Interviewing out lesbian, gay and bisexual creatives and executives about getting queer stories in mainstream Australian scripted television
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7473908 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Damien John O’meara (0000-0002-8715-295X, RMIT University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 21-37 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Media Culture & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0163-4437 • E-ISSN: 1460-3675 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01634437251353041 |
| OpenAlex | W4415775523 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 28 |
In recent years, an expectation has emerged in Australian television production culture to include an out queer positionality as a key creative when developing gender and sexually diverse stories. However, the hidden labour of out queer writers, producers and commissioners has long been part of these processes. This paper illuminates how queer labour is a significant contributor to these stories appearing in Australian scripted television. It draws new insights through analysis of my interviews with 10 out lesbian, gay and bisexual television professionals. It argues interviewing queer television professionals offers specific insights for production culture research about how these representations make it onscreen. Through examining my interviews with publicly out television professionals, this paper argues the value of their positionality in researching production culture. It reveals how their positionality faced challenges and supported opportunities as they sought to advocate queer stories in Australian scripted television
Managing productive academia/industry relations
Understanding the changing television market
‘About Gays by Gays’
The Queer Film Festival
A practical guide to reflexivity in qualitative research
Queer on TV
Queer Production Studies
Starting From … Now and the web series to television crossover
Sexual References and Consequences for Heterosexual, Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Characters on Television
Minority Stress and LGB-Inclusive Television Viewing Frequency Among LGB Adults
MeToo and the promise and pitfalls of challenging rape culture through digital feminist activism
Information-Seeking Practices during the Sexual Development of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals
They’re just like us only fictional
Straight and cisgender actors playing queer and trans characters
After the Interview
Making a gay masculinity
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and nonbinary representation on Australian scripted television in the 2000s and 2010s
Surviving the post-broadcast era
Making Queer content visible
Lesbian, gay and bisexual representation on Australian entertainment television
Labour, media and technology
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |