LGBTQ References in Grand Theft Auto: IV

On the radio show Integrity 2.0 in Grand Theft Auto: IV and Episodes from Liberty City, there is one interviewee who is “a latent homosexual” according to this wikia. There is also a great deal of transphobic and homophobic dialogue in the show, the full version of with is available here.

There is also an in-game mail delivery service in GTA IV and V called “Post Op,” the slogan for which is “no longer just mail” (an obvious reference to gender confirmation surgery).

One wiki states the Weazel News reporter Lori Diangelo-Stockton reports a story on whether peanut allergies make children homosexual. We can find no additional confirmation of this, however.

There is a ringtone available in the game that sounds like two women having sex, as heard in the video below (note the image is not from Grand Theft Auto).

In the game there is a cartoon show called “Republican Space Rangers.” The characters in the show are implied to have a homoerotic relationship and are homophobic (as well as xenophboic and misogynistic). They fly around in a a phallus shaped space ship. Videos of episodes of the show from the game are available here and here.

Another in-game TV show is Medicate Me (an ER parody) is advertised on the radio in GTA IV and V. The ad from GTA IV includes one scene where a doctor, who is a lesbian, is told by another doctor that she is pregnant. The ad appears in the video below.

A website in the game called “our-own-reality.com,” is a news site that focuses on celebrity gossip.Several of the stories reveal celebrities sexual, sex and gender identities. A full list of the stories from the site is available here.

An in-game product called “Vindication Angel Curse Buster BC” appears in several Grand Theft Auto games. The product monitors television and internet content, edits out some language, and prevents children from being exposed to a variety of content including homosexuality. The commercial is available in this video, at 14:17.

At one point in the game the player-character Niko meets an NPC referred to as the United Liberty Paper Contact. This government agent, when asked if he is in the FIB (a fictional FBI), responds: “FIB? Do I look homosexual?” (see here and here). A video of this scene is available here, around 1:00.

The character Gerald McReary‘s brother Patrick jokes that Gerry is homosexual. The scene is available in this video, at about 28:00.

The town Westdyke in the game might be named as such in reference to the term “dyke” which is a slang term for lesbians. That a road in the town is called “Beaverhead Avenue” (beaver being a slang term for female genitalia), suggests it was an intentional reference.

A politician named Sam Flowers briefly appears in a Weazel news broadcast after blaming minorities and homosexuals for his accidentally eating a urinal cake.

LGBTQ references in this game series:

Grand Theft Auto (1997): El Burro

Grand Theft Auto II (1999): Tetsuo

Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 (1999): Pretty Charlie

Grand Theft Auto III (2001): Gay PedestrianLGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002): The PsychoLGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004): LGBTQ References; LGB Characters; Queens; OG Loc Mission

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005): Kazuki KasenLGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006): Reni Wassulmaier; LGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto IV (2008): Brucie Kibbutz; Tom “French Tom” Rivas; Bernie Crane/Florian Cravic; Bryce Dawkins; LGB Love-meet.net users; Elizabeta Torres; Talbot Daniels; Marcus; The Hater; Eddie Low;  Unnamed Homosexual NPCs; LGBT NPCs in LCPD Database; LGBT Media PersonalitiesLGBTQ References 

Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned (2009): Trans Man

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (2010): Anthony “Gay Tony” Prince; Clay “Pain Giver” Jackson; Jacob; The Celebinator; Evan Moss; LGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto V (2013): Trevor Philips; Peter Dreyfuss; Transgender Sex Workers; Locations; LGBTQ References

Citations: 

  1. Cartland, D. (2014, April 29). Integrity 2.0 GTA IV. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXOzb0krq7g
  2. Carlox. (2010, May 17). GTA IV- Medicate Me. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Yksl446iY
  3. Dragonhacks. (2011, January 24). Republican space rangers episode 455 GTA 4 WEAZE TV. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXEhtFb8Was
  4. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto:_Episodes_from_Liberty_City
  5. Integrity 2.0. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Integrity_2.0
  6. Integrity 2.0. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Integrity_2.0
  7. K24uk. (2011, March 14). 89 GTA IV Radio Commercials. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF2m4B1ubtw
  8. Lori Diangelo-Stockton. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Lori_Diangelo-Stockton
  9. Medicate Me. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Medicate_Me
  10. NamCT Hut Bin. (2015, April 26). GTA IV Lesbians ringtone. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W2axmuB8CI
  11. our-own-reality.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Our-own-reality.com
  12. our-own-reality.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Our-own-reality.com
  13. Post Op. (n.d.). Retrieved from
  14. Post Op. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Post_Op
  15. Radio Stations in GTA IV. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Radio_Stations_in_GTA_IV#Advertisements
  16. Republican Space Rangers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Republican_Space_Rangers
  17. Republican Space Rangers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Republican_Space_Rangers
  18. Sam Flowers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Sam_Flowers
  19. Sam Flowers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Sam_Flowers
  20. United Liberty Paper contact. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/United_Liberty_Paper_contact
  21. United Liberty Paper contract. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/United_Liberty_Paper_Contact
  22. VaG3nFTw. (2010, June 25). Republican Space Rangers (Full Episode) GTA IV. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZuZShxJq8M
  23. Vindication Angel Curse Buster BC. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Vindication_Angel_Curse_Buster_BC
  24. Vipluxuryringtones.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Vipluxuryringtones.com
  25. Westdyke. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Westdyke
  26. Westdyke. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/Westdyke
  27. Whatever57010. (2015, June 27). United Liberty Paper contact/IAA Agent (GTA IV and GTA V). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu_NdBqKz2E
  28. Wrong is Right. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Wrong_is_Right