The 'Gay Network' - Good or Bad?

After our discussions in class about homosexuality in media, especially television, one station came straight to mind - Bravo. Ever since it's creation, Bravo has had a secret gay undertone, where majority of the characters are homosexuals, and everyone on the show is gay friendly. Though I love Bravo and most of the shows on it, there is a good and a bad side that comes with it. The good side is that gays aren't just in the background on these shows; most of the men are openly gay and do not have a problem in expressing it. Often, gays and lesbians are in positions of power on the show, whether they are successful in real estate (Jeff Lewis from 'Flipping Out'), owner's of successful businesses (Jackie from 'Workout'), or becoming new and upcoming fashion designers (Project Runway, now on Lifetime - ugh). I'm glad that Bravo has decided to show homosexuals in a favorable light and doing positive things. However, there comes a problem with all of this - is Bravo too gay? Most of the gay men and women on Bravo are portrayed as the stereotypical feminine gay or masculine lesbian. Even my roommates who enjoy Bravo time to time know that Bravo is the 'gay network.' The problem with this label is that if something, especially a cable television station, is labeled as something gay, that leads anyone who is subjected to those shows to think that gays and lesbians are only good at gay and lesbian activities, such as men designing a dress and women working out to the point where they have bodies comparable to some men. For closed minded individuals, this portrayal of homosexuals can be dangerous. Like we discussed in class, there is a world of gay people that do not fit the gay stereotype, which is something that is not seen on Bravo. So is the station good or bad? As someone who enjoys turning on Bravo on those lazy, rainy Sunday afternoons, I can't turn my back on it. But, the question is something to think about