Equal Rights + Sexual Minorities 1 | Page 32

Kentucky Kim Team Member Name: Devin Fowles Publication: The Buffalo News Date: 9/2/15 Cartoonist: Adam Zyglis, U.S. Title of cartoon: Kentucky Kim Cartoon# 14 What action is taking place in the cartoon? What is the context? The Title “Kentucky Kim” is very relevant title to this cartoon. Following the trial of Kim, where she was on trial for refusing to give marriage licenses to gay couples (Jack Jennings, September 2015), Kim issued a request to the Kentucky State government, to change some marriage laws. Kentucky acknowledged Kim’s claim and made some changes to the actual marriage license. The changes included not having the marriage clerk’s name on the actual license (Associated Press, December 2015). The cartoon depicts this in force. Showing Kim holding a marriage license to a gay couple known as church and state. There have been ever increasing blurred lines between church and state. The fact that church and state are the gay couple is not only an ironic way to show how Kim got her way with the state, but also shows, in cartoon, the blurred lines between the two. Tone of the cartoon: 1) positive or negative framing of the issue 2) framing is supportive of or opposed to supporters 3) framing is supportive of or opposed to opponents What “reality” is constructed/framed about your issue? The cartoon is trying to show how easily swayed the state was in changing the way marriage licenses were given. Church and state are framed by symbols. The representation of church and state shows the relationship of church and state that continues to grow closer and closer. Kim is set at a higher position than either church or state. The cartoonist uses Framing by Stereotypes (the stereotype for church is a priest, and the stereotype for state is a well dressed man or possibly politician )and Framing with value laden words (the book for church, and the button for state) in order to get his point across. What are the symbols in the cartoon? The gay couple are depicted as church and state, symbolically showing they’re relationship toward one another. The book for church and the button for state are also symbols, helping the audience to know who they actually are. Kim is a symbol as well, as well as the piece of paper she holds in her hand, the marriage license. 31 Bibliography: A. (2015, December 23). Kentucky bows to clerk Kim Davis and changes marriage license rules. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-kentucky-kim-davis-20151223-story.html Jennings, J. (2015, September 02). The Religious Beliefs Of Kim Davis, The Anti-Gay Clerk Who Refuses To Do Her Job, Explained. Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/09/02/3698100/kim-davis-hypocritical-theology/ Zyglis, Adam. “CagleCartoons.com - View Image.” CagleCartoons.com - View Image. 12 Sept. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2016. 32