Here we go again, back at it with the gay content. I say that because anyone who’s gay (or anything on the LGBTQ+ spectrum) knows the excitement of relating to something in the public sphere, specifically, GAY COUPLES in TV/MOVIES. Ironically, very few are relatable at all. In fact, some are so ridiculous that my friends and I have SHITY GAY MOVIE NIGHTS just because they are so easy to find and we’ve grown to love them.
Maybe you’ll know what I mean just by hearing the titles:
Girl Trash: All Night Long (as pictured above… see what I mean)
DEBS — ultimate lady spy’s
Can’t Think Straight (wow creative)
Below Her Mouth ….. and so many more.
Gay representation in Hollywood, while entertaining in a sad way, is failing to portray the gay experience miserably. It’s unfortunate because we could make them so much money if they would just fulfill our craving to see something in our perspective.
We are TIRED of seeing 3/4ths of the movie filled with explicit sex scenes while the actual plot is only a sidepiece.
We are TRIED of the abused, harassed, neglected, tortured gay kid storyline with unsupportive parents and no real friends. Maybe gets killed or doesn’t have positive support until the last five min.
We are TIRED of gay couple heartbreak where one of them ALWAYS dies unexpectedly, just when things were about to get real. Or even worse, they break up because they are INSECURE about the relationship?! Seriously this is overused.
We are TIRED of the huge, catastrophic, BIG DEAL that happens when two characters have so much chemistry but they wait until the last 20 mins to let them be together. OR EVEN WORSE, when they don’t get together and they play them off as straight, even though our gaydar is going through the roof. So us at home have to go write fanfictions about what we actually wanted to happen.
We are TIRED of trailers making it look like the gay relationship is a big part of the storyline, but its really just one kiss as a ploy to suck in gay viewers.
You get the point. But really it’s not just about fulfilling our representation craving for ourselves. Its about getting this content our there for EVERYONE to see and enjoy. If this is what people are seeing about us, then no wonder I get anxious holding my girlfriend’s hand in public. This isn’t normal. The movies and tv shows that do it right are the ones that don’t feel the need to call out the character’s sexuality to begin with. Our lives do not stop or revolve around “coming out” or being confused, sex hungry, or sad. There are so many more stories to be told that could change the entire nature of homophobia for the LGBTQ+ community.
For these stories to be told CORRECTLY, there has to be hiring surge for LGBTQ+ directors, actors, producers, and writers. Publication organizations could also be a huge help for getting these stories on top of mainstream platforms. People that are already high up in the film industry can help to get these projects off the ground and toss it off to another TIRED and HUNGRY person too.
Maybe then, my friends and I can have AWESOME GAY MOVIE NIGHTS.
