Since Netflix rebooted the early 2000s makeover show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy in 2018 it has enjoyed 9 seasons produced in the US, as well as one season each in Japan, Brazil, and Germany, and is distributed to more than 190 countries. This presentation collects three related projects from 2023-2024 about (1) the global spread of the Queer Eye franchise; (2) the methodological insights offered by conducting an LGBTQ+ transnational audience research project, and (3) some preliminary analysis of interview data with fans of the show in Brazil, mainland China, Germany, and the US.

Katherine Sender is a professor of Media and Sexuality at Cornell University, USA. She is the author of numerous books and articles, including Business not Politics: The Making of the Gay Market, and The Makeover: Reality Television and Reflexive Audiences. She is an accomplished filmmaker, including producing, writing, and editing three documentaries in the Off the Straight and Narrow series that traces the history and contours of LGBTQ+ representations on US television.