Joint Deakin and LaTrobe University research has revealed gaps in news reporting by LGBTQ media on anti-queer violence, including the nature and extent of violence faced by members of the queer community.
The research, published in The British Journal of Criminology, analysed 1,295 articles published between 2019 and 2021 by LGBTQ media outlets in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland and Canada.
It found they amplified certain narratives of violence by focusing on some violent acts but not others.
Research co-lead Dr Matthew Mitchell of Deakin's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, who collaborated on the study with Dr Tully O'Neill and Curtis Redd from La Trobe, said the study revealed a hierarchy in the types of violence LGBTQ media outlets deemed newsworthy.
This included 'spectacular' incidents of aggression such as homicides and physical assaults as opposed to more 'routine' types of violence such as verbal abuse. Reports of sexual violence were rarer, and news items about online harassment were minimal.
Casual sexual encounters, including via online dating apps, figured strongly in LGBTQ news reports despite the nature of most of these meetings being positive, Dr Mitchell said.
'The hierarchisation of violence in LGBTQ media reflects a similar trend in mainstream news media, where extraordinary forms of violence are prioritised over less visible forms of violence,' Dr Mitchell said.
'This produces narrow understandings of what constitutes 'serious' violence deserving of the public's attention.
'It also implies that casual sex, particularly queer casual sex, is a uniquely risky behaviour. This reinforces problematic heteronormative attitudes regarding queer sex.'
Incidents of aggression perpetrated by police and right-wing activists also emerged as a noteworthy area of the news outlets' focus, indicating fears of conservative extremism and a still strained relationship between the LGBTQ community and police.
However, Dr Mitchell said that by categorising specific acts of violence as ideologically motivated, especially when attributed to specific actors like right-wing activists, it implied only certain forms of violence targeting LGBTQ people were ideological.
'It's important to recognise that all forms of violence targeting the queer community are ideological,' Dr Mitchell said, 'as they stem from entrenched beliefs in compulsory heterosexuality and dominant gender norms.'
The research underscored the importance of exploring the evolving role of digital media in the representation of anti-queer violence.
Dr Mitchell said digital platforms, including social media, provided vital spaces for LGBTQ people to connect, raise awareness, and share stories.
But he warned these platforms may contribute to the spread of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, necessitating further inquiry into the role of digital media in shaping public perceptions of violence.
'As anti-LGBTQ sentiment intensifies globally, and policies on LGBTQ rights are being rolled back, it is crucial to understand how anti-queer violence is being culturally represented,' he said.
'LGBTQ media outlets can offer important counter-narratives to harmful representations and stereotypes in the mainstream media.'
