getting from these programs is a positive confirmation that crimes against homosexuals should not be ignored or treated as less than important than murders of, or crimes against, straight people.

Homosexuals are not the only group "singled out" for mistreatment in real life or in the cinema, as all groups, including straight white people, are victims as well, so why bicker about the fate of homosexuals on the screen -- death, insanity, or dissolution into an evil serial killer -- when straight people also suffer these things in real life and in fictional media?

As far as fictional characters and situations go, is Darth Vader somehow less of a villain because he was heterosexual? Or Lex Luther? (And despite what most "slash" fiction pieces on the web say, no, Lex is not bi-sexual or homosexual.)

Off the top of my head, I can say with confidence from memory of past movies viewed, that most murderers on the screen are straight, white males (just to name a few):

• The Bone Collector (Angelina Jolie, I believe, played the Crime Scene Investigator);
• Kiss the Girls (actor Cary Elwes as the killer);
• Copycat (Sigourney Weaver as the target);
• Halloween (Jamie Lee Curtis as the target);
• Nightmare on Elm Street (with character Freddy Krueger),
• Psycho (the Norman Bates character as the violent lunatic)
• The Hitcher (Thomas Howell as the victim)

	Anthony Perkins, who played Norman Bates in Psycho

A few films even feature white, straight, female murderers, such as

• Fatal Attraction (with the Glenn Close character stalking a male target)
• Niagara (a 1950s film starring Marilyn Monroe as a cunning, deceitful wife who is hoping to kill her husband)
• The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (a straight, white, female nanny goes psycho and tries to kill an entire family)
• Various Disney Films (I am assuming that the evil stepmothers, witches, and so on were straight)
• Swim Fan (a version of Fatal Attraction for the teeny bopper set)

Most story lines in film and television fail to make a distinction: that some who oppose homosexuality do not oppose homosexuals. Therefore, many shows and films propagate the idea that anyone who does not approve of homosexuality must also be a homophobe, and an unloving, close minded, bigot.

It is not enough that lesbianism, bi-sexuality, and homosexuality are no longer considered wrong or taboo by American society (contrary to gay rights groups who like to shout "discrimination" at every turn), but the public is exposed to homosexuality these days on a fairly constant basis on the television, magazines, the web, and in movies.

I certainly do not see lesbianism or other forms of homosexuality "trashed," or demonized in popular entertainment as some homosexuals, bi-sexuals, and lesbians maintain.

Outside of Christian (and other religious) broadcasting on radio, television, and a few web sites here and there, one is hard pressed to find anyone speaking negatively of homosexuality.

In this day, due to political correctness run amok, an over emphasis on "tolerance," and an overall moral decay in society, most people are afraid to criticize any group for any reason.

I cannot count the number of times I have watched television programs which portray lesbianism (and other varieties of homosexuality) in a positive light and those who disagree with this lifestyle as being being narrow minded, hateful bigots.

We the public are repeatedly told in interviews with actors, script writers, film directors, and producers that television shows and films with young adult or teenage homosexuals in the storylines are made with the express goal of demonstrating to young homosexuals in the viewing audience that it's "okay" to be homosexual.

And yes, they have achieved this goal, with the likes of characters such as "Jack" on the teenage melodrama Dawson's Creek.

Talk Show Hostess Rikki Lake

Even in animated fare, there is Dale's homosexual, rodeo father on King of the Hill, Mr. Smithers on The Simpsons, and a homosexual character on the South Park series.

This phenomenon of showing no tolerance for those thought of as intolerant toward homosexuality sometimes even shows up on non-fiction programs, as in one episode of the talk show "Rikki Lake" in which the hostess, Rikki Lake, chastises a few in the audience who "boo" a homosexual for being homosexual. Lake chides them and essentially tells them, "So what? Get over it."

Far from being attacked on film and the rest of the media, homosexuality is commended, defended, promoted, and embraced. A few more examples will demonstrate this point. Lesbianism was, at some point in the 1990s, declared "chic" by major magazines, one of which placed a lesbian couple on their cover.

The television show "Ellen" starring real-life lesbian Ellen Degeneres, featured many episodes of the fictional Ellen's "coming out" and general commentary on lesbianism in the form of plot lines.

