Fan activism is when fan groups make political change on social issues by drawing parallels between popular culture and the real world.
The Glee Equality Project fan activist movement included re-writing the plot-lines which fans felt didn’t fully address the homophobic and transphobic behavior of key characters in the series or presented heterosexual relationships differently to LGBT+ relationships. Read their Equality Report for Episode 414 “I Do”.
Read more on fan activism toolkits and activities, including sexism & gender identities.
For more on sexism in popular culture, see:
Feminist Frequency and The Representation Project.
Find out how to challenge the negative media reporting of LGBT+ identities and relationships.
Try out the Bechdel Test, which rates films based on the criteria of containing at least two female characters who talk to each other about something besides a male character.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire fan activism, 'The Hunger Games are Real', ignited the Odds In Our Favor campaign which asked fans to ‘join the resistance’ and share stories of economic and social injustice from racism and class inequality to equal pay. Watch the video here.
For more on equal pay see EHRC and The Fawcett Society.
Download this Idea for Change PDF here:
