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One of the biggest struggles TV has with writing “lgbt rep” vs writing interesting, developed, with standing queer romances is that shows either do not know how or are not yet willing to treat queer relationships and LGBTQ characters the same way they treat straight ones.
Most showrunners would probably say they don’t agree with me. They’re woke. They’re down with the gay stuff. But tbh I think it’s innate. And the desire to do it RIGHT is somehow part of the problem. Writers treat the choice to make a character queer is a THING. It’s not.
Look at our television landscape. Why is it that relationships like Olicity are allowed to shape Arrow’s entire legacy as a show but relationships like Kara and Lena or Dean and Castiel with as much chemistry and potential are considered write-offable fan fiction?
The answer is that show runners, networks, studios, writers rooms are not prepared to just look at that chemistry and do it. They don’t have it in them to not make it a thing. To not ask questions. To not say “but is so and so queer?” GUESS WHAT? They are if you say they are.
And the longer this goes on the more frustrated queer audiences become with writers. And then they get angry, frustrated, quick to jump. And then shows get frustrated with audiences anger.
It’s important for cis, straight tv writers to understand one thing: queer fandom doesn’t trust you. They shouldn’t. You have not yet earned their trust. It may be a slow roll. But keep going. In good faith. Even when they’re mad at you. Earn it.
And understand that the reason queer fans don’t trust creators is because they’ve been let down. And that is a systematic problem. Bury your gays exists for a number of reasons but in current media it’s due in part to the fact that queer characters are secondary. Thus disposable.
Bury your guys has extended past queer character death on to character disappearance. And I GET IT. Writers’ rooms, I hear you. It’s not the right time. Sometimes your actor sucks. Sometimes your actor gets another project. Sometimes you cant focus on the C story characters.
a large reason for that is because you are unwilling or unable to make your leads queer. Make your whole STORY queer. Make more than one of your leads queer. Discovery chemistry between your lead and her best friend. try it! Stop relying on your recurring actors to be your “rep.”
That’s when we get into the weeds. That’s when an actor finds a new role, or isn’t the actor you hoped they would be to carry a romance. That’s when you’re treating your lgbt love interest like your regular’s purse, making your romance uninteresting and underutilized.
In an effort to not post this without a solution, I guess my solution is:
1. forgoing total fan service, listen when your LGBT fans see chemistry you didn’t. Be open to it.
2. Understand sexualities can be fluid, change. Be open to that.
3. Don’t give us rep. Tell us stories.
1. forgoing total fan service, listen when your LGBT fans see chemistry you didn’t. Be open to it.
2. Understand sexualities can be fluid, change. Be open to that.
3. Don’t give us rep. Tell us stories.
I’ve been in queer fandom since I was very young. My favorite relationships are all non canon ones. Why? Because those stories fandom has written themselves have all the things straight ones have gotten to. Lives ruined. Blood shed. Epic.
