Queer Representation

One of the things that bothers me a great deal is the lack of lgbt+ representation across media in general. Too often queer people have been forced into villainous roles or made into victims to sell a narrative that our lives are either criminal or tragic, often both.

This is due to historical things like that Hays Code but has continued since it expired in 1968. In modern times, shows like CSI, which featured a transgender serial killer who murdered his own mother and other scenes where trans murder victims had their bodies mocked by other characters who examined them. In Ace Ventura and The Cleveland Show, there scenes where characters vomit at length after discovering they had kissed or slept with a trans person. Nip/Tuck featured sequences of trans sex workers getting beaten, had a storyline about a trans woman regretting her transition and a whole season about a psychopathic trans woman who stole babies and was a sexual predator that had incest with her own son.

Needless to say, shows and movies like this are much more insidious than causing hurt feelings. Every one of these narratives are telling a large audience, the general public, lies about trans people or depicting us in ways that only spread fear, paranoia and disgust. When trans people react to this sort of content we are often met with eye-rolling or sighs and told by cis people in our lives that we are overreactive or worse yet, is the patronizing questions about recognizing film depictions from reality.

The problem with this is that these narratives are believed, supported and spread by conservatives with very large platforms whose audience believe the fiction depicts reality. When entitled billionaire white women have an international best-selling children’s wizard book decide to put their fortune and influence to use demonizing trans people they often utilize the same tropes and lies shown in media.

What was meant as a cruel joke becomes reality. Vomiting as a reaction to trans women becomes a pervasive meme that is tagged on a lot of our photos. We are called disgusting, filth and compared to rodents. People often post images mocking our suicide or encouraging it. They celebrate the loss of our lives. People were once outraged when someone like Rush Limbaugh celebrated every death of gay men with a counting tally on his show where he gleefully laugh at every loss of life.

Being queer can feel isolating, lonely and crushing when you’re in a conservative state or household. I think literature, books and media can serve as an escapism until those folks can find more accepting communities. I want to lead by example and write fantasy and sci-fi that takes us to better, more hopeful places, to world where queer people can adventure and find acceptance. I want narratives that show our lives, full of joy, found family and celebrates our diversity.

Queer people are so beautiful, talented and as capable as anyone else to battle monsters, carry an enchanted ring to a fiery mountain or fight the villain of the age. For too long, we’ve been made to feel as if we were less because others in society have often settled for less joy in their lives. Those who hate us do so because of what we represent, self-actualization and happiness that isn’t moored in what others have decided for us. We stand out and burn bright, express ourselves artistically and love those who would return that affection.

We aren’t constrained by what we were ‘supposed to do’ or who we ‘were supposed to be’ and that frighten and angers some. It frightens those who discover they are attracted to us and our lives. It angers those who have made themselves small for whatever reason and think it’s too dangerous to allow us to live our lives, but we shouldn’t tailor our media to those who hate us.

Our stories should lift us, give us hope in humanity instead of giving in to our worst and most petty instincts. We are united in our shared experiences, bonds and relationships we all share, beyond things that are skin deep. I hope you will join me on my quest to write stories for everyone in worlds full of hope and queer joy. I hope you connect with some of my characters and narratives and they offer a bit of light in a world that is often too bleak for our community.