fanartguru

[fanartguru]

Queer TV

This is a strange time to be writing an editorial on queer representation. While the past year has seen an incredible uptick in queer stories being told with humor and heart on the small screen, 2022 has seen a record high of 238 proposed anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in the US—nearly half of them targeting trans folks. Representation is important, though, and demand for more queer stories is growing (and, to some degree, being met), with a lot of good books and comics making it to our screens. With that in mind, think of this as your selective chronological tour of all the times we won in the TV landscape of the last year (October 2021–October 2022).

Our dataset year started off with the much-awaited adaptation of Robert Jordan’s fantasy epic, Wheel of Time. With such extensive source material (15 books if you count the prequel, which is where the seeds of the sapphic storyline in Rafe Judkins’ adaptation are to be found), the viewership, generally speaking, was divided into book fans and show-only fans, and both camps shitposted and meme’d and reviewed with abandon. 

The biggest queer-centric show we saw in the last year was the adaptation of @aliceoseman’s comic Heartstopper (@heartstoppercomic). Co-created by Alice Oseman themself, this adaptation was very sensitive to the much-loved source material. And, being native to Tumblr, these characters were bound to be welcomed with open arms when they hit the screen in an ebullient explosion of queer joy. 

A run-down of the past year would be incomplete without the incredible queerdos of the Revenge who swashbuckled their way into our hearts. We’re referring, of course, to Our Flag Means Death’s Gentleman Pirate and his merry band of (living-wage-paid, no less!) shipmates. Your favorites included genderqueer Jim ‘not-a-fucking-mermaid’ Jimenez and Oluwande, Lucius Sprigg and Black Peter, Frenchie who just hates cats, and The Swede, who keeps his heart but loses his teeth. Then, of course, we have Blackbeard himself, or simply Ed, who is struggling with his identity (villain or softboi).

Based on the story by @veschwab and produced by @belletristbooks, First Kill was another adaptation that fans of vampire stories got very excited about. Add to that the fact that this was very much a sapphic enemies-to-lovers scenario between hunter Calliope and young vampire Juliette, and the pre-show excitement was palpable. The post-season disappointment even more so as fans turned to their dashes to vent about the lack of good lesbian and wlw representation in 2022’s TV landscape.

Where the cancelation of First Kill left us reeling, the Rockford Peaches from A League of Our Own came in clutch and soothed our sapphic souls. You love the show which you affectionately shortened, in good old Tumblr fashion, to a silly little acronym: aloto. Whether you’re in it for the gal pal aesthetics, the butch energy, or Uncle Bert, or some good old fashioned baller drama, there truly was something for all of your wlw whimsies here. Let’s go, Peaches!

@neilgaiman’s The Sandman series finally came out to much acclaim, and came out so gay that armchair reviewers of the homophobic sort really struggled to wrap their minds around quite how gay it is. We got pansexual serial killing Corinthian! Pansexual, demon-hunting, women-kissing Johanna Constantine! Some very loaded moments between Morpheus and Hob Gadlin! This is what dreams are made of (sort of)!

This whole list would be nothing, nada, a crumb of zilch whizzing around a black hole, if it weren’t for the writers who created many of these stories in the first place. So thank you to them. And to you, Tumblr, for celebrating the good and standing up for each other through another year. Here’s to a kinder 2023. 

[fanartguru]

Headcanon that Diluc has that Older Sibling Thing where he just…constantly forgets Kaeya is a full grown man and not the small, shy kid he was before. Like imagine when he first finds out Kaeya is Calvary Captain and he says “how is that possible? He’s, like, 11.”

[fanartguru]

THE BAYMAX DISNEY+ SERIES HAS GAY AND TRANS CHARACTERS CANONICALLY!!! IT TALKS ABOUT PERIODS IN A POSITIVE WAY!! IM SCREAMING!!! THIS ISN'T DISNEY TVA (which is technically a side company) ITS THE WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS. THIS IS HUGE!!!

[fanartguru]

Welcome to the United States of America where if you want to be safe from guns you die if you want to get a safe abortion you die if you're gay you die if you're black you die if you're a woman you die if you're disabled you die if you're a kid you die if you're a POC you die if you're trans you die and no one will do anything about it because some stupid cuntrags that are two steps away from tripping on a staircase and dying cling to some dipshit beliefs from over 6 decades ago and decide to make it everyone's problem

[fanartguru]

The new baymax shorts are good, thank you animators for the representation, and remember kids, Disney doesn't get the credit for the diversity!! Animators typically have to fight for it, just remember alex hirsh and dana terrace and Rebecca sugar! And thats just to name a few off the top of my head, along with the animators who fought to keep Louisa physically buff!

[fanartguru]

There's just something so very sweet about the fact that this room exists at all.

