by Kaly Phan
Kaly Phan is a Journalism major from Trophy Club, Texas, who wrote this essay in Eric Bosse’s Fall 2020 “Truth to Power” course.
The topic of the media’s portrayal of the LGBTQ 1 community, or rather the lack of it, has gradually made its way into the limelight as homosexuality has become less taboo in mainstream culture. Television audiences have started to notice how unwilling older shows were to depict queerness. This reluctance is being rectified around the globe as executives open up to the idea of showing queerness, creating and broadcasting more television shows featuring varying LGBTQ identities (GLAAD 9, 11, 13). For instance, Lost Girl (2010–2015) featured a bisexual protagonist with three love interests—a heterosexual male, bisexual female, and lesbian female—and reached critical success domestically and abroad, receiving praise and accolades for its queer visibility (Lovretta). LGBTQ audiences have rejoiced at seeing themselves on screens for millions of others to see. Finally, they feel like they matter.
But queer portrayal in the media still faces an uphill climb to achieve normalcy and to recover from “social annihilation,” the underrepresentation of a social minority—in this case, sexual minorities—in the media (Venzo). There are still obstacles within the TV industry that bleed into networks’ writing. Despite increased representation on television, producers and TV executives have remained unchanged in their execution of LGBTQ plotlines with many queer relationships being sidelined or not fully conceptualized. Similarly, modern television relies on harmful stereotypes and recycled plotlines. Writers and producers also partake in a toxic practice of baiting their viewers, resulting in empty gestures and an audience misplacing its trust. The issues of performative activism and censorship stem from this baiting. All of these intermingle, creating a facade of progressiveness and inclusivity without any real change.2 In turn, this signals that the call for proper, all-encompassing LGBTQ representation in television has not been fully heeded.
In the United States, The CW and Netflix, who possess the highest percentage of queer characters of the big five broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, NBC, The CW, and FOX—and all streaming services respectively, still struggle to embrace the inclusivity of present culture (GLAAD 9, 13). For example, Netflix typically cancels within two seasons well-received shows that have well-rounded queer main characters, such as Teenage Bounty Hunters (2020), Sense8 (2015–2018), Everything Sucks! (2018), and One Day at a Time (2017–2020). Instead, the service favors TV shows with less critical approval, but that center around heterosexual romances and possess harmful stereotypical portrayals of LGBTQ characters, such as “The Gay Best Friend,” like Ginny & Georgia (2021–) and 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020). Likewise, The CW erased Jughead Jones’s asexuality in Riverdale (2017–), something the actor and asexual fans have complained about (Alexander). The network also has a history of killing off its queer characters—more on that later. Modern-day television still loosely holds on to 1930s-1980s era rules and expectations, which is to say no depiction of homosexuality at all (Cook 5).
For every single step forward, the television industry takes two steps back—and not just in the United States. Case in point, The Untamed (2019) was based upon the xianxia3 novel Mo Dao Zu Shi that had an explicit romance between its two male leads and was a worldwide critical and commercial success. However, China censored the previously mentioned romance in the show, allowing only for homoerotic subtext due to China’s ban of queer portrayals in film or television (Mo). The present television industry has grown from years previous and has become more tolerant of people who identify as LGBTQ. However, this growth is not universal and some networks and distributors hold on to the rules of past centuries. The LGBTQ community, like other marginalized groups, wants to be recognized and treated as equals in a heteronormative society after years of discrimination. With this want comes the add-on of more exposure in media. And, with the rise in representation in television, this want is being realized. However, queer audiences should not become complacent and should continue pursuing that want for equality.
