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Academic Reading and Writing in Communication

Individual Assignment

Name: Vo Thi Huong Trang – Isabella

Student ID: 7650301000
Student Number: 42

Academic research:
Title: THE THAI AUDIENCES’ RESPONSES TOWARD HOMOSEXUAL PORTRAYAL
IN MEDIA: A CASE STUDY OF THAI TV SERIES
Author: Nary Nal

TV shows have ingrained themselves into our lives, whether it be for amusement, education,
or society. Regardless of how controversial and prejudiced they were first, homosexual
characters and context have been incorporated into the content to the point where they have
become a new trend in every production and provide issues for the producers. The researcher
opted to conduct this study to find out how viewers have reacted to the portrayal of
homosexuality in Thai media, notably TV series, out of curiosity and profound interest in the
rise of homosexual material being generated in the media.
I. Rationale:
Homosexuality is a controversial topic, and people's attitudes toward it reflect diverse
complications. In most parts of the world, homosexuality is seen and considered a sexual
minority that is inferior to hetero normativity. There are 72 countries in the world where
homosexuality is illegal, including Singapore ("73 countries where homosexuality is illegal",
2019). The country still discriminates against gays and has an anti-gay law that is upheld by
the High Court ("Singapore’s High Court upholds anti-gay law", 2020). Some parts of the
world have started to improve the equality of LGBT rights, including Argentina, Mexico
City, Colombia, and Vietnam (Saner, 2013). In Thailand, although the country has still not
granted any rights to homosexuals, it is still possible to acknowledge the community
("Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community in Thailand,” n.d.). Soon after
Thailand transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 1932,
LGBT communities began forming and homosexuality became more noticeable. In addition,
most Thai people accepted homosexuality and were in favor of same-sex marriage.
The acceptance of the LGBTs community in the society may probably result from their
significant contributions to the society, such as the first American woman to travel into space
was known to be a Lesbian (Klotz, 2012), and the contribution of gay men to the HIV
epidemic (Baral, Sifakis, Cleghorn & Beyrer, 2007). The LGBT group has contributed to
numerous studies, has been portrayed in TV programs and has made huge differences in the
content from a hundred centuries ago. The visibility of the group started to appear in TV
programs, and the number of LGBT characters kept increasing. The media plays an important
role in influencing society, particularly individuals' beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and
behaviors about homosexuality. There are various types of media, including print media,
broadcast media, and new media, which are distinguished in their forms of target, content,
and basis of reach and accessibility.
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II. Problem statement:

