“Writing for French TV shows: how to manage sexualities in terms of characters and topics?”

This communication aims at studying the “politics of representation” (Hall) of sexualities in French TV Shows and is based on interviews with 29 screenwriters. Is it easy to suggest a gay character in prime time shows? Is homosexuality a “topic” for stories, topics which deserves to be told and developed? First of all, I’ll show that some screenwriters rely on their own experience and identities (as gay or lesbian) to tell stories with positive gay characters. Then, I’ll discuss the expectations and imaginaries of the workers of creative industries and their effects on screens. Indeed, gay characters tend to be associate with specific plots or storylines. These encourages politics of representation presuming heterosexuality as obvious and normative.