it just needs to be a regular part of their character
2014-02-14
i can”t remember what i was reading… oh, no, wait. it was this article on frozen
It’s an entire story full of strange and unusual characters, and Mitch’s homosexuality is one of the least noteworthy traits any of these characters have. I am an outspoken advocate of the idea that homosexuality needs to start being treated in mainstream movies like it isn’t a big deal.
i used to feel the same way…
but i actually hate this point of view now. the later comment about how queerness is often considered a ‘special piece” is okay. but.
i hate this notion that what counts as representation in media means having characters who are, all other things being equal, indistinguishable from their straight counterparts. indeed, when this is done with dumbldore, people aren”t actually very happy about it. because. yeah, there is litterally nothing in the books/movies1 to actually suggest that this is the case. now, even if jk had actually said (just once) ‘dublmdore is gay” would this actually make a difference for whether or not it counts as meaningful representation and inclusion?
no.
why?
because it trades on this notion that the end goal of all of this is assimilation. that what is most desirable, in the end, is that differences disappear and you can”t actually tell the difference between the deviants and the normal ppl.
like.
if in 99.99999% of all media the heterosexuality of the characters is like one of their main, defining traits. one of the things that we all know about the person, part of what always drives their narratives and plots…
why the fuck should it be any different for the queer characters?