Okay, so I'm writing an essay for university on if LGBT representation has improved in film and television, and was wondering if I'd be able get some of your opinions/thoughts on the topic.
I think it has improved. Now we can have gay people in media that aren't villains and/or played for laughs. It's a big step in mainstream perception, who will begin to think of LGBT as "another way to have relationships" instead of "full of flamboyant actions for pure shock value." The next step is likely to get out of token status. We may be a minority, but there are enough of us that we need not be put into media for the sole purpose of being a plot device. I like Modern Family's inclusion of the gay couple. They're there, but nobody really makes a big deal out of it.
I would say yes. It has improved to a tremendous extent. 2011 is the year that I started seeing LGBT characters on TV. The show was Degrassi. Degrassi had a gay character named Riley and other LGBT characters. Another show you should check out is Empire. That show has a gay character named Jamal. The show does a good job of representing him. Look into the Fosters. That show is about a married lesbian couple who raise children in a household. The show does a very good job of LGBT representation. There are other shows on ABC Family that represent the LGBT community well. Try to look into certain shows.
In some cases, yes, although we still need to get rid of harmful tropes and stereotypes. It's ok to have tropes fit certain characters, but I get tired of it when it affects every single character. I can't speak for men as I'm not one. But sadly, the best lesbian representation I've ever seen was the Golden girls episode "Isn't it romantic?". And that was aired in 1986. I hated the L word, and every lesbian show I've seen afterward had the girl getting killed or falling for/sleeping with a guy. At least Jean's sexuality was respected; it was a cute episode about an unrequited crush. No men forced on her and she survived. I want more lesbians to be shown this way. I feel that lesbian representation has gotten better in video games though, especially in Dragon Age: Inquisition; as Sera doesn't have any harmful tropes listed above. But I feel good lesbian representation is few and far between.
Yes for gay. No for bi, trans, or lesbian. Maybe it's "better" but not nearly enough to be given credit to. Lesbians always die, bi women are just confused, bi men are not real, trans people are one in a million.
I don't know if you know the Norwegian show SKAM but its 3th season discussed a lot of LGBTQ+ related subjects I've never seen on TV/in Movies, in an amazing way. I think it's a great example of how LGBTQ+ could be better represented. But in general I do think there are some really progressive shows out there, it could just be a lot better still.
I'd say it just depends. There's a lot of the dead lesbian trope going around but shows like the Fosters help move us past that. There's a really good episode of Black Mirror that I'd say kinda spits in the dead lesbian trope's face, while also featuring a bisexual poc female lead which I'd say is progress. I don't know much about gay men on TV but I'd say their problem is the flamboyant token gay trope. Also there are too many pasty white gay guys on TV in my opinion :/ I have yet to see a bisexual male on tv and I have seen one bisexual female. (Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is also arguably bi or pan but she identifies as a lesbian on the show so she's not)
