Seriously tho why there are so many gay characters in the Netflix series?

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[–]reluctant_commenter 35 insightful - 1 fun35 insightful - 0 fun36 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

I don't think there's anything wrong with people wanting more representation in shows. It is frustrating to see companies thoughtlessly in shoehorn in representation, though-- often invoking stereotypes in the process. I don't feel like I see myself in practically any shows' or movies' L/G/B characters... most of these characters are "quirky" in some immediately distinguishable way. When really, a lot of gay/bisexual people blend in pretty well...

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 40 insightful - 2 fun40 insightful - 1 fun41 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

Raymond Holt (Brooklyn 99, for those unfamiliar) is a great example of a gay character. Being gay is part of who he is, and we see throughout the series that being a gay cop hasn't been easy, but being gay isn't the focus of his character, in any way. He's not an exaggerated stereotype and he doesn't feel tokenistic.

[–]PeakingPeachEaterfemale♀ | detrans🦎 | eater of peaches 🍑 27 insightful - 1 fun27 insightful - 0 fun28 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Exactly!

It would be better if people come up with the character FIRST who happens to be gay instead of going "I want to make a GAY character. How can I make this character GAYER?" Like, no, no no. We want a GOOD character.

They do this same shit when writing female characters(ex. "Strong Girl" trope, "Mary Sue" etc), but I won't even bother getting into that.

[–]oofreesouloo⚡super lesbian⚡ 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You said it all!

[–]oofreesouloo⚡super lesbian⚡ 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I wished it was always like this.

[–]lovelyspearmintLesbeing a lesbian 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I haven't caught up on it, but how did you feel about the reveal that Rosa was bisexual? I stopped watching the show around the time when she came out.

[–]BigMommyMilkersYes, they're real 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Pretty much. Being gay is the extent of the character's personality

[–]PassionateIntensity 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yes. I want complex, meaningful gay characters and stories but I don't want tokenism. Unfortunately it's just so much easier to half-ass it, which Netflix is King of.

[–]Shadow_Lurker 23 insightful - 1 fun23 insightful - 0 fun24 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Most of these characters are paper thin caricatures made to specifically make the tumblr/twitter queer crowd feel good about themselves rather than tell a good story.

The result? Unnecessary sex scenes, shitty drama and unrelatable stories that actual LGB people have no interest in.

[–]Lesbianese⚢ 20 insightful - 2 fun20 insightful - 1 fun21 insightful - 2 fun -  (6 children)

Pandering.

Netflix seems to be willing to host anything that doesn't offend minorities (Cuties, which ironically offended everyone) and they know adding a gay character is going to substantially increase their views. Especially now that anyone can be gay or lesbian in the mainstream movement, then you've still got the straight women and men who get off on same sex couples (not talking about the ones that call themselves "queer"). Oh, and all of the publicity they get from being included in those BuzzFeed-like tier lists and articles

Best LGBTQIA+ shows in 2020!

Jimble comes out as queer in latest Fashion Times episode!

Susie N. Calgary perfectly captures what it's like to grow up LGBTQIA+ in new Netflix original series "Purple October"

/check article

/character is specifically gay or lesbian

[–]ExecuteHomophobes 26 insightful - 3 fun26 insightful - 2 fun27 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

Am I the only one tired of gays and lesbians being used to prop up bad TV shows and movies?

[–]OPPRESSED_REPTILIANIntersex male | GNC | Don't call me "a gay", "twink" or "queen" 18 insightful - 1 fun18 insightful - 0 fun19 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

It's always "LGBTQIA" yet I've never seen an actual intersex character, ever. The closest thing was a Steven Universe being called "intersex" in a promo/ad short, because the creator thought it meant "both sexes" and not a medical condition.

Thrown under the bus, fetishized, and forgotten, but still added to the acronym anyway. Thanks LGBTQ, very cool.

[–]lovelyspearmintLesbeing a lesbian 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Do you think intersex should be under the umbrella in the first place, when it's a health condition rather than a sexuality (if we ignore TQ and A in this scenario)? If they're LGB, they're already included in those categories and therefore don't need the extra letter.

[–][deleted] 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

If you ask intersex people, the vast majority of them do not want to be associated with the LGBTQ+ community by default. Being intersex is nothing like being homosexual, bisexual, or even trans. But because they are such a small group intersex people and intersex advocates get drowned out by people misrepresenting them.

[–]OPPRESSED_REPTILIANIntersex male | GNC | Don't call me "a gay", "twink" or "queen" 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Nope. It is unrelated to LGBT and equating it to a sexuality is a really bad idea, considering there's already the widespread belief that feminine male = gay and masculine female = lesbian. On top of that, in my experience, the gay male community has been EXTREMELY unfriendly to me as an intersex/GNC guy, basically seeing me as subhuman & a porn object because of the way I was born. The lesbian community, which seems to be predominantly radfem, also seems to think that intersex women are "men pretending to be women" are indistinguishable from trans, and see them as a "threat." Neither the T+ nor LGB are ready to touch intersex issues, even if they were in any way related.

Also, I strongly disagree with that last part. I'm homosexual, but I don't identify with "the LGB community." As I've said, for both reasons relating to my intersex condition & many, many others, I neither feel welcome, wanted, nor can I even relate. So I'd ask that you not say anyone is "automatically included", it's just as bad as when people say I am a "LGBTQIA person" by default because I'm homosexual & intersex.

Plus the whole concept of LGB(T) is incredibly Westernized anyway so, there's a good chance I'll just never "get it." But the thing is, that's fine. I don't see why there needs to be "a community" because it makes sexuality sound like a hivemind.

"Drop the I", but also, dismantle the whole thing while we're at it, in my opinion.

[–]lostinreverieMy ovaries are transphobic 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

My favourite story of all time is a visual novel called The House in Fata Morgana, which features an intersex character (handled very well, alongside a host of sensitive topics). Unfortunately, the woke crowd insists on labelling him as trans. No surprises there.

That is the only example of an intersex character I’ve ever encountered, though. (Let’s not talk about futas.)

[–]ThiccDropkickGay 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

There's a balance. On one hand you have people who think any tv show with a gay chracter is SJW pAnDeRiNg but then the other side that thinks any show is brilliant no matter how bad the writing so long as 50% of the cast is queer.

I love seeing gays in TV shows but I'd rather have none if they're poorly written. It sucks when you can tell the writers only put them in there to pander.

[–]OPPRESSED_REPTILIANIntersex male | GNC | Don't call me "a gay", "twink" or "queen" 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Hot spicy take: I am less likely to watch a TV show if it has gay characters in it.

Maybe I want to watch TV to relax & escape, not to be reminded of my own issues.

[–]insta 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Bly Manor (and just netflix in general) is especially bad for this. Ridiculous amounts of diversity and a hamfisted lesbian relationship you could see coming miles away. Netlfix is so obsessed with checking boxes meanwhile the actors can't even maintain a consistent British accent.

[–]crodish 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It's honestly getting to the point where I will avoid any series solely because it has LGBTQIWTF in it. Perhaps I have iNtErNalIzEd hOmOpHoBiA no I'm just sick of the extreme woke pandering.

[–]FrenchiePup 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It's mostly due to checkbox community writing.

The result is usually absolute garbage.

[–]Cicerosolo 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I remember reading a study of British TV (it may have just been the BBC though) that found blacks and gays are overwhelmingly much more represented on screens than they exist in the general population. That's the kind of equality these fools want. The human mind cannot understand nuance. Mind you, these are the same people who shriek women are discriminated against at uni but stats show women outnumber men in so many disciplines like law, medicine, arts