Representation Matters: What ‘Real Representation’ Should Look Like for Queer Storytelling in Media

By: Liandra Madrona, Denise Miranda, Allyssa Non

Published: June 15, 2023

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Earlier this month, Filipino GMA actor Joaquin Domagoso made it to the headlines of different entertainment news for playing a transgender woman character for a show called ‘Wish Ko Lang’. The actor was even praised for his performance as stated by various media outlets, indicating that the quality of Domagoso’s acting is not the one to be called out for, but rather the depiction of the role that he is portraying. Contrary to the applause about his acting skills, quite a number of netizens, including trans-model-actress, EJ Jallorina expressed their views regarding what representation of queer stories in the media should look like. The model-actress bluntly stated in her Twitter account that the role of Ahra, a trans woman whom Domagoso starred as, should have been cast to a real transgender woman. While it is true that the entertainment industry, including the Philippines, is not lacking in queer characters, the reductive casting intended to tell the stories of queer people is what is lacking in the media portrayal of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Looking at the past, numerous Filipino television shows and movies that were produced years ago indeed portrayed queer characters, like the classic Vice Ganda-starred movies and Maalala Mo Kaya (MMK) episodes. This demonstrates that way before the LGBTQIA+ community had a place or rather, was already acknowledged in the entertainment media. However as years progressed, our implication of what real representation of queer characters and stories should be has also changed. Compton (2021) stated in their article titled ‘Should straight actors still play gay characters? “It’s complicated”, that authenticity should be a factor when it comes to casting queer actors playing queer characters, in order to depict ‘real representation’ of LGBTQIA+ community stories. In recent years, conversations have sparked about the little to lack ‘real representation’ of the queer community in the media. With this, it is argued that queer characters who are played by queer actors can bring their characters’ stories to life — it’s about authenticity and real, inclusive representation.

While the community is starting to get the recognition they deserve slowly over the years, they begin to have movements to support this. Every June, the LGBTQIA+ Pride Movement commemorates the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. This event began on June 28, 1969, when police officers invaded the Stonewall Inn, a well-known gay bar in New York City’s West Village. A riot was formed and the gay rights movement emerged due to this event. Years later, Pride Month is still celebrated around the world to give the LGBTQIA+ community the chance to express themselves freely, openly advocate their rights, and celebrate their history.

As long as it has been around, the media only seemed to promote heteronormative ideals. The proper and inclusive representation of the LGBTQIA+ community has yet to be recognized within the media industry. Until they are, this will hinder the necessity and potential of reaching audiences unaware of or misinformed about the LGBTQIA+ community. Cejer (2022) points out that the involvement of LGBTQIA+ characters and stories are criticized by people as forced, irrelevant to the story, or simply being played for political games.

Another problem in media representation is queer coding and queerbaiting. Jaigirdar (2021) states that queer Coding may be both negative and positive. They said it is when the characters are not clearly stated that they are queer, but have enough hints for them to be seen as. Authors used this with their characters in media before when queer identities were faced with stigma and they are not able to clearly state that (Jaigirdar, 2021). They pointed out Carson McCullers’ work, ‘The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter’. There are also people who do not comply with the norms’ view of gender that can be queer coded and Jaigirdar (2021) says that an example of this is ‘Harriet The Spy’ by Louise Fitzhugh. However, Jaigirdar (2021) says that if the media only frequently portray queer identities with villains, queer coding can negatively impact the community (Basford, 2019). On another note, queerbaiting baits queer audiences into a piece of media that is very harmful and hurtful. One of the most popular examples of this is J.K. Rowling’s claim that one of her characters, Albus Dumbledore, is gay when it was never implied or stated.

Young people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community mostly find comfort in queer characters in their favorite television series. In order to encourage queer acceptance in our community, LGBTQIA+ must have accurate media representation. To do this, we must convince directors to employ LGBT individuals for their film productions. By doing such, we can make it easier for the community to receive fair representation in TV shows and movies. For instance, Euros Lyn, the director of the Netflix British series ‘Heartstopper’ made sure that in addition to the cast, members of the LGBTQIA+ community made up the production team. This enables them to share and shape their experiences as LGBTQIA+ people. According to a review by Lily Goodman, a lot of people feel represented through watching the series. It was also mentioned that the series showcased the positive aspects of being a queer individual and not just the struggles that come with it. In this day and age, we should work together to ensure that the LGBTQIA+ community is adequately represented in mainstream media. The more we encourage people to hire queer actors and production, the closer we will be to global acceptance for the queer community.

Media representation is important because it paves the way for people to feel what it is like to be in a community and understand their own experiences better. A lot of people from the LGBTQIA+ community grew up feeling that they do not belong anywhere. The media giving an accurate representation helps people feel that they are not alone and it aids them in understanding more about themselves. TV shows and films serve as mediums for changing many traditional perceptions of the queer community and this will strongly benefit those who were left with harsh judgments. Having good media representation points out that everyone is free to be who they want to be and love who they want to love.

Progressing years mean that we should also step up our perceptions and interpretations of our so-called beliefs, including assumptions about discussing sexuality and gender. At this point, the mere acknowledgment of queer characters and roles in media entertainment should not be enough. We should push for more inclusivity and visibility by giving these roles to queer actors and actresses. This is more than the narrative of the ‘actors are just doing their jobs’. We are also promoting equity in terms of acting and performing opportunities for transgender people who work in the entertainment industry. Gone are the days when we condone inaccurate representations of the queer community in the media. We must pave the way for the LGBTQIA+ community because they deserve to feel seen just as much as other communities.

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References

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Bitran, T. (2022, May 18). How the ‘Heartstopper’ Team Found Their ‘Truly Diverse’ Cast. Netflix Tudum; Netflix Tudum. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/heartstopper-casting-video

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