It's all so well organized, with all those drawers for the paintings to fit in properly.

The plushies and pillows nearby each other.

How at least there's supposed to be sections for Dream, for Sapnap, for George, and for all of them together, with sprinkles of fanart for their other friends as well.

The chests and the binders, so so many binders, all filled to the brim with so many letters, that Dream and his closests friends, have gotten over the years.

He didn't have to make this room, but he did it, because he simply felt like, and he took care of it, and he made it into this beautiful huge thing, so filled with love.

This room isn't just the physical tangible forever proof that The Dream Team as a whole, make people's lives better, that they make people happier, that they help them through their hard times, and inspire them so much that we create art for them, with our own times and efforts.

But is also the proof that Dream legitimately cares for his fans, and we already knew this, that he doesn't dismiss those who care for him.

With the fanart account replying and liking art, and with the fanfiction contest, lifting up the writers who usually get called weird, and with this whole room, that he chose to create to keep the fanart he gets, well taken care of and nearby him.

Dream's fans love him, and he loves his fans back. And I think that's so genuinely wonderful.

And the fact that now that he's not so nearby it anymore, what he wanted to do all of a sudden was show it off in its entirety to the world for the first time, it just adds more proof to it all.

[fanartguru]

what i really love about heartstopper is that none of the characters’ queerness was ever used as comedic relief. so much media takes cheap shots at queer characters to hint that they’re weird or awkward or abnormal and heartstopper never did that. the audience was never made to feel that these kids were lesser for their queerness and casual homophobia was shown as real homophobia and it was never allowed to be funny. i just love this show and the actors and the writers so much

[fanartguru]

i think that,, elle argent is so important. trans representation is far and few in between no matter what, but trans representation like hers is,,, basically non-existent. her character exists without being all about transphobia and a difficult gender identity, but also mentioning that she's struggled. her character is about her personality. how kind she is, how funny she is, and how much she loves her friends. trans characters are so often represented as suffering constantly, or being lonely because everyone is transphobic, etc. alice oseman gave her a chance to be happy and beautiful and friendly, without the darkness that trans rep tends to come with.

[fanartguru]

i need to say this and i need to say it now. something about how nick nelson says "i love liking you" to charlie means a lot more than just "i like you" and i'll tell ya why

there are too many pieces of queer media that have the character hating the fact that they like the love interest. just straight up despising it. nick doesn't do that- he actively enjoys having a crush on charlie and wanting to be his boyfriend and it makes my heart so fucking warm oh my god

[fanartguru]

Nick's bisexuality arc is probably one of - if not the - best part of heartstopper to me. Coz it's genuinely so nice to have a plot where a questioning character gets to not only research his sexuality, but also to talk to other queer people about their identities. He doesn't know automatically how he feels and he doesn't assume what anyone else goes through, so he goes and asks other queer people about their experiences

Nick asking Charlie about how he knew he's gay and asking Tara if she felt anything for him when they were younger is so nice to see, because you can see him start to understand that he doesn't relate to those parts of their queerness. He gets a chance to compare their experiences with same-gender attraction, and it helps him to figure out that he isn't gay but that another label would fit him better

And when he does decide that he's bisexual, he's accepted without arguments. The only time someone questions it is when his mum says that he doesn't have to say he likes girls if he doesn't, and when he confirms that he does like girls, she immediately believes him

Just them depicting a arc where people believe and celebrate him for learning that he's bisexual is so beloved. You can tell that this is a show written by queer people for queer people, and the compassion they show closeted people and bisexuals is just incredible because of it

[fanartguru]

One of my favourite things about heartstopper is just how explicit it is that being closeted isn’t bad. Ben isn’t awful to Charlie because he’s closeted, he’s awful to Charlie because he’s cruel and insecure. And everybody tells Nick at every opportunity that he shouldn’t have to come out if he doesn’t want to, especially Charlie because he knows how hard it is to be out and he cares more about Nick being safe and happy than being open about their relationship

The closest anyone gets to telling him to come out is during the conversation he has with Tao. And even that’s just him saying that Charlie deserves more than to be the guy he kisses sometimes on the downlow, but it’s fine if he can’t give him more than that and that Charlie would never make him come out if he isn’t ready. He isn’t telling him to come out, he’s telling him to consider what Charlie would be feeling. And it feels more like he’s telling him to make it official than to actually come out, it was Nick’s decision to come out because he wanted to make it official

I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen a queer story be this kind to closeted people before. They aren’t treated like cowards or liars or burdens, they’re treated like people in situations where they may not feel comfortable/safe enough to come out. Because in a lot of cases, that’s what they are. And they’re treated with as much kindness and understanding as they deserve and I just love that

[fanartguru]

as a bi person I just have to say that the real emphasis they put on nick discovering and labeling his bisexuality had me in literal tears at 3 am. especially because at no point did anyone, especially charlie, question or criticize the idea of him being bisexual (a really unfortunate trope). media loves to either ignore or demonize us so this was just so refreshing and needed.

