Representation

WE NEED QUEER REPRESENTATION.

Editorial submitted anonymously Design by Alex Newberg, Editor-in-Chief

In 2019, a study conducted by the UCLA Williams Institute School of Law concluded that 4.5% of the population of Georgia identifies as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, or about 1 in every 23 people (The Williams Institute). With a statistic this high, one would think there would be a proportionate amount of representation in media.

While queer representation has progressed immensely in recent years, the media is still unbalanced, and most representation comes in the form of stereotypes and clichés.

Especially in school, most children grow up only learning about the straight, cisgender way of life, from their health classes to the literature that they read in English classes.

There are many issues to tackle within this topic, but for the sake of brevity, the focus of this discussion will be on high school English classes. There needs to be more LGBTQ+ representation in the books high school students read in their English classes.

Heteronormativity is a painfully prevalent issue in many facets of today’s society. Most movies have little to no queer representation, and most featured LGBTQ+ characters are token gays, in which a character’s orientation or gender identity is their only personality trait.

Gay men are portrayed as very effeminate, they love shopping, and they often help the protagonist with their “makeover”, like Barry in “The Prom”. Lesbians are shown as overly sexual and almost predatory, like Louisa in “Jane the Virgin”. This representation is hardly any better than having none at all and still contributes to heteronormativity by treating queer characters as outsiders or exaggerated caricatures.

While integrating more LGBTQ+ representation into English classes will not fix the issue completely, it could make all the difference in the world to a student who hasn’t yet realized their identity. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is an excellent example of a book with great representation. Although it’s best suited to a high school audience Although it’s best suited to a high school audience at at the youngest, Red, White & Royal Blue has some the youngest, “Red, White & Royal Blue” has some of the most realistic representations of queer people in literature. The book has characters that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and possibly polyamorous.

However, unlike many other works, all of these characters are depicted realistically. Rafael Luna is a prime example of this, as he identifies as gay, but is nothing like the flamboyantly feminine characters most often portrayed in media. Rafael is a middleaged Mexican-American politician. He acknowledges that he has a more difficult time being elected to the Senate because of his race and orientation, but he also faces other issues in the story that are completely unrelated to his sexual identity.

Some of his problems relate to his sexuality, but rather than the typical coming out story, he struggles with reelection for the Senate, among other problems not often represented in media.

One example of this struggle is Alex’s suspicion that “the soulful brown eyes and perfectly groomed stubble and dramatic cheekbones won back any stubble and dramatic cheekbones won back any votes votes Luna lost by being both Latino and openly gay” Luna lost by being both Latino and openly gay.” (McQuiston 56). This issue isn’t something that is shown very often, This issue isn’t something that is shown very often, but homophobia in elections is a real issue that queer but homophobia in elections is a real issue that queer politicians face, and it’s refreshing to see a character politicians face, and it’s refreshing to see a character actively combatting this bias. actively combatting this bias. Rafael is just one example of many in this book and Rafael is just one example of many in this book and others of realistic LGBTQ+ representation. Being others of realistic LGBTQ+ representation. Being exposed to this media at a young age would help exposed to this media at a young age would help combat heteronormativity by showing characters like combat heteronormativity by showing characters like Rafael who don’t conform to stereotypes and seem Rafael who don’t conform to stereotypes and seem like real people. like real people. Realistic characters do more than just combatting Realistic characters do more than just combatting heteronormativity. For someone who hasn’t heteronormativity. For someone who hasn’t discovered their identity yet, a character like Simon discovered their identity yet, a character like Simon from “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” might from Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda might help help them realize their identity. them realize their identity.

It could be paramount to someone’s journey of selfdiscovery to see someone like them represented in the media they consume, and high school is the perfect time for these kinds of realizations.

Especially at a young age, it is important for people to see themselves represented in the media, and characters like Simon are great for that because he is widely relatable to many people. He embodies the queer high school experience, as he struggles with coming out, balancing friendships, and protecting the people he loves.