There is a Russian pop singing duo called "Tatu" who, as I write this, currently have a Top 10 hit in some nations in Europe with one of their singles. These young ladies are portraying themselves as lesbians (whether they are in reality, or if it is just a gimmick foisted upon them by their manager, it is still positive publicity for lesbianism).

Tatu recently appeared on the mainstream American television show "Mad TV" as musical guests, where they kissed one another for quite some time, on stage, mid- song.

	Russian pop duo TATU

Next, we have positive portrayals (and condemnations or derision of those who do not endorse and accept homosexuality) in which the homosexual characters do not 'turn evil' or die in such fare as The Bird Cage, starring Robin Williams, in which a homosexual couple raise a son who tries to win the hand of a woman with conservative parents.

Granted, this specific example (The Bird Cage) is probably not the best, as the conservative characters in this film are not as badly maligned as is the usual practice by Hollywood.

Other examples of positive portrayal of homosexuals in the media include: Wil and Grace, a show in which the main homosexual character, Wil, is charming, intelligent, supportive and successful; Spin City's suave, stylish, compassionate, articulate Carter Heywood (played by actor Michael Boatman).

Then there was the lesbian relationship on the t.v. show Roseanne, of characters played by Morgan Fairchild and Sandra Bernhard. If I am remembering correctly, neither the Morgan Fairchild or Sandra Bernhard characters went insane, turned evil, or died. (Bernhard, incidentally, is a lesbian off screen.)

Stand up comic and actress Sandra Bernhard

Mention of this (that is, of Sandra Bernhard in general and her lesbian relationship on the show Roseanne), as well as many other television lesbian couples, is made at the "After Ellen.com" site here. I would assume that not all characters on After Ellen.com's page went crazy or evil. Concerning Bernhard, those at the After Ellen.com site had this to say,

"Throw a rock in a crowded lesbian bar and you're bound to hit someone who's slept with Sandra Bernhard - at least, that's the perception you get from the media. . . This is all the more confusing since in public appearances Sandra Bernhard usually comes across as bitchy, self-absorbed, and just generally unattractive."

I do not deny that the media has its biases. However, the American news and entertainment media typically slant stories in favor of the liberal left (whose members generally support homosexual causes) and against the conservative right (whose members generally are not sympathethic to homosexual causes). However, in light of the fact that the media (especially entertainment media) are generally

a.) very liberal, and most liberals support the homosexual platform and

b.) present homosexuality in a positive light

Perhaps I am mistaken, but it seems as though the "After Ellen's" writer, in her article on Sandra Bernhard, is claiming that the media is responsible for making Bernhard, who happens to be a lesbian, look bad, and hence, lesbianism (or all lesbians) look bad.

Assuming that my understanding the "After Ellen's" author correctly on this point, my comment is this: the media are not to blame for Sandra Bernhard looking bad, rather, it is Bernhard herself. "Personal accountability" and "personal responsibility" seem to be unfamiliar concepts in today's society.

I find plenty of stand up routines by "straight" comics to be just as distasteful, if not more so, than Bernhard's. I do not see anyone judging the entire straight community by the handful of indecent heterosexual entertainers.

I think it rather naive for a lesbian writer to assume that straight people judge the entire homosexual culture based upon the actions of one lesbian.

We have our reasons for rejecting homosexuality, and it runs deeper than actress and stand up comic Bernhard acting obnoxious, telling dirty jokes, or cussing in HBO specials. Sandra Bernhard, in turn, brings to mind pop singer Madonna.

	Pop singer and wanna be actress Madonna

Madonna created free publicity for herself sometime around the mid or late 1980s when she presented herself as having a lesbian relationship with Bernhard (they were even dubbed by the media as "gal pals").

As most are aware, Madonna is financially successful and extremely famous. She even went on to publish a book called Sex which contained lesbian, and other homo-erotic, imagery. Madonna routinely used homosexual dancers in her concert tours and music videos.

If one believed all that lesbians say about lesbianism and the media, one would think that the results of Madonna's publicly dabbling in lesbianism would be failure and rejection, when clearly that is not what happened. Lesbian rock singer Melissa Etheridge seems to be doing quite well, as is the lesbian duo Indigo Girls.

Another example from the world of television of a favorable or neutral treatment of homosexuals:

On an episode of the television program Just Shoot Me, we have a male character, ("Dennis," played by David Spade) setting up a lesbian he knows with one of his heterosexual, female co-workers ("Maya," played by Laura San Giacomo), in the hopes that the ladies will "hit it off."

