Putting queerness into words: The audio description of <i>Sex Education</i>

Iturregui-Gallardo, Gonzalo

doi:10.5007/2175-7968.2025.e106841

home Sumário navigate_before Anterior Atual Seguinte navigate_next

home Sumário

Article • Cad. Trad. 45 (spe2) • 2025 • https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7968.2025.e106841 linkcopy

Putting queerness into words: The audio description of Sex Education

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Recent audiovisual works have increasingly featured non-normative characters, setting a trend in the industry. In translation studies, minority representation has been examined through feminist and queer translation theories. In such instances, the translation process is filtered by the professional’s subjectivity and positionality, since translators act as mediators, making translation a purposeful and intentional act. This is especially relevant in AVT, due to the vast scope of audiovisual contents that has traditionally contributed to the perpetuation of stereotypes. Since the cultural turn in translation studies (Bassnett & Lefevere, 1990), feminist and queer approaches have produced significant works (Baer, 2020; Castro & Ergun, 2017). Although AVT has been a focus (Martínez-Pleguezuelos, 2018), applying queer feminist perspectives to media accessibility is less explored (Iturregui-Gallardo, 2023; Iturregui-Gallardo & Hermosa-Ramírez, 2024). Netflix’s Sex Education (2019–2024) exemplifies diversity, presenting fresh views on sexuality and identity, especially in its final season, which featured more queer and intersectional characters. This paper examines the audio descriptions (AD) of the series, by means of a multimodal approach (Villanueva-Jordán, 2024) to analyse how queerness is constructed and represented in the audio described version of the audiovisual content. The analysis raises questions about the agency, subjectivity, and ideology of accessibility professionals in AD. The results emphasise the importance of diversity in AD and its impact on queer and non-normative visually impaired people’s social engagement and self-representation.

Keywords
queer; audiovisual translation; media accessibility; representation; multimodality

Season 1, Episode 1
Context
Eric is in his room alone, on his bed laying on his stomach while applying make-up in front of a mirror. His father calls for him.
AD transcript
In his bedroom, Eric lays on his bed with his laptop. He applies make up. He reads Otis’ reply: Yes but tomorrow I’m dead! Eric applies more blush. / He grabs a wipe and removes his lip gloss.
Items
Make up
Music and other ambience sounds
The song I can’t stand the rain by Tina Turner plays in the background.

Season 1, Episode 3
Context
Eric and Lily are putting make up on and dressing up, they talk about sex and Lily asks Eric to show her gay porn. While they watch a video, Eric’s father enters the room with tea and biscuits, and asks Lily to leave. He then asks Eric to remove the makeup.
AD transcript
Eric wears a dress and a boa. / Then his dad hands him a mug.
Items
Makeup, clothing, actions
Music and other ambience sounds
No music or ambience sounds

Season 1, Episode 5
Context
Eric is ready to go see the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch with Otis. He is all dressed up as the main character of the musical.
AD transcript
At Eric’s house, Eric wears red high heel boots, cut-off jean shorts and a long blonde wig. / Eric grabs a tiger print coat, smiles at his dad, then goes to the door. / His dad shakes his head.
Items
Makeup, clothing, action
Music and other ambience sounds
The song Live Baby Live by INXS plays at the end of the scene as Eric opens the door and leaves.

Season 01, Episode 07
Context
Eric is dressing up for the high school dance.
AD transcript
At his house, Eric applies mascara, gold glitter around his eyes, and wears silver lipstick. He puts on one dangling earring and dons a west African headdress of green thick fabric, wearing a multicolour suit, he checks his reflection then goes down to his family. / His mum and dad sit up from their easy chairs and Eric starts off. / Eric smiles.
Items
Makeup, clothing, ethnic features
Music and other ambience sounds
A funky unidentified song plays in the background.

Season 03, Episode 03
Context
Eric in his room getting ready to meet Adam.
AD transcript
In his room, Eric lip-synchs with the music. He finishes his makeup and dances towards his bed. He cartwheels over his bed then dances into his floral print shirt. He takes Rahim’s poems from his drawer. He grabs Pablo Neruda and Ocean Vuong from his bookshelf and tosses them on his bed.
Items
Clothing, makeup, action
Music and other ambience sounds
The song Nails, hair, hips, heels by Todrick Hall plays in the background.

