Are you tired of the straight-as-default trend in most media today? Are you tired of all queer subtext being read as gay or lesbian, but never bisexual? Then you are not alone.
Author and activist Nicole Kristal’s memes about bisexual TV characters hilariously point out, not a single one has used the word “bisexual” on screen.
Talking to Bustle, Kristal explained.
Labels are important because they create visibility and community, and they help dissolve shame.When you’re a minority group who cannot see a positive representation of yourself on television or in films, it’s damaging. It accounts for the horrific stats that have recently come out about bisexuals.”
In an effort to draw attention to bisexual erasure and its effect on individuals, Kristal created the #StillBisexual campaign last January, which features bisexuals discussing their sexuality and dating history in confessional-style videos.
I thought if people could see our bisexual stories, they would finally start to believe that we exist.
When bisexuality is depicted on television, it’s often shown as a transitional stop on the road to gay town …or as ambiguous and undefined. Characters almost never say the b word, especially not in reference to themselves, and often times their sexuality is used as a plot twist rather than a permanent identity.”
As a result, Kristal created memes featuring frustrated TV characters…
One thought on “Bi Erasure In Television Perfectly Summed Up In These Wonderful Memes”
This is also shitty for lesbians because when the majority of “lesbians” in the media are sleeping with dudes it’s implying that’s what actual lesbians do. Which contributes to male entitlement to lesbians, ignorance as to what lesbian means and just general lesbophobia, lesbian erasure and lesbian invisibility.
It’s even more shitty because currently statistics show lesbian and bi women media representation is about equal, except lesbians are left with the choice of literally either has to sleep with a man or is going to die. Try to find one lesbian character that doesn’t fit that mould FIND ONE.
And then you’ve got the fact that basically all lesbian characters are played by straight girls and their shows directed by straight dudes. Much in the same way lesbian porn is played by straight girls and directed by straight dudes. Lesbian porn is probably one of the biggest problems for the lesbian community, is literally the most popular search term, teaches people that a) lesbians like men/are straight and b) deserve cruel treatment. So you’ve got straight actresses lining up to perpetuate the same harmful stereotypes of lesbian porn. Literally straight actresses are lining up to teach people that lesbian a) like men/are straight (by sleeping with dudes on the show) or b) lesbians deserve cruel treatment (by killing off lesbians on their show). The only thing missing is a porn studio, so we’re supposed to act like this straight girl just did a giant service to the entire LGBT community?
Ofc, that said, not all “lesbian” porn is really lesbian. It’s usually a couple of girls with a dude. But for some reason I don’t see bi girls clamouring about bi erasure for that one? It’s almost like lesbians have bigger media representation problems and it’s just that no one cares about lesbians or something?