(Potential spoilers)
Finding decent LGBTQ+ representation in the media is particularly hard. The mainstream media often entirely disregards LGBTQ+ representation, and even when the community is represented, the characters are often created to be tokenistic, stereotypical and are rarely ever made to be protagonists. While strides in recent years have been taken to improve this representation, even now there is still an abundance of work to be done.
One harmful LGBTQ+ trope that the mass mainstream media seems particularly fond of is the ‘Bury your gays’ trope. The term, which popped up in the 19th century and continues to plague LGBTQ+ characters throughout fictional media, is used to describe storylines where one or more LGBTQ+ character is killed off. When the media decides it is time to ‘bury’ one of their LGBTQ+ characters, it is often done so in an insensitive way and more often than not, it is done completely unnecessarily.
The examples are endless. Why after countless near-death experiences, did Killing Eve’s writers feel it necessary to kill off Villanelle just as her and Eve were about to achieve their long-awaited happy ending? Why did Orange is the new black decide to kill off one of the show’s most beloved characters, Poussey, in one of the most gut-wrenchingly brutal scenes of the show? While Poussey’s death conveyed an incredibly important message about police brutality and systematic racism, her death within the show provided LGBTQ+ audience members with a harsh reminder that LGBTQ+ characters are often seen as disposable, this being one of the reasons that they are so often killed off. The same can be said for Villanelle’s death in Killing Eve, her death was entirely unnecessary, and it is blatantly apparent to me that the writers chose to end the show that way simply for the shock factor, once again reminding audiences how little the media cares about LGBTQ+ characters.
Why, when LGBTQ+ representation is already so dismal, does the media feel the need to give LGBT+ characters and couples such a grotesquely unfair and depressing ending? Why in 2023 do we still see this trope so often?
It is now, just as it has always been, undeniably vital that genuinely good LGBTQ+ representation is brought into the mainstream media. Good representation helps fight stereotypes, educate people outside of the community, and helps those within the community to feel seen. For some, this representation can be life changing. This all begs the question, will the mainstream media start letting LGBTQ+ characters have a happy ending? Or, will the community continue to be subjected to the same old stereotypes, tropes and un-diverse representation.