Netflix keeps cancelling shows with lesbian leads, and it’s a problem. Most recently, the platform cancelled First Kill, a Romeo and Juliet-esque love story between Calliope Burns, a vampire hunter, and Juliette Fairmont, a vampire, after only one season. The show was well-received by audiences, despite critics giving it harsh reviews. This sparked outrage on social media, with many people recognizing that this is not the first time Netflix has made decisions like this.
Over the last few years, Netflix has cancelled Teenage Bounty Hunters, Everything Sucks! I Am Not Okay with This, One Day at a Time and many more, all of which are shows that starred lesbian characters. This extensive list suggests a trend in which Netflix is more likely to cancel a show early on if it has a lesbian lead(s), as the main commonality between all the shows listed above is just that.
By repeatedly cancelling shows that provide much needed representation, Netflix is contributing to a larger issue in media. Representation in media is highly important for minority groups. Research has shown that positive representation can improve the self-esteem, confidence, and acceptance someone has for themselves. By repeatedly cancelling shows that provide this, Netflix is establishing the narrative that they do not care about lesbians.
As someone who grew up in the age of media, I’ve felt the impact of representation first-hand. When I think about my early teenage years, I remember the lesbian characters I grew up with. Glee’s Santana Lopez easily had the most profound impact on me. Despite having a lot of its own issues, Glee was paramount for lesbian people around my age in helping us come to accept and love ourselves for who we are. Most importantly, it was able to create an ending on its own terms. I was able to see Santana’s story through to the end as the writers had intended, with (spoiler alert!) Santana marrying her long-time girlfriend, Brittany.
When I think about the younger generation of lesbians who are coming into themselves and their identities now, I could only hope that they would be lucky enough to have new characters like Santana to help them feel accepted like I did. However, with platforms like Netflix constantly lifting the hopes of lesbians by introducing shows like First Kill, only to cancel them after a very small number of seasons, many young people may feel like they are not worth being seen in media, thus causing real world issues for them. Netflix needs to address this problem and work towards being better.
Looking at other networks, there are some shows with lesbian representation that haven’t been cancelled and could use all the viewership they can get to ensure a renewal! The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max is about to release season two and A League of Their Own on Prime Video just released season one and is waiting on a renewal. By showing interest in these shows, audiences can help prevent scenarios like the one occurring at Netflix right now.
