User:OsaRosa/1. History of LGBTQ Communication Studies

LGBTQ+ Communication Studies Histories and Foundations
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History of LGBTQ+ Communication Studies
LGBTQ+ Communication Studies began as an area of research in the discipline of Communication Studies in the mid 1970s and has continued to develop into a well-respected field of study that connects multiple areas of the discipline. At the time this research began, LGBTQ+ communities were still very much misunderstood by broader heterosexual society as access to credible information in regards to communication was hard to come by. According to a systemic historical review of the field, prior to the mid 1970s, sexuality was not a main focal point to study within the communication discipline, but emerging scholars slowly began to research this topic, especially as the education system continued to became more progressive and sought to understand diverse communication experiences in addition to combating misinformation. Queer Communication Studies started out small, but the field has grown exponentially over the past four decades.

History of Gay and Lesbian Communication Studies
The earliest LGBTQ+ Communication Studies focused primarily on Gay and Lesbian Communication Studies. Research focused on how gay and lesbian people faced many forms of discrimination and lacked rights. With changing laws, identities, and terminology, communication remains the focus used to display the main challenge of nonacceptance. In this early research in the 1980s and 1990s, researchers investigated statistics, historical plagues, and national movements to study how the queer community fought in the past.

In the 1980s, communication research by groups like the Institute for Sex Research found that many believed homosexuality would ruin society. Statistics from this research helped jumpstart many organizations and communities that would eventually help increase better understanding of LGBTQ+ people. For example, in the 1990s, scholarship on Queer Nation focused on how the organization recorded numbers of individuals who took notice of the community’s struggles. Many of their struggles included violence and discrimination. Article companies helped in spreading proper LGBTQ+ communication by using images, topics of interests, and even discussions or stories. However, research continued to show that there are others who understand the struggles. Writers for the articles provided news segments, stories, and even art to express communication.

History of Queer Communication Studies
It wasn't until 1976 when one of the main journals of the Communication Studies discipline, The Quarterly Journal of Speech, released one of the first essays on homosexuality. Joseph Hayes wrote the first communication essay that analyzed gay communication and analyzed the language used by LGBTQ+ communities known as "gayspeak." Also during the 1970s, scholars like Barry Brummett aimed to analyze pro and anti gay rights rhetoric in order to gain a better understanding of how it affected public opinion. Furthermore, the study also focused on how these two ideologies guide rhetoric within the political space. Another publication related to this field was called Gayspeak: Gay male and lesbian communication edited by James Chesebro in 1981,  which was one of the first books that attempted to explain how LGBTQ+ individuals communicate with one another as well as how they communicate with heterosexual people. The goal of this research was to find out how communication processes affected public opinion about gay and lesbians. One of the earliest research topics of the time focused on how LGBTQ+ individuals used identity deception or pretended to act a certain way in order create impressions and self-representations that allowed them to blend into society. Using verbal and nonverbal communication, identity deception allowed for LGBTQ+ individuals to avoid any societal disapproval as they can follow the verbal and nonverbal norms of heterosexual communication. Identity deception was not only used to blend in but was also used by the LGBTQ+ community out of fear for their safety.

Early Queer Communication Studies researched the HIV/AIDS epidemic, especially as news coverage perpetuated the stereotype that only gay men were at risk of contracting the deadly disease. Furthermore, this false claim allowed for many heterosexual people to believe that they were completely immune to the virus. Not only was misinformation being spread, but it was also negatively affecting societal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ communities, including educational system misinformation. In response to misinformation, multiple organizations formed in order to expand the research and advocacy on queer communication. A few examples include the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) which was created in 1990 with the goal of improving the relationship between heterosexual and LGBTQ+ students and CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies , which was the very first university-based research center in the United States to study the cultural and political issues of the LGBTQ+ community.