OK, I know this sounds like a joke or a stretch of factual reality. Lesbian Apocalypse? Come on. But, with over 10 LGBTQ+ deaths within televised programming in 2016 alone and the cancellation of "Faking It," an MTV show centered on two 'straight' best friends, it sure seems that being LGBTQ+, specifically lesbian, is dangerous in mainstream media. Television is the worst offender of the well-known trope 'Bury Your Gays,' in which LGBTQ+ characters are frequently killed off -- often in tragic ways following a happy or positive event.
Playing heavily into this unfortunate tactic, writers and show runners have the blood of certain women on their hands. For example, Mayfair ("Blindspot"), Bridey ("The Family"), Zora ("The Shannara Chronicals"), Carla ("Code Black"), Julia Mao ("The Expanse"), Ash ("Janet King"), Kira ("The Magicians"), Denise ("The Walking Dead"), Nora and Mary Lousie ("The Vampire Diaries"), Mimi Whiteman and Camilla ("Empire"), Cara Thomas ("Marcella"), Pamela Clayborne ("Saints and Sinners"), Felicity ("The Catch") and Lexa ("The 100"). In total, 15 lesbian women have died from being shot, poisoned, attacked or from coerced suicide. Assuming at the start of the year there were approximately 50 lesbian characters (a generous estimation), these deaths constitute 30 percent of lost representation available on television. Members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies find this unacceptable.
Fans recently erupted in outrage and anger at the disrespectful death of a beloved lesbian character. Commander Lexa kom Trikru, from a popular CW drama, died not once, but twice. Emulating a textbook instance of 'Bury Your Gays,' Commander Lexa was shot by a stray bullet following the intense consummation with her female lover, confidant and fellow leader, Clarke Griffin kom Skaikru. This typical tragedy after hope and happiness is none too surprising for LGBTQ+ characters and their fans.
But why does this matter? Characters are killed off all the time -- especially in violent dramas set during war like "The 100." Why does the fact that they're gay mean anything?
I'll try to explain.
Say you were an apple and everywhere you looked you only saw bananas. You feel lost and sad because no one can relate to your apple-ness. You turn on the television and see only banana characters, until one day you see a bright, shiny, red apple -- just like you! They understand!
You develop an attachment to this character, happy that others can maybe understand your apple-ness through this character as well. And then, the apple is gone. Replaced with another banana, your representation is gone and bananas around you don't understand why it matters so much. There's still banana's on TV, right?
Understand a bit more?
LGBT fans deserve better. Fans of "The 100" understand this, and have banded together to do something about it, creating national organization LGBT Fans Deserve Better to bring awareness to this "apple is less than banana" issue.
"We will no longer settle for dead, sidelined or mistreated characters."
Oso gonplei nou ste odon. Our fight is not over.
