Have you ever heard the term queer-baiting? Probably not. However, you have definitely seen it in movies or TV shows and didn’t even know it. But to the people of the LGBT+ community, it is widely recognized and is something that needs to be talked about.
Fanlore.org describes queer-baiting as “a term used to describe the perceived attempt by canon creators (typically of television shows) to woo queer fans, but with no intention of actually showing a gay relationship being consummated on screen.” What this means is that TV shows “bait” queer fans to watch their show by hinting that two characters of the same sex will have some sort of romantic or physical relationship. The characters may flirt with each other, use gay subtext in conversation, or have sexual tension to name a few. This implies that the two have some sort of feelings for each other beyond just friends. These two characters technically are not canon, but the show is implying there is a chance they could end up together. However, they never will. This is done to increase the number of viewers by specifically targeting the LGBT+ community. However, there is a lot of backlash from queer fans, as there should be. Queer-baiting is a huge problem because these shows have no intention of making the same-sex couple last. A few extremely popular shows that have been accused of doing this include "Sherlock" (BBC), "Supernatural" (CW), "the 100" (CW), and "Once Upon A Time" (ABC).
**Spoiler Warning**
One show that has taken a lot of heat recently is CW’s "the 100". A science fiction show about the shift in survival on a space station to survival on the Earth again features young, bold and independent characters that must work together to protect their people from enemies. In the second season, a character named Lexa who is commander of a “frenemy” tribe is introduced. Lexa is one of the many strong and fierce female characters along with her lover, Clarke, who has been one of the main characters since day one of the show. Fans of the show coined the name “Clexa,” which combines both their names and is used to identify them as a couple. The dynamic between them is unique because, in a world that is barely sustainable and has reverted back to primitive-like times, love and sexuality still exist. What sets "the 100" apart from other LGBT+ inclusive shows, is that Clarke and Lexa do end up in a relationship, however, that is the very reason that sparked outrage and disappointment from fans. Their relationship was much too short and did not have enough time to develop and integrate into the show. The bond they shared was only in the beginning stages. The bond ended up having no chance of going anywhere, a chance it very well deserved. Lexa deserved better than to be killed off so soon, for no logical reason. The way the scene was played out made absolutely no sense, which is also why fans are confused and upset. Lexa just happened to be accidentally shot, with a bullet that was meant for someone else. In previous episodes, there was nothing that gave even the slightest hint of Lexa being killed. Fans are accusing Jason Rothenberg, the executive producer, of queer-baiting. He has said that he didn’t know that Lexa’s death would bring the outrage and backlash that it has.
What he did was wrong, and there is no way to undo Lexa’s death. It will be hard for him to gain back the fans’ trust. But maybe that is what has to happen. The fans of the show are banding together and sending a message. The message of Lexa deserved better, the fans deserved better, and the LGBT+ community deserves better representation in TV shows and movies.
