“OMG. That’s so gay!” A qualitative analysis of people’s perception of homoeroticism in advertising depending on their sexual orientation.

The present research addresses the relationship between individuals' sexual orientation and their perception of homoeroticism in advertising, which, according to previous research appeal more to lesbian, gay, bisexual and other queer people. In four focus groups, heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual and gay participants expressed their views on ten adverts presenting a homoerotic appeal. All participants acknowledged homoeroticism the same way, the results, however, showed a certain difference of perception between LGBTI+ and heterosexual people. Heterosexuals were less engaged on the topic of homoeroticism, pointing out diverse aspects while LGBTI+ participants were mostly focused on the erotic aspect, asking for more eroticism and LGBTI+ representation. The importance of social representation for individuals, especially for lesbians, gays and bisexuals, is thus studied.