The endless debate of LGBTQ representation in popular media: society needs to stop being hypocrites

Disney has once again proved its supportive stance towards the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) community through the representation of homosexual relationship in its recent release of Toy Story’s spin off, Lightyear (2022). Although it marked another victory for LGBTQ members and advocates, the film did not pass censorship in Indonesia; thus banned from cinemas, following the backlash from conservatives and Indonesian Censorship Commission. Queer representation in the media has been an endless contentious debate. Back in the days, queer representation was limited to the “happy jolly” gay and provocative lesbians who attract the male gaze–resulting in the demand for more diverse portrayals of LGBTQ. While the portrayal of diverse LGBTQ members on screen has long been overdue, the progress of acceptance remains stagnant in countries with radical religious values–for LGBTQ is considered a taboo and deviant of the holy scriptures. They fear that depictions of same-sex relationships would put children in a sexual identity crisis and lead them to “committing sin”. This is not the first time that a children’s movie was banned, in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, the live action remake of Beauty and The Beast (2017)–starring the queer-coded sidekick “Le-Fou”–was banned with respect to the Islamic teachings.

Often, the issue of censorship reveals how hypocritical the government and society is. In Indonesia for one, the Indonesian Child Protection Commission believes that children should not be exposed to any LGBTQ portrayal because it can interfere with their moral and identity development.  If, LGBTQ characters are detrimental to children’s moral values, don’t we have something to say about “Snow White” or “The Sleeping Beauty” whose princes show lack of consent by kissing the princesses while they are asleep? In fact, they have committed sexual assault, and I believe it is not a “morally correct” content for children. Furthermore, it is urgent that we acknowledge that essentially, the main issue is the heteronormative society that creates the binary opposition of heterosexuality as “normal” and homosexuality as “abnormal”. Had we not instilled this false notion, we would have not feared that our children would suffer from an “identity crisis”. Furthermore, by banning content with LGBTQ representations in children’s media, not only are we symbolically annihilating LGBTQ individuals, but we are also inhibiting children’s exploration of their sexuality and limiting their worldview. Through exposure to various identities, including LGBTQ characters, children would learn that nuclear families can also be a joint of two fathers or two mothers, not only one mother and one father. Besides, adolescents struggling to find their “true self” may gain confidence after identifying themselves with a queer character. If anything, the real “identity crisis” in question surfaces not because of the “immoral” LGBTQ characters, but because children are afraid to express their sexuality due to social prejudice. Indeed, religion must be observed and respected–but it shall not justify bigoted acts such as depriving the LGBTQ community from their fundamental rights to be seen and acknowledged.

Nonetheless, LGBTQ representation should not merely become tools to promote the “LGBTQ propaganda” and serve the interests of capitalist entities. In social media, heterosexuals are often ridiculed for their sexuality and relationship, once again creating false ideals of what should be considered as “natural”. Teenagers jump on the bandwagon to acquire approval from their peers despite their lack of understanding about sexuality and gender, whereas TV shows that portray LGBTQ characters are considered “trendy”. Consequently, many companies take advantage of stereotypical tropes of “queer” characters and turn them into their selling point to save their reputation. This so-called “queerbaiting” has become a trend even in the Korean entertainment sphere. While they never explicitly show support towards the LGBTQ community, entertainment companies push the “queerbaiting” agenda by giving extra promotions for members whom fans “ship”, forcing them to act as if they are romantic couples. Another sensation among youth is the boys’ love (BL) web dramas. Park Jae-chan, a member of boyband “DKZ”, has brought his team to popularity after starring in a popular BL drama Semantic Error (2022). The rather positive reaction towards this drama and “queerbaiting” acts is intriguing, as South Korea is renowned as a conservative country. In 2022, christian and conservative groups joined hands in rallying against the queer parade. Moreover, same-sex marriage has not been legalized (as in Taiwan or Singapore), and the prejudice against LGBTQ community is deeply ingrained in Korean society. Therefore, “queerbaiting” is a disrespectful and hypocritical act towards the LGBTQ community, as companies treat queer fans as money-making machines by selling “fake queer identities”.

In conclusion, while it is important to stay true to one’s faith–which prohibits same-sex relationships–it is also critical to educate our kids that there are different sexual identities. These sexual identities can be introduced to children through media content. Let’s not forget that everyone, including children, can be “queer” too. Through identification with the media characters, children who are exploring gender and sexual identities may feel “seen”, and therefore gain one’s sense of self. Instead of bigotry, I believe that teaching children the essence of every religion, which is to love and respect others, will help them grow as tolerant and open-minded individuals. Regardless of numerous representations made by companies such as Disney, if society is not ready for the conversation, the efforts will be pointless. Most importantly, LGBTQ representation should not be used for one’s advantage, but rather to tell the world about their existence. Therefore, before producing a media content including “LGBTQ members”, ask yourself: to whom is this movie presented for? Is this genuinely to acknowledge their existence or merely to reap profit? If it’s the latter, then there is no point in releasing it. While we are still far from an LGBTQ friendly society, we must at least take the first step: to stop being hypocrites and focus on the real issue. Children should be taught about how to love themselves (if they are queer) and others who are different from them, and the LGBTQ community deserves genuine and diversified representation in popular media.