The worst that can be said about this Just Shoot Me episode by lesbian media critics is that it showed a male wanting to watch two women make out, which is, as we all know, said to be a common heterosexual male fantasy. However, lesbianism and the lesbian character in this Just Shoot Me episode were not shown in a negative light. The lesbian character did not become insane, evil, nor did she die.

Buffy the Lesbian Slayer?

From a casual scanning of some entertainment sites by lesbians, it appears that most are very unhappy with Buffy the Vampire Slayer's creator Joss Whedon's handling of the lesbian relationship of Tara and Williow. Some homosexuals complain that Willow "went bad" after losing Tara, by going on a killing spree.

They conveniently skip the part that Willow is subdued, calmed down, and pretty much restored to her former self by her friends Xander, Giles, etc. In more recent episodes of Buffy, Willow is shown on the verge of entering another lesbian relationship with a "potential slayer" named Kennedy.

I can only surmise that in the future, there will be more anti- Buffy material on the web by lesbians because, in a recent episode of Buffy, Kennedy rejected Willow, and I am sure that these lesbians will not hesitate to point out that right beforehand, Kennedy witnessed Willow turning a little evil while casting a magic spell.

Kennedy with Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I make mention of this because (and if I am recalling correctly), no sex between Kennedy and Willow was shown right before this scene of Willow's magic spell, so that the so-called "lesbian turning evil right after sex" cliche, which is thought by lesbians to be a form of anti- lesbianism, is present.

At the most, either earlier in the show, or in a previous episode (I do not recall which), Kennedy and Willow are shown on a date at a bar, and they may have kissed (again, my memory is hazy on this point).

But the fact remains that there was no flat-out, over the top, blatant sex scene of Kennedy and Willow "doing the nasty." They did not even disrobe or "neck."

Does it not occur to the lesbians who critique such shows that maybe, just maybe, the writers and producers are actually performing a service to the homosexual community by showing homosexuals to be three dimensional, normal human beings like everyone else?

Are we to believe that homosexuals are without their flaws, that they never murder, have psychological disorders, lie, cheat or steal? Are such immoral actions carried out only by heterosexuals?

I think that the lesbians who disdain the show's "Willow" storylines are also merely overlooking the obvious: Perhaps Willow's magic addiction -- which turns her into "bad Willow" -- is not an anti- lesbian message but a metaphor for the dangers of becoming too dependent on alcohol or narcotics and what can result if one does.

This is how I honestly took the 'Willow- and- magic' storylines. I did not not view them as a metaphor for lesbian sexual sensations, as one web site author supposed. Until I stumbled across some of the lesbian pages about network t.v. and the like, any other interpretation would not have crossed my mind.

	Angel from the Buffy spin-off Angel series

As even one of these lesbian web site writers acknowledges, a male heterosexual character, "Angel," goes insane after having sex with the main (female) character, Buffy. (Side note: Willow's old boyfriend, Oz, turned into a werewolf.)

The web site writer then goes on to commit the logical fallacy of special pleading (or maybe this is the reverse of special pleading), by brushing aside the Angel example and making much ado when the same thing happens to lesbian characters.

One of these lesbian writers wonders why Buffy was not permanently killed after sex scenes: I would say that since the show is called Buffy the Vampire Slayer and not Tara the Lesbian Sidekick Who Practices Witchcraft, the obvious answer is that it is because Buffy is the main character of the series, with Willow being another main player, and Willow was not taken off the show, either.

Tara was like Oz, a side character. How many lesbians are outraged that Oz was written out of the show? Not only was he written out as a regular character, but upon his return, he discovers that he has been rejected by Willow for a female, Tara.

Willow with Oz

I have no doubt that had the Willow character been removed from Buffy, along with the Tara character, that these same disgruntled lesbians would then claim that the series was trying to 'black list' homosexual story lines and characters.

Why can't they be happy that lesbians are at least being glamorized and celebrated on the tube? I know, homosexuals still want to bring up the "cliches as discrimination" argument.

However, and using Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Willow character as an example again: Willow is presented to the audience as a human being who has her good qualities as well as the bad. To make her perfect and without any flaws is to make her less than human, and a boring, flat character.

