Hi Folks I was watching a youtube series on lgbt in the media and was struck by just how far we've come in my lifetime regarding positive representation on TV etc. But I was also struck (again) with how few positive portrayals in the media (TV, film, music) I could find for the 'plusses' of the LGBTQ+ community - the non-binaries, asexuals, objectum-sexuals and others. For example, the only positive portrayals I could find of technosexuality are in the Blade Runner films (I love Joi) - usually people (always men?) who fall in love with mannequins, robots, computers etc are portrayed as 'sad' and are eventually 'cured' - not the greatest positive representation. What am I missing? But at least I have this Trixie Mattel song, which I can take far too literally and enjoy:
Hey, I agree with you that there is little tv and media representation for asexuals, non-binary people etc... and that they deserve more representation. I think there is an expectation from the people who fit those categories to create their own content, hence why a lot of the LGBTQ+ medias you can find are created by fellow queer people. Regarding objectum-sexuals (that I am not even sure is part of the LGBT community?) it is such a niche thing, and something that is considered (wrongly maybe?) as slightly taboo so I think there is genuine will from known producers to avoid positive representation of such topic (unless it adds to a narrative such as giving a ''creepier'' aura to an evil and slightly deranged character etc...) and a lack of interest from the LGBTQ+ community to claim it as one of their issues that needs more light (as I am not even sure myself that it's an LGBTQ issue?). I did see a few documentaries about objectum-sexuals in my home country and it's true that those people were portrayed as ''sad'' and ''slightly deranged'' and that the documentaries was in many ways made to make fun of people like this, which is sad and wrong. That being said I personally don't know if that's something I would want to see more of on TV? I would have zero interest in watching a movie about someone falling in love with a car or a random object. I think someone who isn't objectum-sexual would really struggle to make a movie about it, that would not somehow be a comedy and make a mockery of people who are which I think would defeat the point of what you want people to perceive people who are into objects as. And as a queer person I don't personally find it my issue to fight but I can understand why someone who is would want more representation of it in media, just like we do. It's one of the cases where I find objectum-sexual individuals are probably the best placed to make that content and better target their core audience.
Well, I mean, the music videos of Marilyn Manson, the stage performances of David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. Pretty much any movie Richard O'Brien (who identifies as third gender) has directed or been in or any of his plays. A little more obscure, but there's a movie called "God Told Me To" about a character who may or may not be third gender.
Richard O'Brien is a good shout, @Benway @Linning, I thought every a/sexual variety potentially fell under the '+', but I might be wrong. There's so many people who are grey, Demi, aro, ace, ficto, techno, objectum or other out there, it would seem weird to me to exclude them - though we do get excluded fairly often from LGBT areas and Pride etc. If we're not even welcome in that community then we truly are isolated. It's just a matter of time, though - eventually LGBT will be superceeded by a 'all sexualities/genders are valid' community, it's heading that way anyway. A lovely clip from Bladerunner 2046 that melts my heart:
Here, this is that movie I was telling you about, the trailer, anyway. I have it on Blu-Ray, somewhere. But it's about a character (or I should say characters) that's third gender but doesn't know it. I don't want to give too much away, and it has been awhile since I saw the movie. But the main character is a detective who has to deal with a bizarre string of murders in which when all the perpetrators are questioned as to why they did what they did they simply respond "God told me to." It came out in, I want to say 1976 or 1977 and was written and directed by Larry Cohen, who also wrote the movie "Phone Booth." In true 70s fashion it does not have a happy ending and is mostly doom and gloom, but its protagonist is portrayed as being an upstanding person.
