Author(s): Wut, Bryan | Advisor(s): McHugh, Kathleen A | Abstract: This dissertatn exam the history and operatns of niche LGBT media distributn pani the past three s. Sce the rise of gay and lbian film ftivals the 1970s, several distributn pani specifilly voted to LGBT media have ma over a thoand tl available theaters, on home vio, or via digal streamg. By focg on five pani (Ariztil Entertament, Here Media, Strand Releasg, TLA Entertament, and Wolfe Vio), my rearch breaks new ground as a large-sle analysis of a sector of media largely unexplored by queer media studi. The texts produced by LGBT distributors are often perceived as nventnal and untertg formally and polilly. However, my project tak the “bad objects” serly, regnizg their enomic, cultural, and historil signifince for a mory group and their larger impact on mastream unrstandgs of LGBT inty and polics. Partly an dtrial history, this project prriz textual and reprentatnal analysis of the niche media self, attendg stead to the dtrial and discursive circumstanc surroundg the media and treatg distributn as a llectn of meang-makg practic revealg sights impossible through textual analysis alone. Each chapter monstrat how LGBT texts circulate and activate differently different ntexts, focg on the ntgency of a text’s tegorizatn as LGBT, the signifitn of bs practic wh liberal LGBT polics, and the plexy of evaluatg LGBT media based on differg expectatns about what LGBT media should do and what LGBT viewers need. This project provis an untold history of a mory group’s cultural productn, and dog so rais larger qutns about LGBT media’s ntemporary and future relatnship to tegorizatn, inty, polics, enomics, value, and affect.
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