Are we finally embracing queer people in pop culture?

By Suzan Kinran •

Raise your glass for the TV and the music industry for their continuous involvement with LGBTQ+ representation during the last decade. It is safe to say that the media has never been more queer, since the shining days of David Bowie. Although many people are still criticizing this new advancement, the opposition to queer portrayal will not be enough to stop it from growing and continuing to break down boundaries. It is about time we start to accept queer people in the mainstream.

You could feel the shift in the universe when Lady Gaga rose to fame a decade ago with “Born This Way.’’ For many queer teenagers, she had become more than crazy wigs and dresses. I see her as the Gen-Z’s Bowie. She was able to execute exactly what he started 20 years before, and she was able to conquer and re-queer the mainstream.

TV has become a platform where queer producers and actors have been able to tell their own stories without any sugarcoating. There have been more queer romances than ever on TV and it is something that I love the most about it. I think Netflix has done an excellent job of letting LGBTQ+ people express themselves as they should, with shows like “Heartstopper” breaking down many stereotypes.

On the other hand, the portrayal of LGBTQ+ media on television and in the movies has been vastly different. Numerous major studios have persistently failed to include gay representation. The outcry for this bias has also been enormous.

When Timothée Chalamet lost the Oscar Award for best actor in 2018 with “Call Me By Your Name,” many questioned the Academy for being homophobic. His portrayal of Elio Perlman has made me connect to myself more than any other movie. I also love Gary Oldman but seriously? I still have several unanswered questions, dear Academy.

The gap between embracing and despising the image of LGBTQ+ people has been difficult to ignore, yet we can still grow and give ourselves chances to be better humans. As we have more social interactions with each other, we begin to gain a brand new perspectives from all around the world. It is critical to be open-minded as the world evolves to become better than it was before. I feel that as long as LGBTQ+ celebrities, performers and allies continue to speak up, we will be able to welcome queer people everywhere in the world—especially in the mainstream.