Homosexual masculine representation in contemporary media

An overview of visibility , stereotype and social impact

Abstract

This article analyzes the representation of gay men in contemporary media, focusing on films, soap operas, and series, highlighting their role in identity construction and social impact. The research, conducted through an integrative literature review, selected 28 articles published between 2015 and 2025 on the CAPES, SciELO, and Google Scholar platforms. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted, and the results were presented descriptively, identifying central themes such as: stereotypes, the power of media, media as a pedagogical device, invisibility, the evolution of representations, and compulsory heteronormativity. Data refinement was based on the inclusion criteria, such as: original articles, written in Portuguese, published in the last 10 years (starting from 2015), fully accessible, extracted from recognized academic platforms, and addressing the representation of gay men in television media and/or platforms. The exclusion criteria included articles that did not specifically address the homosexual male population, also prioritizing other gender identities or sexual orientations; duplicated or unavailable texts in full; publications prior to 2015; studies on other media forms; and documents that do not fall into the scientific article category. The findings indicate that media plays an ambivalent role: on one hand, it promotes social pedagogy, recognition, and cultural transformation; on the other, it reinforces symbolic exclusions, stereotypes, invisibility, and heteronormativity. The study concludes that fostering more authentic, plural, and critical media representations is essential to strengthen recognition and appreciation of LGBTQIA+ diversity.