Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami bagaimana khalayak dewasa muda non-heteroseksual mengidentifikasi dan memaknai ikon non-heteroseksual di media arus utama. Representasi komunitas non-heteroseksual semakin berkembang di media seiring perkembangan industri budaya populer (Levina et al., 2000; Milone, 2016). Peneliti menggunakan teori representasi dan simbol Stuart Hall (1997) untuk memahami bagaimana khalayak khalayak dewasa muda non-heteroseksual mengidentifikasi representasi non-heteroseksual di media Hollywood. Selain itu, penelitian ini juga mengeksplorasi bagaimana mereka memaknai ikon representasi. Peneliti mewawancarai secara mendalam lima non-heteroseksual dalam rentang usia awal 20an (20-24 tahun), atau dewasa muda. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa khalayak dewasa muda non-heteroseksual mengidentifikasi representasi non-heteroseksual sebagai anggota komunitas non-heteroseksual. Mereka menyeleksi representasi Hollywood berdasarkan penilaian mereka terhadap akurasi dan kredibilitas dari penggambaran komunitas non-heteroseksual yang ada di media. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah khalayak dewasa muda non-heteroseksual mengapresiasi adanya representasi non-heteroseksual di media Hollywood, karena meningkatkan inklusivitas representasi anggota komunitas non-heteroseksual. Namun, khalayak dewasa muda non-heteroseksual menganggap Hollywood masih perlu menyediakan gambaran sosok non-heteroseksual yang lebih positif, menyeluruh, beragam, dan tidak unidimensional. Untuk melakukannya, maka Hollywood perlu melakukan heterogenisasi representasi non-heteroseksual.

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This study aims to understand how non-heterosexual young adults identify and interpret non-heterosexual icons in mainstream media. The representation of the non-heterosexual community is growing in the media along with the development of the popular culture industry (Levina et al., 2000; Milone, 2016). The researcher uses Stuart Hall's (1997) representation and symbol theory to understand how non-heterosexual young adult audiences identify non-heterosexual representations in Hollywood media. In addition, this study also explores how they interpret the icon representation. Researchers interviewed in-depth five non-heterosexuals in their early 20s (20-24 years old), or young adults. The results of this study indicate that non-heterosexual young adults identify non-heterosexual representations as members of the non-heterosexual community. They select Hollywood representations based on their assessment of the accuracy and credibility of the portrayal of the non-heterosexual community in the media. The conclusion of this study is that non-heterosexual young adults appreciate the existence of non-heterosexual representation in Hollywood media, because it increases the inclusiveness of representation of members of the non-heterosexual community. However, the non-heterosexual young adult audience believes that Hollywood still needs to provide a more positive, holistic, diverse, and non-unidimensional picture of non-heterosexual figures. To do so, Hollywood needs to heterogenize non-heterosexual representation.