Lack of Queer Joy in the Media
Lack of Queer Joy in the Media
Written by Ty Reilly
Art by Lauren mallett
The smash Broadway musical Rent was on tour at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was 15 years old and deeply in the closet, a part of an Irish Catholic family. At heart, I was a young theater kid faking it as an athlete, but I was ecstatic to attend my first musical! I adored Angel's personality. He was the most genuine and caring character in the musical, and I was thrilled to see a queer character in love on stage. I watched Angel's fever dream as the young drag queen was dying from AIDS. I will never forget the tears streaming down my face, and holding my breath for as long as possible so my mom wouldn't know I was crying. My expectation for happy queer characters was so high, and it was heartbreaking watching their stories tragically end over and over again. I became numb to it.
The term "pride and joy" has been used since the early 1800s when Sir Walter Scott used it in his poetry. These terms have evolved over the years, but I believe queer pride is deeply connected to joy. As a genderqueer person who is pansexual, I have been numbed to the fact that all queer representation in the media is depressing, tragic, and an excuse for representation. The issue can boil down to simple queerbaiting, which is a term for when writers tease, but never actually show, queer representation or joy.
Looking at representation versus joy, it isn't all bad. There are queer characters in the media that introduce the concepts of liberation and self-discovery, but too often, it is at the cost of the life or happiness of one or more LGBTQIA characters. GLAAD, or Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, does in-depth research on representation, specifically in the media. This year, there are 42 regular and recurring transgender characters tracked across all three platforms (broadcast, cable, and streaming). Of those, 20 are trans women, 14 are trans men, and eight are nonbinary characters. For a fourth year in a row, LGBTQIA people of color (58 percent) outweigh white queer people on broadcast, continuing to meet GLAAD's previous challenge of ensuring that more than half of LGBTQIA characters were also people of color. GLAAD director Megan Townsend said in an interview with Marie Claire that "since the beginning of 2015, we've lost more than 50 queer women on television—often in violent ways that benefit somebody else's story." Queer relationships are always depicted as tragic because, more often than not, the life of a queer person starts with homophobia and struggles with identity and expression. Queer joy may not occur until adulthood when a chosen family and queer community are found. Unfortunately, a variety of artists and creators believe they are being accurate when they describe the "trauma of being queer," which is nowhere near the truth. There is a way to showcase queer struggles while still celebrating queer joy.
There are many examples of queer representation, but their stories always end tragically, or have an air of tragedy surrounding them. Brokeback Mountain. Rent. But I'm A Cheerleader. The Miseducation of Cameron Post. Call Me By Your Name. I can keep going in all genres: film, TV, novels, music—you name it! Whether I was watching Heath Ledger crying into Jake Gyllenhaal's denim shirt at the end of Brokeback Mountain or the conversion therapy plotline in But I'm A Cheerleader, they showcased that queer joy was lacking. Joy is subjective, and character arcs can be interpreted in several different ways. For example, Heartstopper didn't ignore the difficulties of being a queer teen but had many examples of queer joy. It acknowledged the bullying and inner anxiety many face, but it didn't shut down their happy ending. It showed the queer joy of a crush, the butterflies of a first kiss, the power of queer friendship. Heartstopper isn't the only one: Bottoms, Queer, All of Us Strangers, Modern Family, Love, Simon already exist, and hopefully many more will be developed.
TJ Klune, the author of The House by the Cerulean Sea, has called for more positive (joyful, happy) queer media. When asked if it was challenging to begin breaking down the queer narrative that had become closely associated with sadness and grief, Klune said, “when I started writing, I knew that no matter what happened in the book, no matter how rocky the road would be, the queer characters would get happy endings. Because that's what we deserve. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say that's what we're owed. We are owed our happy endings because if we don't create them for ourselves, nobody's gonna give them to us.
That's the thing about being queer—there are no rules. Our joy is a community experience that spreads quickly as we celebrate each other's wins, seeing my queer friends find love and discover their identity right beside me. College is the place for us to build our queer community that can span states and countries. Even through social media, we can appreciate the happiness of others and connect with members of the LGBTQIA community. I feel protected in my queer community and like I can truly be myself. I get fuzzy and warm inside seeing everyone flourish and spread queer joy. “
These tragic trends and canons of LGBTQIA representation won't change until we have more queer writers, showrunners, directors, and producers in every nook and cranny of the entertainment industry. The queer community has a vital lens and imagination to contribute to mainstream media. I hope to one day be a part of that lens and advocate for queer joy on screen. Queer representation is not a box that needs to be checked off in the demographic section or a consolation prize, nor is any historically marginalized community. The more variety of voices we have in these areas of imagination and creativity, the more grounded, whole, and fulfilling stories we will have for our children, families, and friends on screen.