LGBT+: A Minority Within A Minority

For those whose sexualities don’t agree with the traditional classification of strictly straight, it can be hard to feel accepted, period. One’s favorite TV shows begin to fall flat, and what used to be their favorite movie now seems a little too forced. Beloved stories losing meaning is perhaps the worst of all. Books are supposed to be an escape, where we meet new people and live other lives.

For most of the LGBT+ community, however, this just doesn’t happen. We realize we don’t connect with all the straight characters from that one TV show we used to watch religiously. We grow tired of the constant stream of men’s lips on a women’s. We don’t see ourselves.

Let’s talk about representation, shall we?

LGBT YA author Patrick Ness says in a tweet, “All I’ll say is, as a gay kid, I never saw myself in books and felt completely alone. Never again. Not as long as I’m writing.” This is a statement many LGBT+ members can relate to. Representation is important. It makes us feel justified in who we are, that we matter, that we’re normal. Look at any of your favorite characters, both from books and TV. There’s a reason they’re your favorite, and it isn’t just because they’re attractive or charming. We feel for characters because we see ourselves in them, bits of pieces of who we are and who we hope to be. This is representation at its heart. Without it, we’d feel insignificant and lost, an eraser smudge on society’s Oscar-winning script.

That’s not to say there isn’t representation for the LGBT+ community. There is, and we have made great strides over the years. ABC Family, for example, is known for diverse shows like The Fosters and Chasing Life, which portray LGBT+ characters. CW’s The 100 features a bisexual protagonist, as well as a gay side character. Moreover, books like Patrick Ness’ More Than This, and More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera, follow the lives of gay male protagonists.

But have you noticed anything?

The thing is, most critically-acclaimed diverse entertainment stars gay males. Yes, there are exceptions like The Fosters and The 100, but look around and most LGBT+ stories turn out to be just G stories. Take Glee, for example. While there was a lesbian relationship between Brittany and Santana, it fell flat in the shadow of Kurt and Blaine. Not to mention Brittany and Santana were side-characters, just as Kurt and Blaine were before being upgraded to main stars. Then there are movies like The Way He Looks and Brokeback Mountain, iconic for their portrayal of the LGBT+ Community. And yet, even those two movies lack any other characters aside from two gay male leads.

Through all of this, an important question arises;

Where are all the lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer characters? Not just strictly gay males.

Understand that acknowledging gay males in entertainment isn’t an issue. It’s great, and it is important representation.

But it is a small fraction of what we need. Off the top of my head, only a handful of female-centered LGBT+ movies and shows come to mind. Books are even worse, with less than four prominent titles. People keep telling me to look harder, that there are plenty of stories with powerful, queer female leads.

But tell me, why should I have to look harder? Why aren’t there popular, headlining titles with female leads, just as there is with gay male leads?

It is here where the realization is made that, when it comes to representation in entertainment, LGBT+ is a minority within a minority. Males overshadow females and non-binary individuals. Males overshadow, period. Almost all of the LGBT+ books I’ve read focus on gay males. I’ve read two female-driven stories. Two. It’s ridiculous that even when regarding a minority, males are dominant.

So what can we do to improve this?

Well, we can start by focusing on other sexualities. Not just gay males, but bisexual males, bisexual women, confused individuals and those who identify as non-binary. We use the term LGBT+ for a reason. It encompasses many sexualities and identities.

As a bisexual woman myself, my one wish is that I can walk into Barnes and Noble and find myself hidden amongst the Young Adult section. I am tired of seeing shelves overflowing with the lives of gay males and nothing else.

Don’t stop writing gay male characters. But don’t solely focus on them, either. Let’s bring to light other identities, because they deserve to be acknowledged just as much as anyone else.