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Realistically, discussions like this are not what make things substantively change. Things change when societies remove incentives and resources for keeping things the way they are; and add incentives and resources for change.
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In the case of gay rights, at least, I think that TV and movies played a role in the growing cultural acceptance of gay people in the younger generation. There was a certain amount of progress that had to be made to get "Will & Grace," etc., onto the national stage, but once that happens, cultural change accelerates. Whatever the imperfections of those media images, it's a big deal that kids in every small town are aware that gay people exist, and that those gay people aren't ashamed of themselves. I believe that plays a role in the fact that young people in this country are so much less homophobic than their parents. We're a long way from happy pony land, but boy, there's been a ton of progress, and I think TV shows had their part in advancing it.
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