Queerbaiting is a term that has recently exploded in popular media and discourse surrounding people in the public eye. The definition of queerbaiting itself is to hint at queer relationships or characters, with the goal of attracting LGBTQ+ viewers without alienating homophobic viewers or censors by not explicitly portraying those relationships. It has been identified as a marketing method. Although the concept of queerbaiting has become more common in public discussions surrounding characters in popular culture, it is often forgotten that queerbaiting also clearly applies to fiction and entertainment. . Misuse of the term occurs when it is applied to real people, often those in public life or in the entertainment industry, to make assumptions about their sexuality or exploit their queer identity for financial gain. leading to accusations of doing so.
“Misuse of the term occurs when the term is applied to real people, often in public life or in the entertainment industry, and is used to create speculation about their sexuality or to exploit their queer identity for economic gain. leading to accusations of abusing the
One person who has come under fire for exploiting queer culture by not revealing his sexuality is Harry Styles. This British pop artist is known for his flamboyant style and often wears looks similar to Prince, Billy King, and David Bowie. However, Styles has not publicly declared his sexual orientation, and fans were quick to theorize how genuine his connection to the queer community was. You’ll see this pattern appear over and over again. A recent example is the pressure young actor Kit Connor feels to come out.of heart stopper The actor was accused of queerbaiting because he was perceived as straight while playing a bisexual character. This misplaced anger toward individuals in the entertainment industry can lead to feelings of isolation and anger toward the queer community, which can lead to further division rather than supportive confluence between individuals.
“This misplaced anger towards individuals in the entertainment industry can lead to feelings of isolation and anger towards the queer community, which can lead to further division rather than collaborative confluence between individuals. ”
We now live in a world where, despite extreme backlash against gay rights and identity, major strides have been made in mainstream media recognizing the LGBTQ+ community and championing positive and nuanced representation. is. We’ve all seen characters on TV shows question their sexuality and gender identity and come to different conclusions. So why do we deny celebrities this same experimentation and exploration, and instead label them with an identity that may not even apply to their sexual orientation?
On the one hand, it can be a symptom of heteronormative social ideals – People are identified as straight until proven otherwise. Fans often assume that celebrities or people in the public eye are straight unless they have explicitly come out, and often jump to conclusions that are the basis for their anger. This outrageousness may also be an extension of the parasocial relationships that fans often have with their idols. A parasocial relationship is defined as a one-sided relationship between individuals who are so emotionally invested in the other person that they tend to be oblivious to the other person’s presence. While it’s popular for fans to develop parasocial relationships with their favorite characters through “headcanons” and physical representations of fan fiction, applying these standards to real-life people is difficult for several reasons. It is dangerous. A character’s story always has an ending that is open to interpretation. Even if anime characters die, fans will continue to write fiction about their survival. However, this does not happen with celebrities because they are rooted in reality. Celebrities are still human beings, and their commodification and objectification negates the individuality of their agencies, ultimately making them brands rather than people.
The concept of “queerbaiting” real people goes far beyond the desire for queer representation in celebrities and popular culture. These “fans” adopt a transactional approach to building one-sided relationships by stalking celebrities and even harassing them to express their sexuality explicitly.: I have invested time, money, and interest in you, so I have an obligation to obtain information about you. This is a harmful assumption because it further objectifies people in public spaces and deprives them of privacy and safety from their lives. This transformation of celebrities into spectacles rather than people creates a society in which their actions and relationships are made public.
“The concept of “queerbaiting” real people goes far beyond the desire for queer representation in celebrities and popular culture. By stalking celebrities and harassing them into explicitly expressing their sexuality, these “fans” are taking a transactional approach to building a one-sided relationship. ”
This doesn’t mean that celebrities can’t and won’t exploit the queer community for their own benefit. However, this disingenuous support is known as pinkwashing, a strategy to promote queer rights that is seen as evidence of liberalism, and a more accurate description of the behavior that individuals label as queerbaiting. By aligning themselves and acting otherwise as allies or supportive members of the community, they are far more harmful to the queer community than celebrities who are reluctant to label their sexual orientation. You are creating a false display of alliance.
After all, the term queerbaiting cannot be applied to celebrities. Queerbaiting is simply a tactic used by the media to dehumanize and force public workers to be treated as objects of entertainment rather than people working in public industry. This is a social problem, not an individualistic problem. Because it further perpetuates heteronormative standards and identifies being heterosexual as the default rather than another equal option. By extending compassion, privacy, and understanding to the complex issue of identifying sexual orientation, we can leave queerbaiting only to characters in fiction and move towards a more inclusive and accepting society. We can move as a group.
