So I thought I’d share my story on this!

When was the first time you saw yourself positively represented and
WHY positive representation matters?

#WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

[a (long) thread]
P.s. you don’t have to read it! https://twitter.com/topshelf_law/status/1362217309868347393

It’s about time I got a little serious, and discussed a key reason for why I fight for #WynonnaEarp And why we must try to #BringWynonnaHome

Let’s start with a little back story, I’ve been out for 16 years, I’ve seen many shows with lgbt+ content, just trying to find something that represented me in a positive light! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

It’s not really until last year when I found Wynonna Earp that I actually felt like I saw myself positively in media! This show hits different than others! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

I found this show shortly after watching Dom’s coming out video. I had followed start the wave since January 2020 and saw her video shortly after it was released. #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

It got me thinking, how someone my age took so long to come out and accept who they were especially when we grew up 100 miles away from each other with the same education, politics and media outlets! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

What was different? The industries we grew up in! I was playing football 3 times a week and grew up with a lot of male friends, which lead me experiencing sexualisation and sexism from a young age!
#WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

I grew up in a “box” that said football is a masculine sport, and girls who play are masculine too, they must be gay etc, all these media driven stereotypes! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

Dom grew up in a “box” that said dancing is feminine, actresses need to be alluring to entice the male audience, sexualisation of women in this industry, grinds my gears. You have to look and be a certain way to get a role.. like wtf! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

I have friends now who grew up in the same situation and are only now beginning to accept themselves and pull away from the stereotypes we grew up with! Breaking the mold as it were, times are changing! But not everywhere! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

Lgbt+ rights and women’s rights are still squashed in many countries around the world! and shows like Wynonna Earp can allow viewers to escape and the Earper community can offer a safer environment for those starting their own journeys! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

Heterosexual normatives in the media industry create a huge barrier for lgbt+ people, especially young people, queer content was hard to come by when I was younger, thankfully it’s getting mildly better now!
#WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

The first queer content I saw was Willow and Tara from Buffy, I was 12 years old on holiday in Devon is it weird how I remember this? It actually got me understanding emotions I was hiding away from the world #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

Lgbt+ characters when I grew up were mostly portrayed in a negative light or killed off before anything actually happened that could have been positive! It seems that pressure from societies norms, shunted the lgbt+ community back “into the closet”
#WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

In addition the characters were nearly always negative in society in some way, prisoners (bad girls, oitnb, wentworth), drug addicts, (lip service, skins, sugar rush) Or even having to hide away from society with fear of being seen in public! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

I then found Lost Girl, another Andras masterpiece and began to really understand what feelings I had and that it was normalised, although it didn’t ‘fully’ represent me as a lesbian I still felt seen and a sense of times beginning to change #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

Life got busy, but low and behold a global pandemic happens where I get given 5-6 months off work and discover Wynonna Earp just because I was intrigued by Dom’s story wanted to understand her journey! It changed my life too!
#WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

I saw myself! A woman in uniform, a woman working a public service role, who wants to do good everyday and protect the people she loves. A woman who doesn’t stand for patriarchal bullshit, who works hard but loves harder and a woman who survives #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

My first watch of the show hit me in the gut emotional, I’d waited my whole life for this feeling, to feel seen by the media industry, with the promise that a writer wouldn’t “bury their gays” mind blown!
(Shame about networks really) #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

To all the people out there who see yourself and are starting your journeys in the lgbt+ community please don’t be afraid, in the earper community there’s a lot of us who have been there, lived it! Help and advice is always here if you need it!
#WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

Quick side note - a woman asked my partner the other day why lgbt+ positive representation matters, why is it so important?

Imagine that, never having to worry about being seen!
I think that naivety, right there, shows why I continue to fight #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

I fight for this show because homophobia still exists, backward stereotypes in society still exist, queer baiting exists! This show moves mountains to help level the playing field for the lgbt+ community! Like I said it just hits different! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

Moral of this story is, this show needs to continue, to reach larger audiences, normalise lgbt+ communities globally, show people that love is love! Above everything else! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome

Everyone’s story is different but that’s mine!
If you’re still here! You made it to the end of my ted talk! Thanks for listening! #WynonnaEarp #BringWynonnaHome