Introduction
Have you ever looked at a piece of art and wondered “what is the artist trying to tell me?” If
so, then you have come to the right place. In this magazine you will learn about 16 editorial cartoons
that have been broken down, laughed at, yelled at, and thoroughly analyzed for the purpose of figuring out what the artist is trying to tell us.
Editorial cartoons have a history of being a confrontational form of art. There are five persuasive
tools that each cartoonist will use within an image to persuade the viewer one way or another. We
feel that the tools are important and they need to be defined.
Symbolism: Using, “simple objects, or symbols, to stand for larger concepts or ideas”
(“Cartoon Analysis Guide,” n.d.).
Exaggeration: To “overdo, or exaggerate, the physical characteristics of people or things in order to
make a point” (“Cartoon Analysis Guide,” n.d.).
Labeling: To label “objects or people to make it clear exactly what they stand for” (“Cartoon Analysis
Guide,” n.d.).
Analogy: Is “a comparison between two unlike things. By comparing a complex issue or situation
with a more familiar one, cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different light” (“Cartoon
Analysis Guide,” n.d.).
Irony: “The difference between the ways things are and the way things should be, or the way things
are expected to be” (“Cartoon Analysis Guide,” n.d.).
The vast majority of editorial cartoons are based on political issues surrounding the world today. For
this project we decided to focus on equal rights + sexual minorities. The two topics were chosen
because we wanted to develop a better understanding of the lack of equal rights and discrimination
the LGBTQ community are faced with. We have a hope, as a team, to educate our fellow classmates
about recent changes that are swiftly changing history.
We are glad you are here so open your mind and let it be free to decide what is truth, and what is
truthiness.
Thank you,
Devon, Mallory, Sabre, and John
3
Cartoon Analysis Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/political-cartoon/cag.html
Background
Equal rights for members of the LGBTQ community have been popular issues for many
years and the specific topics of discussion have been greatly varied. Some of the issues represented
by our cartoons are gay marriage, transgender acceptance and rights, equal treatment by private
organizations and businesses, as well as how the media portrays LGBTQ generally.
In this project LGBTQ will refer to anyone who is sexually attracted to the same gender, both genders, identifies with the opposite gender than they were physically born as or simply feel they don’t
fit with traditional gender norms. Specific definitions for each of these terms namely lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and Queer can be found at:
http://geneq.berkeley.edu/lgbt_resources_definiton_of_terms
Many events have contributed to the history of LGBTQ rights such as the 2015 US Supreme Court
decision in the case of obergefell v. hodges which made gay marriage legal in all 50 states (SCOTUS) and key celebrities publicly announcing their sexual preferences. In some cases these high
profile closet escapees have made such an impact on the media that they have become common
jokes or simply part of our pop culture.
To quickly understand the history of LGBTQ rights please refer to the following timeline from
PBS- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/stonewall/
Transgenders have been paving the way for equal rights since the early 1950’s. From riots to revolutionaries, many transgender’s have been subject to discrimination, labeled as having a mental
disorder, and even subject to violent acts that have led to death.
Many famous transgender men and women are unfolding as activists and pushing for the movement of equal rights and non-discrimination. Laverne Cox, Caitlyn Jenner, Geena Rocero, and
many others are standing up themselves as transgender people and giving a voice to those who
have been shamed by their sexual identity.
- 1966- “The Transsexal Phenomenon”. Physician Harry Benjamin X