Question #9
I think my answer to this survery may have been different if I was younger. With age, I find that I have more agency in choosing which media I can consume and I am more intentional these days about finding media which reflects the things that our important with respect to my identities and their representation.
I think that this survey was actually really sad to do because it really does make me think about how warped reality is. I also realized just how much I hate media in general and maybe that's because I don't feel good when I go on social media in general for many reasons. But at the same time, I check things every day consistently and feel worse but at some level I need it. Especially now to distract myself from what is really going on in my life.
There is a lot to be said about social media and that ability to increase representation by just searching for people who share your identities, even if it is not in mainstream media! Definitely have found a lot more representation of fellow queer, South Asians that way!!
Personally I identify myself most with the things I've done (school & work) and less with things that are innate within me. This is obviously related to the fact that I'm white passing and have a family that is progressive in the way that they view LGBT issues, which probably made my ethnicity & sexual orientation feel less important since I wasn't facing any serious hardship from them.
Honestly, I really appreciate you doing this research. Personally, I'm going to focus my dissertation in part on asexuality, because as I've realized my identities, I've also realized how not knowing is problematic, compiled with the fact my profession isn't adequately preparing grad students to be the best counselors they can be. I know a lot of aros and aces who experience invalidation and harm from their counselors at a time when they were already in pain to begin with.
Even though there are many marginalized communities I don't identify with, I still get upset when marginalization occurs to these communities. I know how it feels to be marginalized in certain ways, and while I can't know someone's exact pain, I empathize with the feelings of loneliness or being an "other."
The last prompt I answered created more questions in my mind than I was able to answer in this study. I think I need to reflect on the fact that I may not identify with a lot of media, and therefore tend to avoid it. I'm not sure if there is a relationship there, but it is something I want and need to explore further. A separate thought is my identity is generally normative. Most of my identity is not marginalized (cis-gender, white male) and so my frame of reference for the purposes of this study may be very limited since it is primarily in respect to my sexual identity.
I think it's important to help contribute to the shifting of perspectives of some people solely based on someone's differences.
Multiracial, Demi & Heterosexual, Demi & Heteroromantic, Secular Humanist, Unmarried, Childless6/20/2020
Thank you for the opportunity to share! I think the work you're doing is important and I appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into this project. I wish you the best of success in your doctorate program and in your professional career, and I hope you continue to pursue research that uplifts the narratives and experiences of marginalized folks.
I wish there was more. There is a disgusting lack of representation for people with my identities and it would help me so much.
I think media is the most influential power in the world. Whether it be decades ago with magazines, or today with Instagram accounts, media is very powerful and can dictate what everyone sees. All identities are impacted in some way and realizing its power is the first step to changing it for the better.
I wish more marginalized individuals took this survey. These questions hit some critical topics. They felt genuine.
Thank you for conducting this survey, and best of luck to you all!
I think there are so many creators of media out there who do strive for better representation in their movies. The sad thing is that they aren't considered "popular" media because they are made from lesser budgets or first-time directors. I wish that the consumers who want more representation will more actively seek out and support filmmakers that do represent marginalized identities.
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