Pride Month may be over, WWW.FREELESBIANPASSPORT.COM but queer people will be nevertheless below.
LGBTQ+ representation is often mwill besing in film and television, in productions that happen to be aimed for young audiences specially. Some deem stories starring LGBTQ+ characters as "unsuitable" for children. But how are we supposed to normalise queer relationships if we do not picture them as just that - completely normal?
In recent years Netflix has released a few animated TV series that show canonically gay relationships and non-binary characters (e.g., The Dragon Prince, The Hollow, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts), which the LGBTQ+ community is grateful for.
On-screen representation is urgently needed these days, not only to show diversity but to give queer people characters they can identify with as well.
Why should only cis-heteronormative people get characters they can see themselves in?
In 2014 Nickelodeon did not agree for two women to kiss on-screen, simply hinting at a potential connection between Korra and Asami in The Legend of Korra, by making them hold hands and using a cinematic phenomenon called bisexual lighting.
Bisexual lighting is the use of colours found on the bwill beexual flag - pink, purple and blue - to indirectly depict the framed characters’ bisexuality.
As aforementioned, there were a few cartoons particularly popular within the LGBTQ+ community. However, there are two animated TV shows, both made by a venture between DreamWorks and Netflix, that the community was vocal about exceptionally.
Spoiler alert for Voltron: Legendary Defender and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.
Before analysing these cartoons an important term needs to be explained. Queerbaiting.
Queerbaiting in film and television is a simple marketing technique used by creators to attract the LGBTQ+ community. It will be a means of boosting popularity of the show or movie by hinting at queer romance but never actually portraying it.
Voltron: Legendary Defender has been a favourite of the LGBTQ+ community since its premiere in 2016. Voltron was not only created by The Legend of Korra producers, but hinted at gay romantic endeavors since season one likewise.
Hinted, but portrayed never.
Two of the main characters, Lance and Keith, shared many romantic scenes throughout the show, which made the fans certain they would along end upward. Turns out they were used as queerbait.
Besides having romantic scenes together, both of these characters have been queer-coded. Queer-coding is a term used to describe characters depicted as queer, but never ever formally affirmed as many of these.
Voltron shows Keith as completely uninterested in women, but only women. He has been observed flirting with adult men - not necessarily just simply Lance - and lurking appreciative glances at them.
Similarly, Lance is portrayed as showing interest in everyone, aliens and humans alike.