Good and Bad Queer Media

Queer representation on social media

Social media has evolved over the years, and there have been both positive and negative experiences related to the LGBTQ community in terms of how people interact and discuss the topic. Despite the progress made, many people from the queer community continue to experience discrimination, both online and offline." Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual individuals experience multiple forms of discrimination both online and offline." Marciano, A., & Antebi-Gruszka, N. (2022)
As a result, this has sparked more conversations about this topic, leading to both positive and negative experiences for individuals who identify as part of the community. In an article from Tyler Quick, it discusses this topic and how there is still a need for better representation of the community. " The tension between demands for more and "better" queer media and queer theory's antagonism identitarian politics has plunged the queer community into a debate about who and what can claim queerness." Quick, T. (2020). The Queer Public and its Problem with Representation.
More people from the queer community have opened up about their experiences and the lack of representation on social media, film and television. Despite the persisting negative interactions, it doesn't deter activists from speaking up about these issues online and helping to create a more positive and welcoming space for people to share their experiences and discuss the continuous progress that can be made for the LGBTQ community, not only on social media but also in film and television.

Here are some tv shows that have received positive responses from the queer community on social media :

In this scene from an episode of the tv series "Schitt's Creek", the character Patrick, played by Noah Reid, expresses his love to his partner David, played by Dan Levy, by singing to him. It was a moment that the queer community was grateful to have in media and television.

Schitts Creek

This television series delves into the relationship between two characters, Patrick and David, and shares their romance. The show portrays the dynamics of the couple's two families and the positive reactions they had to their relationship.

Feel Good

"I wrote Feel Good to try to accurately depict what it’s like figuring out who you are in the wake of addiction. Another aspect of the show was the familiar to me and occasionally romantic/heartbreaking dynamic of an openly queer person dating a previously straight person and going through that process of self discovery with them. But the main thrust of the show to me has always been somebody discovering how addiction permeates every aspect of their life and relationships, and making the difficult choice to grow, let go of old narratives, and face the demons that are keeping them locked in denial/the egoic self."

Mae Martin talking about the tv show Feel Good

The future of queer media

" The queer youth is demographic, a group that is vulnerable, is demanding an authentic way to express itself " Tianyue Deng. (2020)

These tv shows are examples of some of the more positive representation that we have seen and ones that have gotten the most positive feedback from the community.

This kind of representation in media is a positive step forward toward having a more authentic portrayal of the community. The impact of these shows helps create a space for people to feel confident about their identity and to speak about their experiences, as they can relate to these characters.
Here is a video of people from the queer community sharing their experience of what kind of queer media they have seen and what they think can be improved :

Interview with : Mae Martin

For this project we interviewed comedian/actor Mae Martin someone who identifies as non-binary and is part of the queer community, their experience on social media and the positive changes that they would like/ hope to see for the future of social media.
" I would just love for mainstream media to reflect the diversity of the world around us. Queer people are everywhere. And the more matter-of-fact we are, the more we see queer characters who are incidentally queer but have other interests and aspects to their personalities, the better. I always say this but my gender is not the most interesting thing about me, nor is it a bigger part of me than a cisgender person’s gender is a part of them. It’d be great to see that reflected on screen more "

Mae Martin

References

Marciano, A., & Antebi-Gruszka, N. (2022). Offline and online discrimination and mental distress among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: the moderating effect of LGBTQ facebook use. Media Psychology, 25(1), 27–50. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.csus.edu/10.1080/15213269.2020.1850295
Quick, T. (2020). The Queer Public and its Problem with Representation. Velvet Light Trap: A Critical Journal of Film & Television, 86, 27–36. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.csus.edu/10.7560/VLT8604
Tianyue Deng. (2020). Producing Queer Youth: The Paradox of Digital Media Empowerment. International Journal of Communication (19328036), 14, 3244–3246. https://login.proxy.lib.csus.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cms&AN=149876377

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