Homosexual Women's Quest for the Invisible Visibility : How a Minority within a Minority perceive themselves through Print Advertising

Abstract: Introduction: Visibility within advertising can generate acceptance and normalization in society, hence it is a powerful media that is of utmost importance for the homosexual group. Portrayals in advertising equal an admission as citizens, which homosexual women are currently neglected as media circumscribe male homosexuality as norm. Knowledge of how homosexual women identifies with portrayals in advertising is currently sparse. Aim: The overall aim of this study is to satiate the gap of knowledge of portrayals of homosexual women in advertising and how the dual identity of gender and sexuality influence the interpretation of advertisements targeting homosexual women. Method: A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodology. The sample includes self-identified homosexual women recruited consecutively during a two-month period. In total 113 homosexual women participated in the study. To provide a realistic interpretation, actual print advertisements portraying female homosexuals were used as stimuli within the contexts of mainstream media and gay media. Results: The female homosexual group appears to be heterogeneous since the perception of the individual sexual identity and lifestyle was not aligned but rather dispersed. However, the participants’ perception of the sexual identity and lifestyle of the female homosexual group is that is a homogenous group. Conclusion: Within the female homosexual group a stigmatization exist regarding gender behaviour that does not correspond with the recurrent portrayal in advertising of homosexual women as a homogenous group.