Media Lacks Proper LGBTQIA Representation
If you are a cis—or straight—white male, there is no shortage of representation for you in movies, books, and TV shows. Each celebrates you as a well-rounded character. Cis men can have different personalities: they can be nerdy, strong, confident. However, if you’re a LGBTQIA person, this is not the case.
Those who are not straight or cisgender suffer from a lack of representation in media. The representation we do get is reduced to stereotypes: the white gay man as the ‘flamboyant best friend’ or the occasional ‘butch’ lesbian. These characters often remain the supportive, single character who lack interests of their own and has no desire for romance. If not this, the gay man is reduced to a lustful, hypersexualized person who preys on men regardless of whether they seem to reciprocate these feelings.
It’s hard for bisexual, pansexual, asexual, and aromantic individuals to find any representation whatsoever, let alone accurate representation. In media, individuals who are shown to be attracted to two or more genders are often not labeled as bisexual or pansexual; instead, these characters explain themselves as ‘swinging both ways’ or not wanting to ‘label myself.’ While the LGBTQIA community understands and respects that labels are not for everyone, this statement is likely used to refrain from the actual use of the words ‘bisexual’ or ‘pansexual,’ so as to not lose their homophobic viewers.
Similarly, asexual and aromantic individuals are never recognized in the media—if they are, they are ridiculed and patronized. Overabundant in entertainment are romantic and sexual subplots involving romantic and sexual acts. Even children are given love interests. And that’s only sexual and romantic orientation: the gender spectrum is also poorly represented in media. Representation of transgender individuals is either harmful, misleading, or limited. Worse yet, individuals who do not conform to the gender binary and are not out as trans are suspected as gay, and often ridiculed in media. Even if a character has shown no interest in romance or sexual attraction, the default for every individual presented on a screen is straight and cisgender.
Representation matters. As Mo Barbier, Class I, stated, “when you identify with a character in a form that you never thought you would identify ever, it awakens something in you.” It is important to recognize the effect that representation—be it positive or negative—has on us. Movies, TV shows, and books are all important aspects of pop culture, and hold more influence than you think; people often reference them as an impactful means to learn and grow. That is what good, accurate representation can do for the confused, frightened, and ostracised members of the LGBTQIA community: it can help them learn and grow.