https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u en-us 2023-02-01 19:19:00 UTC 2023-02-01 20:04:29 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4fa.png digitalcaramel https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465131786 In the advertisement above, a transgender university student struggles with the fact that he continues to hear his deadname throughout his life. Ultimately, he is able to be called by his real name at a Starbucks, demonstrating the brand's commitment to diversity and acceptance. 

]]> 2023-02-01 19:30:03 UTC https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465131786 digitalcaramel https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465144937 Being a member of the LGBT community myself, I greatly appreciate the message Starbucks was trying to convey through this commercial. As transgender representation in media lags behind gay, lesbian, and bisexual representation, it is commendable that the central narrative of the commercial stars a trans male despite the potential backlash the company could've received for such a decision.

Looking at the commercial more critically, an argument could be made that it is an example of "struggle porn" - aka, the most common form of LGBT representation, often depicting us in situations of hardship and struggle instead of moments of joy and happiness. 

It is also easy to be cynical when it comes to big companies, and assume that the commercial was nothing but an attempt to appeal to the LGBT community for profit. 

That being said, decent transgender representation is so rare (especially in mainstream commercials) that I cannot bring myself to be angry at Starbucks's earnest attempt at diversity, no matter how silly the narrative. My opinion is that the overall message is one of acceptance and empathy for the struggles of trans people.


]]> 2023-02-01 19:40:44 UTC https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465144937 digitalcaramel https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465163975 "'Queer theory' and 'queer study,' terms increasingly used by gays... in spite of the homophobic origins of the word 'queer.'" (Barry)

It is true that queer was (and is) a slur, but it has been reclaimed by the community and it can be heard everywhere in LGBT circles as a word of empowerment.

]]> 2023-02-01 19:55:28 UTC https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465163975 digitalcaramel https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465172188 "How exactly... does queer theory differ from lesbian feminism? The answer is that... lesbian/gay studies within this 'queer theory' ambit have drawn particularly on post-structuralist work of the 1980s. One of the main points of post-constructionalism was to 'deconstruct' binary opposition... Thus, in lesbian/gay studies, the pair heterosexual/homosexual is deconstructed in this way, among other things." (Barry)]]> 2023-02-01 19:59:12 UTC https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465172188 digitalcaramel https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465177112 "Much work in the field (of queer theory) aims to call into call into question the stability and ineradicability of the hetero/homo hierarchy." (Barry)

In the commercial's case, we can broaden the umbrella to include the cisgender/transgender hierarchy, as well. ]]> 2023-02-01 20:03:40 UTC https://padlet.com/digitalcaramel/j3h5kpug5w9eo25u/wish/2465177112