GLAAD found that around 10% of main characters (90 out of a total 879) in a broadcast primetime television series in the 2019-20 TV season were LGBTQ in some form (8). This statistic does not include the 215 and 153 queer characters (regular and recurring) on cable and streaming services respectively (GLAAD 10, 12). Now, these are excellent numbers in retrospect. The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, a public research institute that focuses on sexual orientation and gender identity issues, found that, as of July 2020, roughly 4% of the United States’s adult population identifies as LGBTQ, so 10% is actually overrepresentation (Conron). However, more representation does not elevate queer characters to the nuance of their heterosexual counterparts because more exposure does not inherently get rid of years of stigma, stereotypes, and erasure. LGBTQ characters are still an afterthought. I’ll explain. Although television has had its ebb and flow of genres such as a slice of life, science fiction, fantasy, and medical and police procedural dramas, romance plays a significant role in each. Romance is a key element within television. Despite relative overrepresentation, queer characters are less likely to be “shipped” in a show’s canon. The concept of “shipping” is when a portion of a franchises’ fan base supports the romantic pairing of two or more characters. This “shipping” is applied by fans of various mediums, from video games to books. In television, the “ships” that are canon get the most screen time and plot dedication. Therefore, producers and writers support these “ships” significantly since they would not write nor broadcast these relationships for mass audiences otherwise. The majority of these relationships are heterosexual. As mentioned previously, queer relationships known as fanon, like those between “Rizzles” (Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles from Rizzoli & Isles) and “Merthur” (Merlin and Arthur from Merlin), are typically non-canon but highly popular and influential. Canon LGBTQ “ships” traditionally consist of supporting characters, such as “Malec” (Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood from Shadowhunters) and “Calzona” (Arizona Robbins and Callie Torres from Grey’s Anatomy). Amongst fans, queer relationships are arguably more popular than their male/female counterparts despite consisting of supporting characters or not being canon. In 2020, 73 of the 100 most talked-about “ships” on Tumblr, a blogging and social media tool frequented by almost 500 million people from fan bases of a variety of franchises, were LGBTQ (Fandom). As the popularity of queer “ships” has grown over the past decades, producers and writers sincerely support fans in their fan-art, fan-fiction, and other works by boosting them on social media sites like Twitter. Yet, despite their sincerity, producers’ and writers’ restraint in creating and showing queer characters and relationships is apparent. But with changing times, studios notice that progressiveness is key to survival and a positive reputation. However, shoehorning in an LGBTQ relationship or character does not good representation make.
In response to growing advocacy for LGBTQ individuals, many shows have introduced more prominent characters of varying gender and sexual identities. On occasion, shows like Sex Education (2019–) and Pose (2018–) hit the mark on the head. However, most storylines tend to fall into three categories: tragic, half-baked, and subtextual. The tragic storyline ends in heartbreak, death, or both. For example, in Once Upon a Time (2011–2018), Mulan finds the courage to confess her feelings to the woman she loves, Aurora. Before her confession, Mulan can see that Aurora is practically bursting with news. The latter reveals she is pregnant and that it is “like a dream come true.” Mulan, visibly disheartened, withholds her confession and gives congratulations before leaving, heartbroken (“Quite” 00:35:51–00:37:28). The half-baked storyline seems rushed and not thought out, almost as if it existed for the “Congratulations, you included LGBTQ representation!” achievement. In the same show, two other characters, Dorothy and Ruby, have all of their relationship development—the meet-cute, the unresolved tension, the conflict, and the happily ever after—in one episode and are never seen nor mentioned again (“Ruby”). The third type of storyline, subtextual, is less apparent since it is not, as the word implies, explicit. This style employs romance tropes while keeping characters vaguely heterosexual. This way the show appeals to LGBTQ audience members as there is a slight chance these characters are queer and have feelings for one another. These feelings, if canonically present, are never spoken of nor revealed. In Once Upon a Time, Emma and Regina are opposites: one is the epitome of a hero, and the other a quintessential villain—a perfect pair of yin and yang. They co-parent a young boy and quickly become close despite starting the show as enemies. To add to the subtext, enemies-to-lovers is a common romance trope. The two become so familiar that Emma is willing to, and ultimately does, sacrifice herself for Regina (“Operation” 00:41:37–00:43:57). However, they are not and never were a couple; they have their own respective male love interests. These storylines are not a new occurrence; the television industry has used them for years.