Lesbians Comparing Lesbian Portrayals in Media to Those of Blacks and Native American Indians

One lesbian author tried to compare the treatment of lesbians in media to how Native American Indians and blacks were at first portrayed in films and television. Certainly there were many negative depictions of Indians and blacks early on, but the fact remains that it did not stay that way, Spike Lee to the contrary (some people just like to complain, and Mr. Lee is that sort).

There are exceptions: "Tanto," the Native American Indian who was the Lone Ranger's side kick, was a competent and loyal friend. Dances with Wolves, with Kevin Costner, depicted Indians in a favorable light, as did an episode or two of the WB network's Smallville.

Pictured Far Left: Tanto from The Lone Ranger Stories

There have been dozens upon dozens of films and t.v. shows picturing Native American Indians as being intelligent and noble people, while the "white man" is pictured as being the greedy, heartless bastards who ruin life for the Indians.

Blacks have also fared well in entertainment in recent decades: a main character (played by Christopher Judge) on the television series Stargate SG-1, "Teal'c," is a black person who is shown in high regard; so too is Wesley Snipes in movies such as Passenger 57, and Blade, and Blade 2.

I know it pains liberals and the Spike Lees of the world, but in none of these cases do the black people die. Not only do their characters live to the end, but they are also heroic, courageous, and save lives.

Denzel Washington, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Morgan Freeman have each played roles as intelligent, successful professionals, ranging from detectives to military personnel. "Spawn" is a comic book super hero who was featured in a movie of the same name -- and you guessed it, "Spawn" was a black man (at least in the film version; I am not sure about the printed versions).

And who can forget one of the highest rated television shows from the 1980s: The Cosby Show.

	Cosby Show Cast

Not only was this show massively popular with whites as well as with blacks, it featured two highly educated and articulate black characters, one a lawyer, the other a physician. Talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey is usually on the Forbes'"Wealthiest Americans" list, thanks in part to her Oprah talk show.

Talk Show Host and Multi Millionaire Oprah Winfrey

Numerous black rap artists are wealthy and sell many albums. Ice T has a steady role on NBC's Law and Order as a detective, in addition to having a recording career. Lil' Kim, Janet Jackson, and Queen Latifah are a few of the successful female music artists of color.

Hispanics have also been shown in a positive light in the past few years in various films and t.v. shows.

I think that these examples suffice to demonstrate that the entertainment industry is not as prejudiced as they once were, if they are at all, these days.

Homosexuality: Is It Just About the Sex or Not?

I also do not understand why lesbians would emphasize homosexual sex so much in their media articles. They say, more often than not, that right after a homosexual couple has sex, said couple (or at least one individual) goes six feet under.

This complaint actually negates other arguments in favor of homosexuality.

Homosexuals, from what I've seen in television news pieces and a few news articles in print and on the web, seem to deeply resent it when critics make their lifestyle out to be about sex.

The homosexuals I have seen interviewed about this topic generally maintain that being homosexual is not about a risque life filled with trying to "convert" heterosexuals; molesting children; casual, sleazy sex: having many one night stands or "encounters" at highway rest stops, and so forth.

No, they say. It is about having a loving, monogamous relationship with someone to share your life and dreams with, and sex is not always the most important factor.

If all that is true, then why do some homosexuals repeatedly make mention of homosexuals in movies and t.v. who are murdered after a same-gender sex scene?

Should they not be consistent and get upset when a homosexual character gets murdered during any part of a program, whether if it is before, after, or during sex, or even if there is no sex at all?

It could be argued that there is a Hollywood conspiracy to belittle homosexuals by killing off homosexual characters altogether -- regardless of the timing of the character's death (or spiral into insanity) in relation to sex scenes, or there even may be a lack of sex scenes altogether.

The point being the the inclusion of any homosexual character in any entertainment form, whether said character dies or goes insane or not, is actually a boost for the homosexual community.

The mere fact that the public is, and has been, exposed to so many homosexual characters via entertainment makes the public more sensitized to homosexuals and their clamor for equality, especially since so many of these programs do show sympathy for the homosexual character and disdain against characters who harass the homosexual.

If anything, I would argue that the inclusion of so many homosexual characters in film and television is an attempt to make homosexuality appear normal and acceptable to mainstream American society.

