in 2020, queer women are still facing an atrocious lack of diverse representation in film and television. --Edrisina sklar, 11th grade
Queer representation in the media is always limited, specifically in Film and Television. However representation is is considerably more limited for queer women in particular. When presented in film or television, queer woman characters still cater to the male gaze, evoking heteronormative beauty standards, or accenting mens’ sexuality or opinions. Representation tends to be hyper feminine and even fetishized, featuring conventionally beautiful femmes who’s dialogue doesn’t even come close to passing the Bechdel test.
Occasionally, we get a film with a queer female protagonist, centered around her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. While this type of story is important, it can’t be the only one. Obviously, it’s impactful to create coming out movies, and beneficial to young people struggling to figure out who they are. However, well rounded representation isn’t just hardship. What we’re still missing is casual queer women characters. Characters that ( in addition to their other defining characteristics and plot lines- ) just happen to be queer. Multi-dimensional characters that showcase a myriad of qualities, and don’t simply serve as proof of the creators’ liberalism.
Occasionally, we get a film with a queer female protagonist, centered around her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. While this type of story is important, it can’t be the only one. Obviously, it’s impactful to create coming out movies, and beneficial to young people struggling to figure out who they are. However, well rounded representation isn’t just hardship. What we’re still missing is casual queer women characters. Characters that ( in addition to their other defining characteristics and plot lines- ) just happen to be queer. Multi-dimensional characters that showcase a myriad of qualities, and don’t simply serve as proof of the creators’ liberalism.
Even movies like Love Simon, (although a step in the right direction for queer male representation ,) still fail to produce balanced and diverse representation, clinging solely to a very Hollywood coming out story.
Although the film and television industry is bettering itself in terms of representation, it still has a long way to go.
Although the film and television industry is bettering itself in terms of representation, it still has a long way to go.