e sitcom Ellen is a perfect example of this. Here we have a character who comes out as lesbian on national television only to be censored into behaving the way society deems appropriate. In this episode, the fact that she is a lesbian is announced over the airport loudspeaker, however, in subsequent episodes this fact is highly downplayed. Here is a parallel example in the discussion of another television character: "She twice states that she is lesbian, but her character is never permitted to perform as a lesbian. The absence of a performance of lesbianism is not simply the absence of lesbian sex, but the absence of any representation of lesbianism as a factor of Marilyn's identity. The invisibility of Marilyn's lesbianism not only allows Heartbeat to avoid any substantial portrayal of an experience outlawed by the dominant patriarchal discourse, but to obscure homophobia…" and "…we suggest that the invisibility of her lesbianism supports patriarchal values by removing the need to confront the homophobia and heterosexism/sexism that visible lesbianism signifies" (Hantzis & Lehr, p. 177). This sanitization for public consumption is nearly always prevalent with the exception of when they do show gay characters, they are usually portrayed in a stereotypical, feminine fashion such as Nathan Lane in the movie The Birdcage or with the stigma of the gay man with AIDS, such as Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. This continued prevalence of stigmatization and stereotyping of those considered "deviant" serves to maintain status and control of power. Government is another forum where the role of power is rampant, specifically in legislating laws to control, restrict, and punish behaviors deemed deviant by society. The power of legislation is conveyed many times in this statement regarding the matter of biology in homosexuality. "If homosexuality were found to be an immutable trait, like skin color, then laws criminalizing homo...
