#and now you get a lot of cutesy shit so you hate that

LIVE

filmnoirsbian:

ntstudying:

filmnoirsbian:

I think it’s more than fair to want gay sex on tv and evil gay representation and hot gay serial killers etc etc but I keep seeing a lot of pushback against “sanitized” gay representation that often just encompasses “family friendly” (aka g, pg, pg13 rated media) gay rep and, while I certainly don’t think it should replace hot gay sex, hot gay villains, trashy gay rep, slutty gays, etc etc (in fact, imo we need more gay media of all types and genres and ratings), this family friendly gay media serves the purpose of giving lgbt kids representation that they may not even realize they want or need yet until they see someone onscreen that they finally genuinely connect with, which they otherwise may not have until they’re much older. Also I just don’t like this habit of begrudging younger lgbt generations of things. Who cares if the cartoon shows are cheesy or the high school romcoms are cringy! They’re not necessarily for you.

My main issue with the pg13 media is that its promoted to queer adults as the perfect representation like I am an adult (im 18 so like im not the most adult adult out there) so I have 0 interest in perfect representation where the biggest issue of the characters is a hs popularity contest or passing my GCSE exams.

And then another issue is that people use pg13 media as a way of being like “omg finally gay people i respect. they are not fucking and sucking on screen” and use it to play into respectability politics (this isnt issue with pg13 media i enjoy complaining

I see this argument a lot and while I understand that it’s frustrating that good adult lgbt media is not necessarily as easily accessible as something on netflix, for instance, I do think the problem at least partly lies in the audience not seeking it out. Like, there is plenty of good adult lgbt media with dark themes and complex characters. Seek it out. Seek out international lgbt media. Seek out lgbt media with protagonists and creators of color. Seek out independently made adult lgbt media. It does exist, and it sucks that it isn’t as widely discussed or distributed, but nothing is stopping you from working just a little bit harder to find it. Yes, we need more. Yes, lgbt creators and especially lgbt creators of color deserve more acknowledgement and resources and funding. But in the meantime, support the ones we have because I promise they exist.

And as for being recommended only “kid friendly” lgbt media, try recommending your favorite adult lgbt media in turn! You might help someone discover their new favorite lesbian thriller.

loading