Queerbaiting and Its Consequences

Abstract

“Queerbaiting” has been a huge buzz word in fan spaces and other online communities in recent years. It has been used as an accusation towards both TV writers/producers as well as celebrities for hinting at, or promising, queerness but not delivering on it. While this anger towards shows like “Sherlock” and celebrities like Harry Styles stems from frustration over lack of queer representation in the media, I argue that the discourse has become harmful to the queer community. The conversation around “queerbaiting” pressures queer people to put their identity into a box and ignores the complexities of queer identity. Additionally, the expectation of TV shows to have “explicit” queer representation ignores the value of queer subtext and employing queer readings.