If in fact the "homosexual dying shortly after sexual activity" occurrence is some sort of hidden, anti- homosexual message from Hollywood, well, then, "straight" teenagers are subjected to the very same thing: how many Friday the 13th sequels did we all have to endure where the heterosexual couple, while engaged in, or shortly after, sexual activity, get a knife through the head or chainsaw through the torso?

Friday the 13th Horror Movie

Scare stories aimed at getting young heterosexuals not to have sex until marriage go back to the 1950s (and maybe earlier), such as the story of the heterosexual couple in the car on a date, where they eventually find the serial killer's hook stuck in the side of the car.

Rather than look at it like "lesbian dies after lesbian sex, that's clearly homophobic!," as so many lesbians do, why not consider that maybe it's along the same lines as the "straight teens who get sliced and diced after sex" with the point among all depictions that casual sex by anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, is risky or immoral?

Xena the Warrior Princess Bites the Dust

Lesbians point to Xena's death as yet another instance of "lesbian dying after developing relationship with other woman" cliche, which allegedly Makes Homosexuality Look Bad. For readers who lived under a rock and never caught any episodes of Xena, the other woman in Xena's life was her sidekick "Gabrielle."

	Argo the Horse, Xena, and Gabrielle from Xena Warrior Princess

To be fully accurate, however, it should be pointed out that the Xena series always left the status of the Xena and Gabrielle relationship ambiguous enough so that one could never tell with absolute certainty if they were supposed to be lesbians / bi-sexuals, of if they simply had a deep friendship.

At any rate, for the sake of this article, we will assume that they were a lesbian couple. I am once again amazed that some lesbians, to find support for their case against supposed bias in the media, try to find the dark side in a show or film and neglect to mention the positive aspects.

They sometimes neglect the context of the homosexual character's death or insanity in the storyline to focus only on the fact that the murder, sickness, or insanity happens to a homosexual.

It becomes irrelevant to the homosexuals suspicious of the entertainment industry why the homosexual character in the film died, (meaning, it may actually be integral to the plot but they refuse to believe this), so that they they jump to the unfounded conclusion that it is so because it is a case of anti- homosexuality propaganda.

Yes, Xena dies in the final show, but of her own will, and for a higher good: to free the souls of those she had previously condemned to death by murder.

Lucy Lawless as Xena

First of all, Xena's willing sacrifice of her own life to save others she was responsible for murdering to begin with would portray a lesbian / bi-sexual as being more courageous, giving, selfless, and compassionate than most straight Christians -- or anyone else, for that matter.

I also wonder if lesbians, by criticizing the show because its writers allowed Xena's death, are saying that they should not be held accountable for their wrong doing?

In other words, the homosexual view makes it seem as though it is acceptable for a homosexual (as did Xena) to rule in fear, conquer communities, murder people, and during that time, not show compassion or remorse either.

Are we supposed to think that homosexuals are above judicial and moral law? Should we not be outraged or upset by the fact that homosexual Xena at one time murdered people, and then just overlook it? Does being homosexual excuse all sins?

Secondly, Gabrielle the sidekick did not die or go insane: she was last seen on a ship sailing off while carrying Xena's ashes in an urn, presumably to carry on Xena's legacy of helping others and fighting the good fight.

Gabrielle was always shown as being highly intelligent, loyal, and during the last few seasons, a skilled warrior. I fail to see any anti- homosexual messages in any of that.

Now let's consider the character Calisto from the Xena show.

From most indications, Calisto was never represented as being homosexual. I do not recall any episodes evenhinting or suggesting that Calisito was homosexual.

This is quite interesting, because Calisto, at least initially in the Xena series, is an evil character, but with just cause:

Xena, before she became champion of the innocent, murdered Calisto's family when Calisto was a girl. Calisto then spends the rest of her life filled with hate, hurting others, and trying to kill Xena.

	Calisto from Xena Warrior Princess television series

Why is it that lesbians don't make something out of this: a straight woman who is evil? Because, I think, too many of them are too vested in finding examples of "anti lesbian" portrayals in the entertainment industry.

Homosexuals need to take their blinders off and stop assuming that the media is out to get them, since, in reality, the media support them and their pro- homosexual agenda.

Or, perhaps, they still want the public to think of homosexuals as victims in order to continue gaining support, and so they do their parts to maintain the illusion.

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