As time goes on and society seems to become more accepting, more and more films and media are being created that aim to support and represent the LGBTQ+ community. But what actually makes these mediums supportive and not just performative? When these productions directly support queer communities and foundations, it goes a much further way than when they just aim to demonstrate representation.Â
A new rom-com coming out in September of this year, Bros (2022), has excited fans with its plot of essentially following the structure of a typical rom-com, minus the typical heterosexual couple. Not too much is known about this film yet, except that it follows two gay men, their fear of commitment, and their journey through love. A classic. But what makes this film so important for LGBTQ+ representation is the cast list. Billy Eichner, one of the movie’s creators, prides himself on the fact that not only is this film the first major gay rom-com, but it is also “the first major studio film with an all LGBTQ+ cast in all the roles—even the straight roles.” This film serves not only to show representation but also to include it. Plenty of films and shows I have seen that have LGBTQ+ representation tend to miss the mark with the casting. As accurate and characteristic as the production may be, there are typically straight actors playing queer characters, and something about that always sits weirdly with me. I’m glad to see Hollywood is starting to take steps to make changes in the way they are doing things. Nothing will ever be perfect, but we are slowly getting there.’
Another production that has been making headlines lately that has done something substantial for the LGBTQ+ community is the Netflix series, Heartstopper (2022). If you haven’t seen this series yet, you’re missing out. Based on a graphic novel of the same name, the series follows a group of high schoolers and their experiences with love, friendships, and everything in between. This coming-of-age series has proved to be a comfort show for people of all sexualities as everyone seems to find a character they can relate to. But, aside from all that representation among show characters, Alice Oseman (the novel’s author) and Parick Walters (the show’s executive producer), worked hard to curate the perfect soundtrack for this series, and boy, did they succeed. Attitude magazine reports that “of the 34 songs on Heartstopper’s Official Mixtape playlist on Spotify, roughly half are by queer artists, both established…and emerging,” something done entirely on purpose and not very often. Many of these artists have gained so much success from this representation, their Spotify monthly listeners skyrocketing as more individuals are exposed to their music. This shows firsthand how important representation is in productions, both on and off the screen. Â
While representation that lacks some of this support isn’t bad representation, it is important to make sure that we advocate and promote those that don’t. These two productions alone have made so many headlines and also made so many queer communities feel heard, just imagine what the normalization of this could do.