Backtrack into the late 1970s through to the beginning of the twenty-first century when LGBTQ representation in television was gaining its footing in shows such as Ellen (1994–1998) or Soap (1977–1981) with Ellen Morgan and Jodie Dallas. Both shows were canceled due to mounting criticism, which highlights the culture of the time. Although both shows’ criticisms were not exclusively about the gay characters in question, much of it was directed at them. In the case of Ellen, the show’s views took a hit after both Ellens (the character and the actress) came out; the network felt the adverse response to portraying homosexuality and the show’s new “serious” tone as opposed to its comedic start (Ellen; Champagne). Soap, on the other hand, had strong viewing numbers but was criticized for the character of Jodie Dallas by both social conservatives for his being gay and by LGBTQ viewers for his perpetuating of harmful stereotypes (Z). Main queer characters like Jodie or Ellen were risky and, therefore, few and far between. In the 1970s through the 1990s, if LGBTQ themes were present, it was primarily through heavy subtext, half-baked storylines, or plot devices without actually including queer characters like Three’s Company (1977–1984) and Bosom Buddies (1980–1982). This trend continued into the early 2000s. Even “modern” pioneering shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003), which explored themes of feminism, emotion, and sexuality through its supernatural premise, used storytelling precedents instead of deviating from them.
In the episode “Seeing Red,” Tara and Willow, the couple of interest, are upstairs in the latter’s bedroom getting dressed. Tara looks down through the window into the backyard and sees two other characters, Buffy and Xander. She turns away and informs Willow, who asks if they’re making up; Tara responds that she hopes so. After some dialogue between Buffy and Xander, a third party, Warren, enters the backyard who brandishes a gun, declaring his revenge. He opens fire on Buffy before proceeding to run away, shooting over his shoulder. A stray bullet breaks Willow’s bedroom window, striking Tara, who was unaware of the confrontation. Her blood splatters onto Willow, who is standing in front of Tara. Looking at the stain, Tara says “Your shirt…” before collapsing, dying in Willow’s arms (“Seeing” 00:39:22–00:42:39).
Death, specifically that of a loved one, is a frequently used “tragic” trope for storytelling and not inherently utilized with only LGBTQ characters. However, Tara’s death accentuates what is known as the “Bury Your Gays” trope, specifically the subcategory of “Dead Lesbian Syndrome.” This trope calls attention to “the tendency that gay characters are killed off in a story full of mostly straight characters” and has been the subject of much social outrage for many years (TVTropes). Buffy the Vampire Slayer first premiered 24 years ago and the episode in question aired 19 years ago. And yet, the “Bury Your Gays” trope still perpetuates the media in modern shows such as The 100 (2014–2020) and Supernatural (2005–2020). The television industry is still struggling with LGBTQ representation and using the same storylines as nearly two decades previous, which is saddening. Narratively, there is nothing particularly wrong with tragedy through death; it is a common device that motivates and develops characters and moves a plot along. The same can be said, to a lesser extent, for half-baked or subtextual characters—sometimes, there isn’t enough time to make every single person on-screen three-dimensional. However, when these plotlines are used over and over in similar fashions to specific character types (i.e. LGBTQ characters), it becomes trite, uninspired, and, quite frankly, disheartening. Despite mainstream cultural changes, these storylines persisted from the late ‘70s into the late 2010s as evidenced in this paragraph and the two prior. These plot points, both individually and collectively, contribute to a strategy known as “queerbaiting.” Queerbaiting arguably causes the most perturbation out of the queer community as it leads to intense frustration, disappointment, and anger.
