Why LGBT representation in pop culture matters

Remember that moment when Korra and Asami kissed? Remember swooning to Hayley Kiyoko’s “Girls Like Girls”? Cheering for Queer Eye? Crying over Moonlight or Love, Simon?

Rare moments in pop culture allow LGBT people to see themselves fully, such as in Tangerine or Sense8, but in other moments we learn to catch glimpses of ourselves, like when Magnus and Alec fell in love on Shadowhunters or Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” emotion picture. These moments are few and far between, and sometimes we invent them: there’s a queerness to certain pop culture icons that are never fleshed out even as others live the lives we wish we could.

This is a space where pop culture becomes a mirror and delivers with it a reckoning of who we really are. This is a space for People Like Me.

People Like Me

Natalie Wee is a writer and community-builder of Peranakan descent.

Keep Reading

Gigi Gorgeous

Gigi Gorgeous wants to help queer and trans people have kids

The mother of YouTube came up doing makeup tutorials. Now she’s opening up about her fertility journey
A close up of a vintage movie camera with a zoom lens on black.

I’m tired of gay period films

“La Bola Negra,” “Elsinore” and “Coward” are some of the year’s buzziest films. They all make the same mistake
A stage with screens featuring video game footage; a large sign that says XBOX in the middle

BioWare’s closure is a huge loss for queer and trans gamers

The game developer behind “Dragon Age” and “Mass Effect” innovated LGBTQ2S+ representation in video games. Its biggest fans are determined to carry its torch
The cover of Ace Theory; Ryan Fitzpatrick

A new book says asexuality is more radical than you think

“Ace Theory” melds academic research and anecdotal evidence, presenting a bold new portrait of asexuality we desperately need
Advertisement