“That doesn’t make him gay”

How do television viewers decide that characters are gay? Why is one viewer convinced by a scene where two men smile at each other, while another responds to a scene where they share a bed with “I don’t see how that makes them gay”? This book examines scenes, situations, and structures that permit characters to be read as LGBT or two same-sex characters as a romantic couple in the dark comedy/crime drama The Righteous Gemstones and other contemporary television series, contrasted with social media posts that embrace, ignore, or deny their identity. Some surprising strategies emerge, such as: “the youngest son in a crime family is always gay”; “if a man speaks to a woman, he is always straight,” and “they can’t be a romantic couple if another character ever refers to them as ‘friends.’” This thoroughly researched work of pop cultural analysis investigates the practices of viewers identifying “gayness” on television, drawing conclusions about both media and audience.

Jeffery P. Dennis holds a PhD in deviance and criminology from Stony Brook University. An associate professor of criminal justice at Minnesota State University, Mankato, he is the author of five books and many articles on LGBT criminalization and queer youth.

Jeffery P. Dennis
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9859-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5743-1
Imprint: McFarland