Queerbaiting is the act of a television or movie creative team teasing fully-fleshed queer themes within their media’s content, hyping up their audience’s expectations, and then never fully delivering (Brennan 189). There is such a thing as unintentional queerbaiting but it is rare. More often than not, creative teams queerbait on purpose to accommodate unrelenting showrunners or media companies or constraining storylines (Bridges 121). Veteran TV writer Jane Espenson has confessed to consciously queerbaiting, saying that she often found it difficult to get networks to “allow gay characters” due to “constraints that are either internal or external to [the] story” (Granshaw). Queer culture has become less taboo of a subject within the media at large and, as more representation appears on the screen, baiting has become blatant to audiences. Writers and producers make this baiting obvious as their interactions with their audience increase due to social media platforms. This interaction is known as paratext. Paratext is the concept that there are “texts that prepare [the audience] for other texts… framing consumption [and] telling [them] what to expect”; this includes things such as studio promotional materials, interviews, and commentaries (Gray 6; Ng). For example, the writers of Psych (2006–2014) tweeted that one of the characters, Lassiter, was pansexual (@psychwrites).
Thus, his sexuality was canon and some queer audience members expected the show to reflect this. However, in Psych’s eight-year run and two subsequent movies, Lassiter’s pansexuality was never mentioned. Eve Ng has noted that what she calls “producer paratext” (i.e. producer commentary) has had an increasing amount of impact on audiences that runs parallel with “the growth of social media and the move of entertainment conventions such as Comic-Con into mainstream culture.” For shows such as The CW’s Supergirl (2015–) and Supernatural, producers and writers alike have acknowledged fans’ gay “ships,” which only fuels the thought that, since the team knows about the romantic fan-pairing, the relationship may happen. However, as is the case with most queer “ships,” canonical or otherwise, there is no happy ending. There are, generally, two most likely ways a queerbaited “ship” can end up: (1) they do not end up together and are unfulfilled potential, or (2) they confess their feelings and then one of them dies.
In the former case, where the relationship never comes to fruition, a modern example in television is the relationship between Kara and Lena in Supergirl. This romantic pairing is called “Supercorp” and has risen in popularity among fans. They are, in essence, a classic “Romeo and Juliet” story: Kara and Lena come from feuding families but get along despite this. Many fans have pointed out and speculated on how romance-coded Lena’s and Kara’s actions are. For instance, in one episode, Lena fills Kara’s office with flowers to the point where it is almost overflowing and proclaims that “Kara Danvers” is her hero, not Supergirl (“Luthors” 00:37:38–00:38:24). In another, she buys the company Kara works for, CatCo, for a hefty price of $750 million to help stop a ploy by Morgan Edge who aimed to swing the press in his favor—a scheme that Kara is heavily against (“Girl” 00:35:24–00:35:52; “Triggers” 00:21:40–00:21:47). On Kara’s end, in a recent episode, she is getting ready for a date and asks her sister for advice on what to wear. Her sister advises blue—the color that Kara should “always go with” on a date—but Kara elects to wear purple instead (“Reality” 00:02:55–00:03:07, 00:06:00–00:06:43).
