LGBTQ Representation in Mainstream Media
With the success of shows like Heated Rivalry, is Hollywood becoming more accepting of queer representation in media, or is it all performative?
Over the last few decades, though particularly since the early 2010’s, queer characters have become more common in mainstream media. From Carol in Friends to the latest pop culture sensation Heated Rivalry, LGBTQ representation has come a long way.
Queer characters in media are historically watered down, with personalities that only revolve around their sexuality but nothing deeper. They are often relegated to being side characters (the “gay best friend” is a popular trope), but never the main character themselves, unless their story revolved around their identity. This has been a source of discourse from the LGBTQ community, as there is a need for more queer characters who are fully fleshed out, with the same desires and ambitions as their cis-hetero counterparts.
Heated Rivalry took the internet by storm, and has been impossible to avoid in recent months. The show is about the spicy, slow-burn love story between rival hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander. The show also follows Scott and Kip, another gay couple whose simpler, out-in-the-open romance acts as a foil for the main couple. This show has been praised for many reasons, from how accurate it is to the original novels of the same name, to the insane chemistry between the actors/characters. It has also been a huge win for the queer community as the main romances are happy, long-lasting, and just as intense as straight romances tend to be. Many hope that the success of Heated Rivalry will pave the way for more LGBTQ media romances in the future.
While LGBTQ representation has come so far in recent years major limitations remain. Many large corporations remain homophobic, which has a huge effect on LGBTQ media being brought to air, as well as it being properly marketed/distributed. For example, Disney has faced backlash for its mixed messages regarding LGBTQ acceptance. On one hand, many praise Disney for being LGBTQ friendly, while others admonish it for how it handled Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill back in 2022. A TV show named The Owl House, created by Dana Terrace, is a Disney original that was cancelled after just two seasons back in 2023, despite being wildly successful. The show contains many characters that are brilliant queer representation, including a non-binary person, several gay couples, and the main character, Luz, is bisexual with a gender fluid identity. Terrace announced that the cancellation was due to the show “not fitting the Disney brand”, which has led a lot of fans to speculate that the real issue Disney had was with the show’s representation.
Another example is the Netflix original, She-Ra and Princesses of Power, a remake of the classic 80’s cartoon created by ND Stevenson, a non-binary person. This show was praised by the LGBTQ community for its diverse representation, as it positively portrayed almost every type of sexuality and gender identity. Lots of people in the community grew up watching this show, and it made them feel seen. Recently, She-Ra has been taken off of Netflix, much to the dismay of the community, especially as it is now considered “lost media” that can only be found on illegal websites. Many believe that the decision to remove the show from Netflix was, at least partially, driven by homophobia.
