'progressive' gay characters in genre tv

[briargate]

My tumblr dash keeps throwing up these lists (or graphics, in a series of lists) about 'progressive LGBT+ characters on TV'. All of them are generally made up of predominantly homosexual white men, and Jack Harkness, a pansexual white man. Occasionally one of the Glee girls slip in, but that's about it

Comments

[gonzo21]

Odd, I never read Crowley as being even slightly queer. Supernatural is a very very straight tv show I thought.

[briargate]

I think it comes from him having kissed two guys on screen and having had only two scenes with female characters. Last night people on my dash were talking about him being the 'gayest' character in Supernatural, which is what set this whole train of thought off. Which, no. You could argue that Dean reads as closeted bisexual and Castiel as romantically queer, but saying Crowley is the gayest character just because he's kissed another male character seems the very definition of visibility vs. actual representation of sexuality.

Supernatural is in a weird place. It's that deeply into meta territory now that it's making quite a big deal out of it's own slash fanbase while at the same time trying very hard to cling to it's heteronormativity. It's doing what Doctor Who does, but at a much higher level - using fanservice to mask the actual lack of diversity.

[gonzo21]

Heh, there can't be many characters in Supernatural who have had more than 2 scenes with female characters, given the distinct lack of female characters. (Outside of victim-of-the-week of course.)

It's a show I think which has become too involved in providing fan service. THey seem to listen too much to what the most vocal hardcore fanbase wants.

[briargate]

People are very quick to blame Sera Gamble's personal intentions for derailing Season 6, but I really do think that a lot of it is having come out of a fairly tightly planned five-year arc, they then tried to cater to a fanbase that is largely divided on what it wants and whether or not the heavy myth arcs were the best or worst thing to happen to the show. It got messy.

Given that Sam and Dean's relationship has pretty much nowhere new to go they want completely done with the angels completely and there's no other real supporting cast to provide alternatives, I think fanservice seems to be all they have left in them at this point.