Speaking of blue, a popular character identifier amongst LGBTQ “ships” in multiple fandoms is the “Blue Gay/Red Gay,” in which, as implied, one character represents blue and one represents red. (Each color refers to a community of fans, online or off, active or passive, defined by their shared common interest.) The “Blue Gay” wears their heart on their sleeve. They are funny and cute in an awkward way and are a people-pleaser with a “savior complex that has put their physical and mental well-being in danger” on multiple occasions, which matches with Kara (Halfjackets; @williamsongbird). By contrast, the “Red Gay” hides their emotions, is socially inept, and has “enough trauma to make them feel unworthy of love,” which corresponds with Lena (Halfjackets; @williamsongbird). And that is not even getting into the romantic scenarios and tropes sprinkled into their scenes: a balcony scene, mood lighting, and the classic Superman-Lois Lane bridal carry, to name a few. Paratext also plays a significant part in fueling fans’ speculation. The two main actresses have noticed the almost romantic nature of Kara’s and Lena’s relationship. Kara’s actress, Melissa Benoist, revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that Season 5 was “a fight for Lena’s soul” (Agard). Katie McGrath, Lena’s actress, although initially surprised to find that people saw queer undertones in Lena’s character, reviewed her scenes with Melissa from the second season and said, “Oh, yeah, now I can see [“Supercorp”]. That makes sense to me” (Mitovich). Going back to Lena’s purchase of CatCo, McGrath remembers commenting that buying a company “[seemed] like a long way to go for your best friend” (Bryant). She further says that she sees Lena having internalized guilt from costing Kara her relationship and the purchase of CatCo was an attempt to get Kara back into Lena’s life (Bryant; Abrams). Some fans took McGrath’s words as an interpretation that Lena saw Kara as more than a friend (stennnn06). However, as with all cases of modern queerbaiting, the “Supercorp” fans have been left frustrated at the creative team.
A coinciding root of fans’ irritation is the performative activism of the writers and producers. The Supergirl team is not afraid to portray LGBTQ characters given that there are prominent queer characters within the show: Kara’s sister Alex, who is a lesbian, and Kara’s friend Nia, who is transgender, to name two. Supergirl was even praised for its queer exposure as it broadcasted the first transgender superhero on television (Keveney). However, the show’s unwillingness to make the protagonist—who is an alien, mind you, and was raised in a non-human society with non-human values until she was 13—queer is also evident. For starters, the show has paired Kara up with four different men across its six seasons. As a matter of fact, the only shows with main characters who are queer within The CW’s “Arrowverse”4 are Legends of Tomorrow (2016–) with Sara Lance/White Canary and Batwoman (2019–) with both holders of the Batwoman title. Two shows out of seven. And one of those premiered just over a year and a half ago. The writers and producers of Supergirl have made other main characters members of the LGBTQ community. Why can’t the show commit to making their titular character queer as well, even if it’s just through a throwaway line? What is the harm? This question—why is the main character not allowed to be gay?—is at the root of a lot of “Supercorp” fans’ frustrations and they know that it will remain unanswered. Since Supergirl is ending with its sixth season that premiered in March 2021, it is realistic to believe that the likelihood of “Supercorp” ending up together is slim. However, the probability of both Lena and Kara making it to the series finale is, tentatively, high. I say tentatively because there is always the chance that the writers will carry out the second outcome of queerbaited relationships: the two admit their feelings and then one of them is met with an untimely demise. An unfortunate victim of this outcome, the “Bury Your Gays” trope I mentioned a few paragraphs back, was Castiel from The CW’s Supernatural.
In the final season of Supernatural, the show’s creative team did something no one thought was possible: it made the relationship between Castiel and Dean canon. “Destiel,” as the pair is called, admitted their feelings for each other. Well, one confessed. And then the show killed him for it, invoking the “Bury Your Gays” trope in a case similar to Tara’s in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Castiel’s death shows off a different subject of public outcry against the “Bury Your Gays” trope: the fact that “characters are killed off because they are gay,” although the disproportionate amount of LGBTQ to non-LGBTQ deaths still apply (TVTropes). Now, Supernatural has had its fair share of criticism—it was on the air for 15 years after all—but one of its most vocal critics was and still is the queer community. Most recently, criticism stems from the show using the aforementioned trope. For a bit of backstory on the pair, Castiel’s introduction was in the show’s fourth season and he was quickly a fan favorite. The Supernatural fandom and creative team