Homophobia: What Do Sexism and the Media

Have to Do With It?

Leigh Combs, GLBT Kids Abuse Intervention Coordinator

Homophobia is comprised of many things:

EroticphobiaXenophobia

Sexism

2

• FAQ: What is “sexism”?• October 19, 2007 · by tekanji• Short definition: Sexism is both discrimination based

on gender and the attitudes, stereotypes, and the cultural elements that promote this discrimination. Given the historical and continued imbalance of power, where men as a class are privileged over women as a class (see male privilege), an important, but often overlooked, part of the term is that sexism is prejudice plus power. Thus feminists reject the notion that women can be sexist towards men because women lack the institutional power that men have.

• When feminists say that women can’t be sexist towards men, they aren’t saying that women being prejudiced against men is a good thing, or something that should be accepted. Prejudice is bad and should not be accepted.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the

United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal rights for women. The ERA was originally written

by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time. In 1972, it passed both

houses of Congress and went to the state legislatures for ratification. The ERA failed to receive the requisite

number of ratifications before the final deadline mandated by Congress of June 30, 1982 expired, and so it was not adopted, largely because Phyllis Schlafly mobilized conservatives to oppose ERA. Supporters in

2012 tried to revive the discussion of the Equal Rights Amendment, via a petition on the White

House Website.

What do Footlocker and Fleet Farm have

to do with it ?

6

Dr. Pepper 10: It’s Not for Women

The Manly Dr. Pepper Challenge contributed to students learning about health, history, medicine,

marketing & more !

7

Barbie for real ?

• 7 feet 6 inches tall. That's just two inches shorter than the world's tallest woman,

Yao Defen. • She would also have hips measuring 40inches

• a bust of 37inches

Time to dissect some print Ads• MEDIA EDUCATIONFOUNDATION• www.mediaed.org• Resources, curriculum, handouts

13

22

http://www.bust.com/blog/2012/01/16/lego-in-hot-water-after-just-for-girls-release.html#.TxdHcJfxlG8.email

http://blog.pigtailpals.com/2012/01/lowest-common-denominator/

Side by Side Gender Apartheid: A Visual Reference

“I headed to YouTube to catch some Lego tv commercials, and see if maybe this all wasn’t just in my head. So I watched two Lego Friends commercials, and then created a wordle from the words in the used by the narrator in the commercial, and the colors most represented by the brick colors in the sets. I then did the same for a Lego Dino and Lego City commercial.” – Pigtail Pals

27

http://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/urban-outfitters-under-fire-for-navajo-collection-2582797.html

30

www.crimethinc.com

Questions?

Contact Information

Leigh CombsAbuse Intervention CoordinatorThe Family Partnership4123 East Lake StreetMinneapolis, MN 55406612-728-2079lcombs@thefamilypartnership.org

January 9