In this blog post, I wanted to research queer representation in media and highlight wlw (woman-loving-woman) representation in film and TV, since my film is a romance that stars two LGBTQ+ girls and follows their relationship.
This research will help me not only create a realistic relationship between two girls but also allow me to be aware of harmful stereotypes that I should steer clear of in my film and opening.
History:
In the mid-1900s, gay representation in media was all but banned from Hollywood and TV. Any instances of homosexuality were portrayed in a negative light whereby the gay person in question was a criminal, victim, or drag queen.
This changed in some capacity in the 70s and 80s, when gay characters began appearing in some TV shows, however, they were only ever in single episodes and their sexuality was usually the problem of the one episode they were in. The story of the gay character's sexuality was usually seen through the eyes of the main character, and the main focus was how it affected the straight people in the show to know a gay person.
The late 90s was the beginning of LGBTQ+ representation that wasn't completely harmful and stereotypical. The number of LGBTQ+ characters in media has risen greatly compared to what it once was. But these characters are often still portrayed with harmful stereotypes and are still incredibly underrepresented.
WLW (woman-loving-woman) Representation:
In the present day, efforts have been made by many productions to include LGBTQ+ characters in their stories. Because of this, the number of shows and movies that include homosexual characters and relationships has increased dramatically. While this representation is great for the community, much of the most recent queer media that is released for wide audiences has revolved around mlm (men-loving-men) relationships. If you were to search for popular teenage LGBTQ+ films and TV shows, a vast majority would feature mainly mlm relationships at their forefronts.
For example, some of the most successful LGBTQ+ shows and movies in recent years have been Heartstopper (2022), Young Royals (2021), Crush (2022), Call Me By Your Name (2018), Love, Simon (2018), The Half of It (2016), Moonlight (2016), and Euphoria (2019). Out of those eight productions, only three featured main characters and main love stories that were wlw. And while, yes, Heartstopper included a wlw couple, Tara and Darcy were side characters and the show focused mostly on Nick and Charlie's relationship.
So, while queer representation has become more commonplace, wlw couples are still overshadowed in media.
Stereotypes:
In the past, most LGBTQ+ characters were violent criminals. Today, there is much more positive representation, but many queer characters written in movies and TV shows are simply stereotypes that are harmful to the community.
One big stereotype that is incredibly harmful and widespread is that lesbians and bisexuals cannot be monogamous and are disloyal. Many lesbian characters are written as wife-stealing cheaters that will try to steal a man's husband for themselves and are incapable of staying in a committed relationship. Many people still believe that bisexuals (people who are attracted to at least two genders) want to be with everyone, not just that they are attracted to two or more genders. This misconception is damaging as many people will be biphobic (homophobic toward people who identify as bisexual) as they believe bi people to be untrustworthy and disloyal.
Members of the LGBTQ+ in the media are also often portrayed as caricatures of what many consider to be a stereotypical gay person. When many people think of a gay man, they think of a flamboyant man with a high-pitched voice, and that is often what is represented in the media.
But on top of that, writers often make being gay a character's entire personality and arc. Most of the struggles that queer characters face in media revolve around being gay. Whether they're being bullied or coming to terms with their sexuality, most queer characters' problems are solely because of their sexuality or is their sexuality, and audiences, especially queer audiences are getting sick of it. Many people looking for good queer representation on TV or in films are looking for something where the entire story and plot is not a character's coming out story because it's been done to death.
In my film, I want to stay very far away from that. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community will not be my character's only personality trait and the story will not be about their coming out at all. I want my film to convey that being queer is normal and not always a struggle. I want it to be a part of my characters but not their entire being and I want my characters' struggles to come from a place other than their sexual orientation.
Sources:
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, January 16). LGBT stereotypes. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 18, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_stereotypes#In_general
Cook, C. (2018). A content analysis of LGBT representation on broadcast and streaming ... UTC Scholar. Retrieved February 18, 2023, from https://scholar.utc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1133&context=honors-theses
Why is WLW content less popular than MLM? • the daily fandom. The Daily Fandom. (2022, August 7). Retrieved February 18, 2023, from https://thedailyfandom.org/wlw-content-less-popular-mlm/
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