[fanartguru]

imogen is literally a 16 year old girl with a crush who immediately backed off and sympathized with nick when he turned her down and took the heat off of the situation when nicks friends questioned him and was happy to see him with charlie in the last episode and yet some of y'all are acting like she is a straight up VILLAIN. SHE IS A CHILD. imogen did nothing wrong i stand by this. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[fanartguru]

what really gets to me is just how earnest nick is about his feelings for charlie, despite how confused he is about himself at first. he immediately goes to charlie the next day after their first kiss because he wants charlie to understand he doesn't regret the kiss, he's just really conflicted about himself. he doesn't ignore or shut charlie out while figuring out his sexuality and wanting to keep quiet about it at first, unlike ben. he makes it clear to charlie that he really likes him and doesn't want to go on dates with anyone else despite not being official yet. he gets really emotional when he wants charlie to realize how amazing and wonderful he really is and that he's changed nick's life for the better, and that he doesn't regret a single second with him. nick just communicating with charlie throughout the whole process is such a refreshing change from some of the shows we've gotten with lgbt+ representation in the past, and i'm so glad that lgbt+ youth and the community in general have a show like this to watch.

[fanartguru]

underrated Heartstopper moment: Nick's little smile after Darcy puts "we're such meddling gays and I love it" on the group chat because yeah. the feeling of being surrounded by other queer people for the first time and being able to make jokes about it knowing that you're in a safe space. knowing the people around you Get It for the first time. finding a place where queerness is lighthearted when it feels so overwhelming when you first discover it. its such a specific queer experience and I felt so seen in that moment.

[fanartguru]

It’s actually really quite simple to explain why other CCs talking about dream in even a slightly bad way is a terrrible idea and it’s not because of the hate they get from his fans. They need to look a little deeper than the sudden backlash and see the consequences of just a few simple comments.

It is going to sound entirely unfair when I say it but that’s because it is. Talking about dream needs to be treated more tentatively than talking about any other CC you are friendly with because Dream is treated so entirely different by the public. Even though Jack didn’t say anything awful about Dream, it still added fuel to the fire and when Dream is already grappling with all the accusations and d*xxing that’s been going on, it’s hardly a good idea to get involved.

This is why people get mad when Tommy says something about Dream in passing. So much of what he says is out of pocket but we know that they are friends. We know it’s a joke and is intended as one but the issue is there exists a horrifyingly large group that sit and wait for comments like that so they can jump down Dreams throat.

Dream is not afforded the same luxury of joking around that his friends are. He makes a joke and it turns into days of trending neg tweets, resurfaced videos that have been addressed and a rake of personal info being leaked.

He couldn’t join in on the nft joke. He constantly has to reaffirm his genuine stance on things otherwise he faces mass consequences.

I’m certain that he can take a lot of the things people say about him. I respect him for taking so much in his stride when he really shouldn’t have to, but when you are faced with so much backlash over each movement, it’s very inconsiderate for people who say they’re your friends to just ignore that and randomly add their input or make passing mentions of you that cause a barrage of abuse to come your way.

It’s absolutely unfair and completely stupid to have to tip toe around talking about a friend but if those CCs who have gotten dragged for making comments feel bad, then they need to stop and consider Dream for a second. He’s well capable of dming them himself and hashing it out but sometimes he lets things slide cus he knows they don’t mean it when really I think that barrier needs to be set for his own safety and sanity.

[fanartguru]

also, more than i feel the need to defend dream or ANY cc for that matter i feel the need to defend the young women who watch these streamers. like baseball bat in hand. especially because i know people will look at this situation and talk about female fans being "dramatic" or caring too much, or talk about how cringe dream stans are, but being a teenage girl on the internet is pretty much a constant cycle of looking up to male content creators only to have it be revealed that they are somehow creepy, or misogynistic, or that theyve done some truly evil shit to women, i have seen this happen over and over and over again, meanwhile dream and his friends offer an internet community where female fans are able to feel safe and appreciated and when they want to protect that space for themselves, or defend the creators they watch, they are immediately mocked and belittled, or else people are outright misogynistic towards them. this goes beyond the "let teen girls enjoy things" mentality, its literally down to young women wanting to create a space on the internet where they are able to participate in cultures like gaming that have historically been incredibly unsafe or altogether inaccessible to them and people seeing this and being determined to do everything they can to make those spaces as unsafe as possible. and it makes so angry i want to vomit!