For a high school English student, Simon could be the first real representation they see, which may make them feel more seen and accepted. By offering relatable characters for queer youth to project themselves onto, “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” helps show its readers that being LGBT+ isn’t something to be ashamed of, but rather something to embrace.

As Victor, a character in a spinoff series to “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” so appropriately says, “Maybe one day I can inspire someone to be themselves” (Love, Victor). Simon, Victor, and countless other characters in queer media do exactly that for many people on their path to self-discovery by being role models and offering representation for those who would otherwise go unnoticed by the greater public.

Until recently, many of these role models didn’t exist, or at least weren’t written about. However, contrary to the popular belief that no one was queer until the late ‘60s, there have been many people throughout history for which there is solid proof that they took lovers of the same gender.

These few have survived the straightwashing of history and bloomed into iconic stories and role models for LGBTQ+ people in the modern day.

For example, Anne Lister lived in the late 1700s and early 1800s and wrote many diary entries detailing her various sexual exploits with other women. was in love with his companion, Hephaestion, and was in a relationship with him during his expansion of the Macedonian empire.

Even earlier than that, many theorize that the Greek hero Achilles had a similar arrangement with his companion, Patroclus, and parts of their relationship are outlined in Homer’s Iliad.

Their possible relationship is shown particularly in a scene after Patroclus’s death, in which “Achilles wailed remembering his beloved companion, rather than Hypnos who conquers all seizing him in sleep, he tosses this way and that way - yearning for the person and strength and goodness of Patroclus – as many things as he had done with him, having just as much pain – waves of grief of men piercing throughout the war – remembering [Patroclus’s] strength, he fell to tears.”

This quote, along with the information that Achilles asked for his ashes to be mixed with Patroclus’s after he died, provides evidence for this theory, although many historians still deny its merit. Song of Achilles, a modern adaptation of the story of Patroclus’s life, embraces the theory and is not only an excellent novel, but also another perspective on the Trojan War, and this novel is not the only one of its kind. BBC and HBO are currently producing the second season of a show called Gentleman Jack, a retelling of Anne Lister’s life, albeit with a few creative liberties taken to fill in the details not included in the concrete historical evidence.

In the realm of fiction, there are a few novels in circulation that retell classic fictional romance stories with a queer twist, such as Kate Christie’s Gay Pride and Prejudice, an alternate interpretation to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Any of these works would be excellent reading in an English class to gain perspective on their original forms or for literary analysis and also serve as good representation.

Despite all these reasons, most high schools have very little, if any, queer representation in the books

students read in English class, leading to the tities are taboo and shameful. The heteronormative unfortunate reality that many queer teens grow up atmosphere of many education spaces is outdated and thinking their identities are taboo and shameful. should be changed, not just to include more LGBTQ+ The heteronormative atmosphere of many education literature, but also to include books with more diverse spaces is outdated and should be changed, not just to representation in general, whether it be queer, racial, include more LGBTQ+ literature, but also to include religious, disabled, or any other area that lacks equal books with more diverse representation in general, representation. whether it be queer, racial, religious, disabled, or any other area that lacks equal representation. Especially in the formative years of high school, students are still coming to terms with their identities Especially in the formative years of high school, in every aspect, and there should be literature for all students are still coming to terms with their identities children. in every aspect, and there should be literature for all children. Straight or gay, cisgender or transgender, white or black, Christian or Muslim, every person deserves to Straight or gay, cisgender or transgender, white or see themselves represented in media. Including more black, Christian or Muslim, every person deserves to LGBTQ+ novels in high school English curriculums see themselves represented in media. Including more would only be a small step towards this goal, but it is LGBTQ+ novels in high school English curriculums progress, nonetheless. would only be a small step towards this goal, but it is progress, nonetheless. To make progress toward equality and representation for all, there needs to be more LGBTQ+ representation To make progress toward equality and representation in the books high school students read in their English for all, there needs to be more LGBTQ+ representation classes. in the books high school students read in their English classes.