have a habit of favoring male connection over heterosexual romances. Castiel’s entrance was a nice change of pace from Dean’s and Sam’s (Dean’s younger brother) various female love interests from previous seasons (Łuksza 190). “Destiel’s” closeness was evident with Castiel even admitting that, between Sam and Dean, he and the older Winchester brother “share a more profound bond” (“The” 00:15:28–00:15:47). Now, I will try to explain the “Bury Your Gays” episode as best as I can. Castiel and Dean are trapped in a bunker with Death literally knocking on their door (“Despair” 00:33:17–00:33:54). Castiel realizes that there is one thing strong enough to stop Death from coming after Dean: his deal with the Empty, a place worse than Hell, that would come for him when he experienced a moment of true happiness (“Despair” 00:35:04–00:35:39). In a tearful act of sacrifice, Castiel admits to Dean that he loves him and the Empty arrives, absorbing both Death and Castiel, before disappearing (“Despair” 00:38:09–00:39:21). “Destiel” fans were baffled. Supernatural had both simultaneously realized their greatest hopes and their worst nightmares in a span of minutes. For simply being happy at the fact he admitted his romantic feelings for Dean, Castiel died. Granted, it was so Dean could make it out of the bunker alive but the death left a pit in fans’ stomachs. Being taken to a place worse than Hell for being happy about admitting your feelings for someone who is of the same sex as you doesn’t exactly send a positive message (Impostoradult). And, to make matters worse, Supernatural still decided to kill Dean off in the finale, from tetanus of all things. Castiel died for nothing. Fans felt cheated out of a unique storyline—a genuine, slow-paced, “will-they-won’t-they” romance—that has never been done with queer characters before (Impostoradult). By killing off “Destiel,” Supernatural shot itself in the foot. Or, rather, stepped on a rusty nail. And this is not the first time that the Supernatural team has killed off an LGBTQ character.
Charlie Bradbury was another fan-favorite character. She had a unique dynamic with the Winchester brothers, forming a sibling relationship with them rather than a romantic one given that she was a lesbian (Łuksza 189). The fandom adored her but she died back in the tenth season trying to crack a code to, like Castiel, save Dean, reducing her to a narrative tool since her death triggered Dean’s fury (Łuksza 189). There’s nothing inherently wrong with killing off a character for narrative purposes as I stated before with Tara, but “Dead Lesbian Syndrome” leaves Charlie’s death more bitter than sweet. Bringing an alternate version of her into a later season did Supernatural nor The CW any favors either—although it was a version of Charlie, it wasn’t the one the fandom had grown to love. This new Charlie didn’t form that close relationship with Dean and Sam; she wasn’t the one who had died trying to save Dean; she wasn’t the same Charlie. And this wasn’t the only time The CW Network killed off and then resurrected a beloved queer character. In the network’s acclaimed show The 100, the main character, Clarke, had a female love interest named Lexa in the early seasons. In the third season, they share a kiss and their first love scene after reuniting following a period of separation. Then, in the next scene, one of Lexa’s advisers shoots at Clarke, opposing Clarke’s closeness to Lexa, only for Lexa to walk into the room and into the line of the bullet. Lexa is moved to a bed and, with one last kiss, dies with Clarke at her side (“Thirteen” 00:27:42–00:34:28, 00:35:17–00:38:07). It would not be until the finale that an alternate Lexa would appear, solidifying her as Clarke’s “greatest love,” but the sentiment remains: The CW had killed off a queer character for the sake of the arc of the main protagonist (Goldman). For the network that leads in LGBTQ representation on broadcast television, The CW knows how to treat their queer and queer-coded characters like dirt. Well, not just that; The CW first raises their audience’s expectations for these characters and then treats them like dirt.
Speaking of being treated like dirt, remember the infamous confession I mentioned earlier? The one that got Castiel taken away and sent to, as the fans say, “super turbo hell” (Ignorethepineapples). A further outcry ensued following the episode as the Spanish dub was allegedly leaked before its Latin American debut. This dub of the show depicted Dean responding to Castiel’s “I love you.” with “Me too, Cas” (@knjbabygirl). And not brotherly-love or familial-love either; there was no ambiguity. Dean was responding to a romantic “I love you” (Zárate). The dub ended up being authentic, meaning that not only did The CW kill off Castiel for experiencing true happiness by confessing, but they also censored Dean reciprocating Cas’s romantic feelings. Misha Collins, Castiel’s actor, had taken to Twitter himself to dispel these rumors (@mishacollins). Fans, however, were not convinced. They had grown more outraged and suspicious as to why the Supernatural writers nor The CW itself had come forward; after all, they were the creative minds behind the show, not Collins (@RikDob).
