Problem/Objective: While some research has been done examining the connections between tobacco advertising images and gay masculinity, no research describes the connections to lesbian, gender variant and transgender masculinity.

Methods: Szego, with the assistance of youth from the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC), has collected advertisements, images and articles related to tobacco use from LGBTQ-focused publications and those with high LGBTQ readership. With colleague Rej Joo, Szego also analyzes tobacco use and other risk behaviors in characters in popular television programs and movies. Examination of these media allows insight into a culture of risk within the LGBTQ communities as it relates to the development of identity around butchness and/or masculinity.

Results: Critical media analysis helps build a greater understanding of the culture of LGBTQ risks and risk behaviors. Gay, butch and gender variant masculinity take cues from both general depictions of masculinity as well as LGBTQ-specific images. As such, LGBTQ identity formation can be linked to particular kinds of risk behaviors resulting from both marginalization and industry targeting.

Conclusions: The risks we face and the risk behaviors we choose are often depicted in popular films, television shows and magazines. Images of risk-taking LGBTQ people and role models impact how we learn to be LGBTQ. At the same time, tobacco companies take advantage of the marginalization we face and turn this around in their targeting of our communities.