PressEthic

An article in Wednesday’s New York Times reveals that a parking lot in Cunningham Queens is being used by gay men “cruising for sex”. Stories like this are in danger of perpetuating pre-existing stereotypes in society. This story, while not framed in an overtly derogatory way, contributes to negative stereotypes about homosexuality. When pursuing such stories editors must take into account the affects that these stories have on society’s perceptions of minority groups.

While attitudes to homosexuality are varied, there is a considerable proportion of society who do not accept it as a legitimate sexual identity. Homosexuality is often seen as an aberrant sexuality, because it is not the sexual practice of the mainstream. This idea can be inferred from the article, because the piece reveals a situation where gay men are engaging in a sexual practice that is not the ‘normal’ way of doing things. This supports the pre-existing stereotype that homosexuality is a deviance from the norm, rather than an alternate, but legitimate, sexual identity.

The article opens:

There is a narrow parking lot in Cunningham Park in Queens surrounded by playing fields for adult softball and youth soccer and baseball. At one end of the lot, retirees arrive to practice their golf and mothers in minivans gather to wait for their Little Leaguers.

The other end is popular with another set with a much lower profile in this suburban setting: gay men cruising for sex. Their playing field is the parking lot itself and the goal is a sexual encounter, usually quick and anonymous.

In the lede the park is established as a venue for wholesome pursuits before revealing that the park is also used for ‘gay men cruising sex’. This contrast creates the idea that gay men are using the park for what it is not intended, that they are doing something untoward. This contrast has the effect of intensifying the sordid nature of these activities. By contrasting these encounters with more wholesome pursuits, stereotypes regading homosexuals as deviants are furthered.

The headline is also loaded with connotations regarding aberrant sexuality. The title ‘Sex Stop on the Way Home’ on page one is extended on page 11 to ‘Sex Stop on the Way Home: A Park’s Lot Doubles as a Trysting Place for Gay Men’. A tryst is a meeting, especially one done in secret. The connotation is that these events take place in secret because they are engaging in sexual practices which are not accepted by the mainstream. There is a good chance heterosexuals also engage in similar activities. Arguably a story about heterosexual meetings would not be as newsworthy because such practice would not be seen as such a divergence from norm. Therefore not worthy of our attention.

The article is also problematic because it creates a misleading impression about these encoutners. The article focuses on the men who use the park for sex, rather than the men who use it for a meeting place.

Paragraph eight furthers the idea:

‘Regulars say that the married men enjoy the risk and recklessness of semipublic sex, which usually means receiving oral sex in their cars of having other sexual encounters in the woods nearby.’

However the article undermines this later by stating that a number meet in the car park, before traveling elsewhere. In paragraph 15 (over half way through the article) it is revealed:

‘Many regulars say they make arranged to do home together or to a motel since a strong police presence makes sex in the car or woods too risky.’

The article overemphasizes the idea that the park is used for ‘Sex Stops on the way home’. By its own admission, this isn’t entirely accurate. The article focuses on the more scandalous aspects of the story, which could negatively influence readers' perceptions of homosexuals.

The real problem here is the combined effect of many articles which implicityly treat homosexuality as a deviant sexuality. This is dangerous because members of society will simply take stereotypes for granted. Their knowledge of minority groups will be based on misleading ideas. The news media must attempt to adopt a more inclusive approach to marginalised groups, otherwise a culture of 'us' and 'them' is fostered.

I’m not saying that this article itself is purposefully derogatory, but I am saying such articles contribute to pre-existing stereotypes. Media texts that deal with marginalized groups in society (like homosexuals and racial groups) need to be wary how they contribute to society’s overall understanding of these groups. The media plays a very important role in shaping perceptions and this article, confirms pre-existing negative stereotypes in society towards homosexuals.