Now, in November 2020, it had yet to be seen if the leak was real or fake. However, the immediate reactions from fans were genuine. Fans were blown away by the audacity of The CW to censor the American version of an American show for an American audience (@thenonbinarydetective). Fans started a movement on Twitter and Tumblr, signified by the hashtags “#SomethingToSay” and “#TheySilencedYou / #TheySilencedThem”; there was also a call for GLAAD to look into media defamation by The CW via censorship (Sinclair). Like any other marginalized group, queer fans are serious when it comes to their representation. They will fight tooth and nail to keep and bolster the on-screen presence they have so long waited for.
Representation matters, big or small. Changing mainstream opinions of the community and human rights have brought more queer themes in media in recent decades. This increased exposure in television has led to a feeling of belonging and being seen among the LGBTQ community. However, appearances are deceiving. More representation does not inherently mean good representation. Quality should triumph over quantity. Year after year of stereotyping through harmful tropes, using repetitive narrative tools, queerbaiting, performative activism, and censorship have left a bitter taste in queer audiences’ mouths. They are no longer simply happy to see themselves on-screen. They are wary, wondering not “if” but “when” will the show let them down. It is simply not enough to have a queer character on-screen. Television studios must treat LGBTQ characters as their own characters, not as plot devices or representation points. Queer characters are worthy of their own unique, complete development. Until then, the push for proper LGBTQ representation in television will not be over.
Works Cited
@knjbabygirl. “Here Is The Scene In Spanish A Bit More Extended Ahhhh.” Twitter, 25 Nov. 2020, 12:30 a.m., https://twitter.com/knjbabygirl/status/1331485318458056704?s=20.
@mishacollins (Misha Collins). “I’m seeing a lot of commentary on the ending of #SPN & the recent Spanish dub & am disheartened to see there are a lot of misconceptions that are making many in our family feel unheard & unsupported, so I’m calling a #SPNFamily meeting to sort a few things out for the record:.” Twitter, 25 Nov. 2020, 9:21 p.m., https://twitter.com/mishacollins/status/1331800202252931073?s=21.
@psychwrites. “Lassiter is not bisexual, homosexual, or heterosexual. He is PAN-SEXUAL.” Twitter, 21 Apr. 2010, 6:14 p.m.
@RikDob. “Ok, but why is Misha Collins the one making a statement regarding all this? Shouldn’t the C*W have a PR team trained to do damage control? I mean, why does the actors have to be the ones to face the public? That’s so unprofessional and sus as shit. #TheySilencedThem.” Twitter, 25 Nov. 2020, 10:12 p.m.,
@thenonbinarydetective. “Spread this, let’s embarrass these homophobes/biphobes.” Tik Tok, 25 Nov. 2020, https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJChAQWg/.
@williamsongbird. “And they were Narrative Foils.” Tik Tok, 15 Nov.2020, https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMegRcmVk/.
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References
- For brevity’s sake, I will be shortening LGBTQIA to LGBTQ. ^
2. The title of this essay, inspired by the 2014 coming-of-age romance novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, reflects this facade and says that the “fault”—the shortcomings of LGBTQ+ representation—is not on the community (the “Our”) but on how the media presents them on screen. ^
3. A Chinese fantasy genre influenced by Chinese mythology, martial arts, and folk religion; Taoism and Buddhism; traditional Chinese medicine; and other traditional Chinese elements. ^
4. The CW’s connected TV superhero universe, consisting of Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and Superman & Lois. ^