Out of the Closet into Public Invisibility An Analysis of the Portrayal of ‘Lesbianism’ in Advertising

Previous studies have shown that lesbian women are frequently under- as well as misrepresented in the media. As a socialising agent, the media plays an important role in the construction of sexual identities and can influence the public perception of lesbian women. Thus, the media can not only impact how lesbian women see themselves but also how they are seen by others. Also, not only the media but also academia has paid the sexual minority group little attention. The present study aimed to address this marginalisation and discrimination, as well as the gap in current research by exploring the contemporary presentation of ‘lesbianism’ in advertisements released between 2010 and 2020. A qualitative research approach was chosen which included the thematic analysis of 40 video advertisements produced in various ‘Western’ countries by 40 different consumer brands from 15 sectors. Four themes were identified as they were frequently discussed in the advertisements. The themes include that one phenotype of lesbian women that is feminine, Caucasian, slim and middle-aged was primarily featured in the advertisements. Furthermore, many advertisements discussed negative responses from society or family members to ‘lesbianism’. However, most of the analysed advertisements ended on a positive note as they presented an emotional shift from a lack of acceptance of homosexuality to acceptance. The third theme addresses the explicitness with which the advertisements communicated homosexuality. Most lesbian women were presented in committed relationships and few advertisements presented homosexuality with ambiguity. Lastly, a focus on love was found which was communicated through the advertisements’ slogans and title songs. The influence of heteronormativity on- and companies’ economic motivation for the presentation of ‘lesbianism’ in advertising were evaluated throughout the analysis. Overall, the present study critically engaged with the portrayal of ‘lesbianism’ in advertising and found that the promotion of inclusiveness and diversity was often part of strategic corporate social responsibility campaigns. Furthermore, it can be argued that heterosexism and other social biases influenced the production of the analysed advertisements. Portrayals of ‘lesbianism’ often aligned with general trends in ‘Western’ advertising which means that lesbian women were in many regards presented like women in advertising more generally.