17. whatās your biggest pet peeve when it comes to lgbtq characterization in media?well, honestly, (and this is probably a pretty small thing compared to larger lgbt representation issues in media but) i really wish lgbt people would stop being introduced as side characters. representation is cool but it still blasts the message that lgbt people take a backseat to non-lgbt people and that weāre inconsequential.Ā
i know this is probably unintentional to a degree but, i guess, what iām getting at here is that i want more lgbt main characters, or at least more characters where we dont just happen to see that theyre gay because you catch them in one specific scene holding hands with their partner... or thereās no question about whether or not a character is trans, because, uh, they say that theyre trans.
im also not saying speculating about characterās sexualities and genders is a bad thing. iām just saying i wish writers wouldnt shy away as much from having an lgbt character as a characters of Importance n would strike a balance between the character being the āuhhhh im gay and i only ever talk about being gayā lgbt character and being theĀ āi give no indication that im lgbt ever and once my show has ended and the writer will tell the world that i am, in fact, lgbtā lgbt character.
any tips for heterosexual and/or cisgender people on how to handle lgbtq events/news?as far as personal reactions to events go, how you feel is how you feel. however, how you react to lgbt people reacting is kind of what iām focusing on here - i think itās a bit of a bigger issue than how non-lgbt people should deal with lgbt news.
listen to us if weāre upset about something and dont shrug us off. let us grieve for our losses, let us be angry, and let us tell you why! itās so discouraging to be told that the issues that affect you and your way of life Directly donāt matter enough to be upset about.Ā donāt act like a hate crime wasnt a hate crime (see: pulse shooting), and in general donāt try to downplay acts of violence upon us.Ā
lgbt people are constantly talked down to by cishet people all the time - not everyone, obvs, but lots - about how we should or shouldnāt handle ourselves in times of crisis... hell, in times of victory, during pride month, literally all the time. so. iād say think about that when you hear about things on the news/in the media, and attempt to put yourself in the position of others who are lgbt and will be directly affected by said information.
