It’s been more than 20 years since the late Caroll O’Connor’s character of Archie Bunker on “All in the Family” confronted television audiences with bigotry and stereotypes. However, with current shows like “Will and Grace,” “Queer as Folk” and “Boy Meets Boy” pulling in impressive numbers of viewers each week, some are questioning whether television programming is now moving in the opposite direction.

Cable station Bravo is leading the pack with a pair of programs showcasing homosexuality. The network’s pride and joy, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” is such a highly watched program, it has overflowed onto NBC’s Thursday night line up after “Will and Grace.”

The show features five openly gay men, who call themselves the Fabulous Five, who are out to change the world, one straight guy at a time. The quest is to make over a straight man in three days. Each of the Fabulous Five have a certain expertise, including food, fashion, culture, interior design and hair. Over the course of a few days, the straight man is whisked through changes in grooming, home decorating and conducting himself in a more “fashionable manner”.

Arguments about the show’s intentions have been made on both sides. Is it poking fun at homosexuality or is it helping promote acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals?

“There’s a sense of unity to the show. I believe it shows how people, straight or gay, can work together for a positive outcome and build positive relationships,” says Nancy Evans, professor of educational leadership policy studies.

“It’s great to see representation of the LGBT community on television. It shows that it is no longer taboo, and that LGBT characters are no longer invisible.”

Not until the past five years has television been so open to that vision. More and more shows are promoting different lifestyle choices through their programming decisions.

LaTia McPherson, junior in psychology and a member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services Association (LGBTSSA) agrees.

“I am pleased that society is making strides to include gay men on television,” she says.

“Visibility is vital to making LGBT people more accepted as a whole.”

With that acceptance comes even more judgments. The recent programs, specifically “Queer Eye,” have been accused of over-exaggerating the stereotypical traits of homosexuals.

“I think that shows like ‘Queer Eye’ are making our view of homosexuality worse,” says Laura Kahler, sophomore in material engineering. “I think the show is fun to watch, but it’s silly to think that all gay men are super-flamboyant and promiscuous like that.”

McPhereson says she isn’t sure she’s made up her mind.

“I guess I’m somewhat torn,” she says.

“We all know that not all gay men feed into the typical stereotypes, just as we know not all black people are criminals and not all Iraqi people are terrorists.”

It’s hard to tell exactly what shows like “Queer Eye” are trying to tell viewers, with so many different opinions and interpretations. But Evans says that’s the idea.

“Like any show, people will read into it what they expect to see,” she says.

“If they want to see the stereotypes, they’ll see it. Hopefully they see something else.”