The Modern Obsession With Queer Media

There is no doubt that in recent years, there has been greater representation in queer media. This greater representation is in no way equality. We are not telling accurate stories that people can relate to, we are telling overdramaticised stories for straight people to obsess over and/or make fun of. There is also very selective representation and, realistically, fetishization of queer people. This creates false allies and selective homophobia.

The obsession over bl stories and yaoi is a brilliant example. MLM films, series, books, comics/mangas, and all other types of media, get much more engagement than WLW media. Especially from straight women, who are often the first to criticize queer women/nonbinary people. This works in the opposite way as well, where men tend to be more interested in WLW media yet criticize queer men/nonbinary people.

Shows like Heated Rivalry have set back the queer community. It is a queer relationship that is geared towards straight people. Those straight people then go on to fetishize the people in that relationship and in similar media. The fetishization of queer media is absolutely disgusting, yet, we watch it happen every day. They often don't get much real plot or character development other than the focus on their sexuality and gender identities- but there's so much more to us than that.

Lesbian Space Princess is another example that hardly even requires discussion. The whole plot is the complete erasure of peoples' differing identities and an overdramatic depiction of queer characters. Don't believe me? Go ahead and suffer through watching it.

There was also a recent depiction of the Lizzie Borden case on Netflix, where they altered her story to put in a forced diversity narrative. Having friends that are very invested in her story and case, they were all very disappointed to see how she was over sexualized and pushed into a queer role. I feel that this is not only disgusting to do to a real person, regardless of who they may be, but also that this is a "subtle" attempt to villainize queer people.

There is also an issue with trans representation in media, and that is the fact that there isn't nearly enough. Trans women are given more representation than nonbinary (and anything under the umbrella) people and trans men. Trans men get much less representation in music and art spaces as well. Unfortunately, trans women also have negative representation. Trans women are often sexualized simply for being feminine, and are frequently portrayed in pornographic material. Drag performers are also seen as inherently sexual due to the often feminine nature of the art. So, not only are trans people under represented in media, but those who are represented are often negatively represented. 

On a positive note, when looking for a good queer project to support, look to indie artists and animators! There are so many amazing artists that actually represent our community. Some personal favorites that represent the trans community are the bands Cat Crash and Misoksoup, as well as the animation project "My Girlfriend, Enid." 

I am definitely not the most educated on this topic, especially as a young person. I can say that I am in the queer community and do notice these things, however, and wanted to share my thoughts.

Peace and love to everybody, have an amazing day, wherever you may be <3