Queer Cinema and Representation
Representation is becoming ever more important when film studios undertake new projects. There have been large strides when it comes to portraying previously underrepresented groups. But, given the supposed “taboo” (and criminalisation/lack of recognition in many countries), queer romance stories are still lagging behind. I’m going to dive into some of my film favourites, what filmmakers can do in the future to do justice to LGBTQ+ people and their stories on the big screen and why this is so important to me specifically.
"The film also shows the problems that come with coming-out..."
The noughties brought us Brokeback Mountain, a queer classic. It follows two men who eventually develop a deep emotional relationship whilst undertaking seasonal work in the lonely American wilderness. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger have been praised for their portrayal of such a beautiful story. Love, Simon, a favourite in my family, is a cute adolescent rom com following the story of the titular Simon as he explores his newfound sexuality and the romance that comes with it. The film also shows the problems that come with coming-out and friends and family coming to terms with this too. My favourite, however, is Fire Island. Inspired by Pride and Prejudice, it follows a group of gay men as they head to the eponymous island near New York City, a notable LGBTQ+-friendly destination. We see the struggling romances and sex lives of the group, as they try to fit in. Most recently, Amazon brought Red, White & Royal Blue to life in August 2023, based on the bestselling book. Featuring an adorable cast, the goofy rom com warmed many hearts. It involves a unique love story of a British prince and the son of the American president, including various familiar faces, such as Uma Thurman, Stephen Fry and Rachel Hilson (Love, Victor, This Is Us), as well as heartthrobs Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine in the lead roles.
One of the world’s largest film franchises, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is still yet to portray a significant queer relationship – Eternals featured a short scene with one of the main heroes with his husband and their son.
"Outside of Hollywood, the global queer film genre is growing."
Given the censorship or outright ban on films that contain too much queer content in foreign markets, companies like Disney have always had to weigh up to what extent they should show these “taboo” relationships. Since their aim is to make money, it seems to me like they have tried to limit the time focussed on these (or even just have some subtle references), instead of having LGBTQ+ stories at the heart of a film’s plot. See Zootropolis, Strange World, Star Wars IX, Onward, Lightyear, Raya and the Last Dragon and Beauty and the Beast for this downplaying tactic. Even the MCU uses this technique to minimise the time spent on supposed LGBT+ heroes, including Loki, Valkyrie, and even Joe Russo’s cameo in Endgame. Brief, subtle references are used to infer their characters’ sexuality, without a substantial acknowledgment of their relationships and romances, like we’ve seen with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, or even Cap and Peggy. Multiversal hero America Chavez was shown (briefly) in a flashback scene where we see her two Mums in the second Doctor Strange film. Disney stayed strong (thankfully) and refused to cut this 12-second appearance for its theatrical release in various Gulf countries (where, in some countries, queer people are faced with life imprisonment and, in some cases/places, the death penalty).
Outside of Hollywood, the global queer film genre is growing. Rafiki, a Kenyan flick that follows the love blossoming between two women, also tackles issues of LGBT rights in a nation where there are severe punishments and no recognition nor protections for the community. See this, and a host of other queer stories unfold on the big screen with us, in our LGBT+ History Month Season!
"...filmmakers need to tackle these types of stories more often, and dive deeper..."
Despite a handful of iconic LGBTQ+ films filled with authentic representation, going forward, filmmakers need to tackle these types of stories more often, and dive deeper into them. I hope film studios, like Disney, create meaningful and memorable LGBTQ+ films that explore characters’ relationships, romances, and families more – perhaps a queer fairytale movie? As a person who is part of this community and as a person raised by two Mums, it’s extremely personal and important to me that queer stories get the same love, attention, and care as any other story. Seeing families of same-sex couples with children on screen is something else I especially look forward to in the coming years. I’ve grown up never having seen a family like mine in films – I hope and pray that the next generation won’t have to struggle to understand their unique background, childhood and upbringing like me.