Television and TV series as a whole tend to have influence on the viewers in three ways;
perception bias (Gerbner, 1994), desensitization towards specific contents (Anderson et al.,
2003), and imitation (Bandura, Ross & Ross, 1963). The over generalization of the LGBTs
society in the media has inevitably and effectively contributed to the prejudice and disgrace
towards homosexuality (Louw, 2009). Positive portrayal of the homosexual group can
encourage equality and impartiality of different sexual interests in the society, and might also
create solidarity as people learn to accept everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. To
summarize, the study seeks to increase awareness of gender equality and the treatment of
homosexuals in Thai media, reduce inequalities caused by social norms, and develop
evidence-based knowledge of homosexuals in the media.
III. Research objective:
Since the 1990s, homosexual characters have appeared in Thai media, but their portrayal has
been mostly negative because efforts to study the various sexual orientations are still limited
in production (UNDP, USAID, 2014). Since 2005, there have been more than 50 homosexual
movies or series produced in Thailand. Thailand is known as a country with a well-developed
media sector in Southeast Asia countries. In 2018, Thai media earned about 502.8 billion baht
(US$15.3 billion) (Kate, 2018). The Thai television system has changed dramatically since
2014, from an analog system to a digital system that includes up to 48 channels. The
viewership of traditional TV channels has decreased since 2014 to only 27 million viewers
per day (Thai Soap Operas trigger outcry over romanticizing rape, 2014). Thai audiences
have changed their ways of consuming media dramatically from analog-to-digital, and from
the TV platform to portable devices such as phones, laptops, or tablets. Some TV series now
depict homosexuality, and Thai audiences do not fully accept this type of sexual orientation.
Although Thailand has yet to offer homosexuals any rights, it is quite receptive to
recognizing the LGBT population in society. With the increased exposure of LGBT people in
society since the 1970s, the Thai media began to add something unique to the material in
order to grab the audience's attention. Rak Ko Rakei (Let's love as we desire) is a 2010
Thailand television film starring two lesbians. Thai audiences are more willing to tolerate the
culture of drag performances that promote Thai society's gay and lesbian groups, as long as
the show indicates that Thai people are moving ahead in a positive way (Choi, 2018). The
research is about to find out how the Thai audiences responded (being positive, neutral or
negative) to the portrayal of homosexuality in Thai media, specifically TV series.
IV. Research methodology:
This study was done in Thailand with 128 TV viewers aged 18 and up who were exposed to
homosexual portrayal on Thai television. A questionnaire was used to collect data, which was
then analyzed using SPSS. This research study used a quantitative technique to investigate
the representation of homosexuality in Thai TV series. They were selected using the snowball
sampling method (Glen, 2014). The survey consisted of five sections: demographic
information; exposure to homosexual-related content in Thai TV series; social norms on
gender roles; and responses to the portrayal of homosexual people in the media. The
questionnaire was disseminated via email and social media platforms. Data was analyzed
using a statistical package to show the frequency and percentage of responses to questions
about homosexual characters in Thai TV series. Pearson's correlation and independent sample
t-test were used to test the hypotheses.
V. Findings:
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Among 128 participants, 53.9% are full-time employees, 19.5% are full-time students, 7.8%
are part-time students and 3.1% are part-time employees, with 20 participants (15.6%) being
unemployed. Of the total number, 44.6% are in "other" and 25.6% are still pursuing their
education. Most subjects watched 2 hours or fewer of TV series in a week, 19.5% watched 3-
4 hours, 9.4% watched 5-7 hours and 9.4% watched 8 hours or more. Most subjects watched
TV series online, with only 16.4% watching TV series offline. Pearson-Moment Correlation
indicated no significant association between the frequency of exposure to TV shows
depicting homosexuality and the various types of reactions. In a Thai TV series, there was a
substantial difference in negotiated attitudes toward homosexuality between those with higher
perceived social standards and those with lower perceived social norms. The study
discovered that societal norms, attitudes, and knowledge all have a part in defining how
people respond to LGBT individuals in Thai TV shows. People who have positive attitudes
towards LGBTs in TV series have higher preferable or negotiated responses towards LGBTs
in Thai media, while people who have negative attitudes towards LGBTs in TV series have
higher oppositional responses towards LGBTs in Thai media. The results showed that there
was a significant relationship between the viewers with more and less knowledge towards
LGBTs portrayal in Thai media, and that those with more knowledge indicated their higher
level of preferable and negotiated responses than those with less knowledge.
VI. Conclusion:
The research showed that there was no significant relationship between frequency of
exposure to TV series portraying homosexuality and response types. People who follow
social norms are more likely to have higher negotiated responses towards LGBTs portrayed
in Thai TV series. People who have positive attitudes towards LGBTs in TV series are more
likely to have preferable or negotiated responses towards LGBTs in Thai TV series. The data
results proved that there was a significant difference between the level of knowledge towards
LGBTs in Thai TV series and the preferable and negotiated responses towards LGBTs
portrayal in Thai TV series.
VII. Discussion:
The research showed that there was no significant relationship between frequency of
exposure to TV series portraying homosexuality and response types. People who follow
social norms are more likely to have higher negotiated responses towards LGBTs portrayed
in Thai TV series. People who have positive attitudes towards LGBTs in TV series are more
likely to have preferable or negotiated responses towards LGBTs in Thai TV series. The data
results proved that there was a significant difference between the level of knowledge towards
LGBTs in Thai TV series and the preferable and negotiated responses towards LGBTs
portrayal in Thai TV series.
VIII. Recommendation:
The social norm has shaped the way people perceive and respond to what they see in the
media, and a positive portrayal might also shift the way people respond. I completely agree
with the information that the author has given and mentioned in the article. The image of
LGBT people is becoming more prevalent, particularly in this age of media explosion. The
media have played a major role in shaping public opinion towards lesbian women and gay
men, especially among younger individuals.
One example of a TV series about homosexuals is movies Boy's Love, also known as the Y
series in Thailand in the past few years, is marking strong developments and is expected by
Thais to become the next soft power of Thai media. It must be said that before Thailand,
there were many countries in Asia that invested in developing content associated with the
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LGBTQ+ community, such as Japan, Taiwan, or China. But only in Thailand have not only
filmmakers but also the government joined the "race" to make the Boy's Love film the "soft
power" of this country, as when Koreans conquered the world with K-pop and K-dramas.
Thai production companies have transformed the boys' love genre by adapting it for TV and
producing a flurry of popular series. The series' popularity stems from the attractive male
actors, often happy story lines, and music. The popularity of Thai BL dramas is welcome
news for Thailand's struggling tourism industry, though the Thai government has struggled to
embrace the genre despite talk of building the country's soft power abroad (Ratcliffe, 2022).
Thailand is often known for its tourism industry, which is popular with domestic and
international tourists. The national government has long promoted the promotion of Thai
culture, food, and movies as a means of media and promotion for the country—a form of soft
power. The Thai government has taken advantage of this feature to turn each LGBT actor
into a cultural ambassador and communicate with their fans about the country, people, and
culture of Thailand.
In particular, the topics of the Boy's Love films have become much more diverse. There is a
selection of films about Thailand's ethnic and cultural minorities. Some films promote
tourism and food, while others are built with the purpose of calling for benefits for
disadvantaged groups or communities, such as the poor, the disabled, and the queer
community. The films attracted millions of views and comments from audiences all over the
world. Through this approach, part of Thailand's minority culture has been communicated to
international friends. Not only food, culture, and travel, but there is also a list of Boy's Love
movies that have helped spread the word about bigger issues like Not Me (Boonyawatana,
2021), calling for freedom, expressing the political views of young people, the right to work
and be respected by the disabled group, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Or Cutie
Pie (Jampa, 2022) integrates a message calling for the right to marry for the LGBTQ+
community. And continuing with this ingenious investment, it is possible that culture,
cuisine, and Thailand will appear more, besides the footage of love between the homosexuals,
as a special "dish" served to audiences worldwide.
Media producers should learn more about homosexual issues and incorporate a truthful
portrayal of the group in order to avoid prejudice and discrimination. Future researchers
should consider conducting studies on the attitudes towards LGBTs in the Thai media as well
as the responses from two different groups (heterosexual and homosexual).

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