More Than a Stereotype - Bisexual Representation in the Media

As times change, our relationship to media changes; as a society, we have become massively media orientated. It’s truly baffling how much content we absorb on a daily basis, without even realising. The kind of images, people and viewpoints we are presented with can impact us subconsciously. For this reason, representation is so vital to help educate and to comfort each other when we feel like we can’t relate to anyone in our sphere of influence. 

And yet, to this day, a large majority of television and film is created by white, cis, straight men and therefore, through seeing the lens as a eye/perspective, it is strongly argued that most media is presented through the ‘male gaze’ (a male point of view - a phrase coined by Laura Mulvey in 1975). With this in mind, many examples of queer women are portrayed in a way that is pleasing for the straight man. This representation is only displayed when it is for the sake of someone else’s enjoyment, rather than with the intention of showing a truly romantic and realistic relationship between two people of the same sex. 

Film and television are both great tools to help people feel less alone and to provide comfort, therefore they tend to relate to the large majority of people. With this in mind, it makes sense for monolith production companies to create media in a conventional form to society -  which basically means it tends to mainly follow privileged straight people. Character’s storylines follow the routine in which we are encouraged to stick to in Western culture - the typical format of dating, getting married, having kids etc. This is most popular because this is what most people ‘relate to’. But what about the rest of us?

Can you name a bisexual character from a mainstream show? The last character I remember with any semblance of importance was Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who, and it was so great to have an openly bisexual character on such an adored programme, in the UK and around the globe. That being said, this is a very rare occurrence, especially done respectfully. Compare that to how many straight characters appear in every show ever, it’s a tiny tiny percentage. Where representation is occurring, it tends to be somewhat distasteful. I call this ‘artificial representation’. On the surface it appears as something to be celebrated, however, the way the character or topic is covered is rather insensitive. 

Stereotypes such as cis straight girls having a ‘phase’ in college, or remarks such as seeing it as a stepping stone to being “fully gay” that make it seem like a throw-away sexuality. The discussion of it has remained comical in nature. How would that make a young person coming to terms with their sexual preferences feel acknowledged and supported? It doesn’t. It subconsciously creates a culture of denial and mockery. 

This is where representation is important. Who we see on screen can provide solace help to those who may need it. If you’re going to shine light on a certain group, validate them. 

Throughout my teenage years, seeing characters in TV and film explore their sexualities helped me to feel less alone and find solace in their experiences. If young queer people are suffocated with heterosexual behaviour then it could lead to deeper problems with accepting who they are. People relate to what they can see and if they can’t find what makes them feel less alone it simply causes more disconnect. 

I’ve watched shows before where I feel as though they dodge discussing topics such as bisexuality completely on purpose and I can’t think to understand why. For example, Orange is The New Black follows main character Piper and her past and present relationships with men and women. When her sexuality is discussed on the show, the word ‘bisexual’ is not uttered ONCE. I remember watching this before I came out and screaming at my TV “there’s a word for that!”. It’s completely understandable that her character not use that label, that’s absolutely fine, however the complete dodging of it, to me, reinforced the idea of bisexual being a dirty and un-respected word. As a show that has so much LGBTQIA+ representation, why do they actively ignore this term? Why is bisexual still seen as such a disgraceful word? The more it’s shunned, the more alienated people who identify as bisexual will feel. 

I’ve grown tired of the whole ‘Are you gay or straight now?’ debate. To me, what could have been an effective mainstream celebration of community simply reinforced the idea of it not being a well respected term. Those with different sexual preferences only appear in TV and film when it’s relevant to the plot. We need more characters that just so happen to be bi, not limiting their sexual preferences just because the storyline wants to portray a straight person as sexually liberated. Sexual preference is completely irrelevant to sexual availability. I personally don’t enjoy casual relationships but people still assume that I’m down to ‘experiment’ all of the time is exhausting and it’s upsetting to see this time and time again within the media. 

Just because I am ‘passable’ as straight doesn’t mean I am, and I would love to live in a world where this is portrayed more strongly in the media. If times are changing culturally regarding people’s rights and acceptance but the media isn’t reflecting that, then how much progress are we really making?

I know more bisexual characters will start to be present within mainstream television and films, I just hope the parts they are playing become more respected and realistic. We need to encourage those from marginalised groups to stand proud and unapologetically take up space. In society, within the media and in general, those who don’t identify with these groups need to use their position and privilege to give a helping hand or at the very least keep an open mind. For every hundred people that can’t relate there will always be a few that will be so grateful to see a character on screen that makes them feel visible.