Negative Representation of LGBT

So we all know that unfortunately people who are lesbians / gay / bisexual / transexual are often represented in a negative way in the media.  This article is a perfect example.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2251347/Nathan-Uptons-wrong-body--hes-wrong-job.html

The article is about a male primary school teacher who is transitioning to live as a woman.  The journalist suggests the following things in his article:

* This event is unbelievable.  Evidence =  "One parent said: ‘I saw what I thought was Mr Upton dressed as a woman in town one weekend, but I decided I had imagined it.’

Oh no, you hadn’t."

* Children will be confused and disturbed by this transition.  Evidence: "But has anyone stopped for a moment to think of the devastating effect all this is having on those who really matter? Children as young as seven aren’t equipped to compute this kind of information."

* Children will need to be "protected" from people like this.  Evidence: "It should be protecting pupils from some of the more, er, challenging realities of adult life, not forcing them down their throats"

* Children will be 'forced" to deal with this against their will.  Evidence: Why should they be forced to deal with the news that a male teacher they have always known as Mr Upton will henceforth be a woman called Miss Meadows"

* Children should not have to treat this teacher in a respectful manner.  Evidence: The head teacher denies that pupils will be punished for referring to the teacher as Mr Upton but added ominously that they would be ‘expected to behave properly around her.’

As if this wasn't enough, the online article has TWO articles on the same page which is highly unusual and often only done if the two stories are linked in someway.  In this case, the first main article is about this teacher, the second article is about paedophile Jimmy Saville.  This design choice intrinsically links the two stories and suggests that these two men are similar!!!

A very negative representation and something to consider for the exam.  Are there any positive representations of LGBT people that you know of in the news?