Season 3, Episode 5
Context
Eric before leaving on the family trip to Nigeria. His mum is upset about his outfit. Then Eric goes back to his bedroom.
AD transcript
At his house, Eric rushes downstairs with his suitcase, he wears a flamboyantly patterned tracksuit. / Eric heads upstairs. / In his room, Eric puts away his flamboyant clothes. He pulls on a plain jean bomber jacket over his striped shirt. He examines his reflection then looks at a picture of him and Adam. He smiles, then slips the photo into his backpack.
Items
Clothing
Music and other ambience sounds
No music and no relevant sounds

Season 04, Episode 05
Context
Eric is in a dream on a bridge where he encounters a black female God.
AD transcript
In the countryside, a river flows gently beneath a truss bridge. Eric dances on the bridge wearing a silver coat and purple iridescent pants. He pauses to gaze at a silver penis-shaped chapstick. He holds the chapstick to his lips.
Items
Clothing, makeup, actions
Music and other ambience sounds
The song Chapstick by Todrick Hall starts playing in the background.

Season 3, Episode 3
Context
Cal enters the girls’ changing room.
AD transcript
In the girls’ change room, Cal carries their backpack to a bench near the far wall. As Cal takes off their baggy blazer, they glance at the other girls chatting and changing. Cal removes their baggy button down to reveal a little red crop top. / The girls stare at Cal. Cal notices, then takes their new uniform out of its plastic wrapping. Cal holds up the girls’ tie and examines it. Now dressed, Cal tucks on their snug-fitting grey button-down shirt. Cal sighs, then changes out of their baggy pants. They try on their tighter blazer and take it off again. Cal tosses it into their bag then puts on a baggy sweatshirt and a larger blazer. Cal sits with their eyes closed on the bench.
Items
Clothing
Music and other ambience sounds
The song Trans Mantra by Ezra Furman plays in the background.

Season 4, Episode 3
Context
Cal in their bedroom.
AD transcript
In their bedroom, Cal scrolls through images of young men on their tablet.
Items
Physical appearance
Music and other ambience sounds
The song Feels like I’m in love by Kelly Marie plays in the background.

Season 4, Episode 2
Context
Otis talking to Roman about their sex problems with Abbi.
AD transcript
Otis glances across the yard and sees Roman lifting weights and the outdoor gym. Otis heads over to the gym and as he heads inside, he takes off his backpack and jacket. / Roman stretches. / Flashback: Roman is asleep in bed with Abbi. / As Roman lays with his eyes shut, Abbi masturbates besides him. / Abbi’s hand moves beneath the covers. / Roman hands over his water bottle as he moves to a cable machine. / Roman stands and pulls down on handles.
Items
Makeup, clothing, accessories (nails)
Music and other ambience sounds
No music, and just some gym ambience sounds.

Season 4, Episode 3
Context
Inside the club, Roman is dancing with his group of friends, and is being observed by Cal, the non-binary student struggling with his body dysmorphia.
AD transcript
On the dancefloor, strobe lights flash as dancers group beneath blue, pink and purple lights. Roman, Aisha and Abbi dance in a group. Cal watches as Roman removes his sparkly vest revealing a leather harness fitted tightly over his bare tattooed chest. There are scars beneath his nipples. Cal’s eyelids go heavy as they watch Roman. Cal blinks and diverts their gaze.
Items
Clothing, physical appearance
Music and other ambience sounds
The song Strut by Elohim & Big Freedia is playing in the club.

Season 4, Episode 8
Context
Roman is preparing his bedroom for a romantic night with Abbi.
AD transcript
Roman lowers a record needle onto a turn table. He places a frog and a strawberry stuffy beside a pillow on his bed that reads “you stole my heart”. He lights a candle and sets small dishes of snacks onto a vanity. He skewers a cherry with his long fingernail. He eats the cherry then scatters dried rose petals on the bed. He dances in his see-through purple robe when Abbi arrives.
Items
Clothing, accessories, actions
Music and other ambience sounds
Roman plays the song 2 become 1 by Emma Bunton on his record player.

Season 4, Episode 8
Context
Abbi and Roman are having sex in Roman’s bedroom.
AD transcript
In Roman’s bedroom, Roman sits naked straddling Abbi. He angulates his pelvis as they hold hands and gaze into each other’s eyes. He pulls her up to him and they embrace kissing each other.
Items
Actions
Music and other ambience sounds
A soft piano song plays in the background.

vertical_align_top show_chart

more_horiz close
- image
- translate
- link
- article
- vertical_align_top
- file_download
- show_chart
- image
- translate
- link
- article

location_on

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Programa de Pós-Graduação em Estudos da Tradução, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Bloco B, Sala 301, Telefone: +55 48 3721-6649 - Florianópolis - SC - Brazil
E-mail: ecadernos@gmail.com

rss_feed Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS