GAYWRITES

Most ace characters on TV besides Todd are relegated to one-off punchlines, implied to be unfeeling sociopaths, or stuck in headcanon. At other times, characters’ asexuality is actively erased (looking at you, Riverdale). So a sustained, sensitive story arc involving a main character is a huge breakthrough for asexual viewers; it was also the catalyst for my own coming out. But to move the representation conversation forward, we must go beyond lauding the mere act of putting an ace character on screen and examine why exactly the effort works so well.

1st Oct 2018 391 notes

Sexuality is a broad and nuanced spectrum. Someone falling for a person who’s outside their own perceived attractions and not wanting to overhaul the entire concept of their sexuality is perfectly legitimate. The problem with media telling that particular story over and over again, however, is that it suggests every bi, pan, or queer sexuality story is just a temporary layover on the way to a more palatable, monosexual destination.

— How Bisexuality on TV Evolved From a Favorite Punchline to a Vital Storyline | Caroline Framke for Vox

18th May 2018 951 notes

'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' saved by NBC → cnn.com

Just a day after Fox announced the cancellation of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, loved for its diverse cast and thoughtful representation, NBC swooped in and ordered a sixth season of the show.

“Ever since we sold this show to Fox I’ve regretted letting it get away, and it’s high time it came back to its rightful home,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment.
He added: “We’re all thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest, and best cast comedies in a long time will take its place in our comedy line-up.”

NINE-NINE!

12th May 2018 666 notes

Brooklyn Nine-Nine” by design incorporated a wide range of tensions about policing into its plot and characters. Holt’s marginalization as a black, gay officer was a core motivation for his character and the critical influence on how he ran the precinct. Peralta’s obsession with an earlier era of the NYPD, one defined both by big cases and grotesque civil rights violations, was the flaw he had to grow beyond to become a truly great cop. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was never solely an issue show, but its commitment to approaching policing from an ethical place was fundamental to its sense of decency, a quality which was itself fundamental to the series.

— Goodbye, ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine.’ And Thank You. | Alyssa Rosenberg for the Washington Post

11th May 2018 514 notes

Fox canceled Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Twitter is rightfully angry. This show did wonders for thoughtful, authentic representation; I’m really sad to see it go.

10th May 2018 11,534 notes

The New York Times ran a headline last summer: “In One Day, Trump Administration Lands 3 Punches Against Gay Rights.” But the first punch that day had nothing do with with gay rights: It was “a tweet from President Trump announcing a ban on transgender people serving in the military."

The Times — which I get delivered, read daily, and which makes up 92% of my recycling — gets this wrong a lot.

But this isn’t just about the Times. It’s about how transgender people are understood in America. Misconceptions about gender identity frequently animate prejudices against transgender people, driving many of the stories about them that become news. Media should clear up those misunderstandings, not fuel them.

Referring to transgender issues as “gay” reinforces the myth that transgender people are defined by sexual predilection. Look no further than campaigns to deny transgender people’s access to restrooms to see how their gender identity is equated with dangerous sexuality.

— The New York Times Needs To Stop Calling All Transgender People “Gay” | Dominic Holden for BuzzFeed

5th May 2018 352 notes

The unspoken factor in Amazon’s search for a new home: Jeff Bezos’s support for gay rights → washingtonpost.com

Although the company’s search materials don’t make it explicit, Amazon has quietly made rights for and acceptance of gay and transgender people part of its criteria in choosing a second headquarters, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk freely. …
In North Carolina, company representatives asked pointed questions of Gov. Roy Cooper (D) about several state policies such as the “bathroom bill,” which restricted the use of public facilities by transgender people, according to a person in the room. In another city, an Amazon executive groaned at the mention of proposed legislation in Georgia that would restrict funding for same-sex adoption, according to another person who attended the meeting between the company and state and local officials.
Given the publicity and economic impact of the project, including as much as $5 billion in capital expenditures, Amazon’s push on gay and transgender rights may increase pressure on state and local policymakers who have either declined to institute equal-rights rules or passed laws some view as discriminatory.

Important. Read the whole piece at the Washington Post.

30th Apr 2018 147 notes

‘Being a queer black woman in America…someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a free-ass motherfucker.’ She initially identified as bisexual, she clarifies, 'but then later I read about pansexuality and was like, ‘Oh, these are things that I identify with too.’ I’m open to learning more about who I am. …

I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you. This album is for you. Be proud.

—

Janelle Monáe. The Rolling Stone interview. YES.

26th Apr 2018 1,933 notes

The Most Influential People of 2018 Are LGBTQ+ | via Them → them.us

TIME Magazine released its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world on Thursday, and a whopping 14 are openly LGBTQ+ by our count, including Janet Mock, Lena Waithe, and Adam Rippon. If this list is any indication, then the ‘90s Lesbian Avengers chant, “Ten percent is not enough — recruit, recruit, recruit!” has finally come to fruition.
For comparison, the 2015 list featured four LGBTQ+ individuals, and last year’s list featured three — Drag Race host RuPaul, actress Sarah Paulson, and Gavin Grimm, the transgender student who sued his high school for its discriminatory anti-trans bathroom policy. Such a high number of LGBTQ+ people on the list this year suggests an upswing in visibility for the community in general. LGBTQ+ people are also represented in a much wider scope than in years prior. The honorees include an Olympic figure skater (Adam Rippon), a prime minister (Leo Varadkar), an astronaut (Peggy Whitson), and a painter (Kehinde Wiley), among others.

“Ten percent is not enough!” I love this. Read the whole piece here.

21st Apr 2018 779 notes

Being a part of the LGBT community, which recognized that reporting I was doing early on and elevated it, and has been such a stalwart source of support through the sexual assault reporting I did involving survivors who felt equally invisible — that has been an incredible source of strength for me. LGBT people are some of the bravest and most potent change agents and leaders I have encountered, and the most forceful defenders of the vulnerable and voiceless, because they know what it’s like to be there.

— Ronan Farrow in a speech at the Point Foundation, where he was honored for his journalistic contributions to the #MeToo movement and confirmed that he is LGBTQ, too. (via the Advocate)

20th Apr 2018 108 notes