Between the stereotype and invisibility: lesbian/queer representations in Colombian soap operas

Abstract

This article is a product of my process and training as a young researcher at the Santo Tomás University, Bogotá, Colombia, 2020, tied to the project titled Fashion Studies in Colombia, led by Professor Edward Salazar. Within this context, I analyze the aesthetics and representations of lesbian / queer women in some Colombian audiovisual products, particularly in telenovelas. Under a qualitative methodology I analyze the lesbian / queer representation in latin american melodramatic mass media. Specifically, the way they are represented in four Colombian telenovelas and within them what kind of plots and stereotypes these productions have in common, how the concept of passing, censorship, and the type of actresses who are chosen for these roles, in order to better understand the country's context around audiovisual and queer culture, and how representations affect and have affected society in all areas; political, economic, cultural, etc. Throughout the research it becomes evident that in Colombia, there is a significant connection between the type of lesbian representation in the media, and the way in which the lesbian community and queer women as a whole are culturally perceived as liking other women.