Bi-Erasure: potentially harmful queer representation in the media
Confronting complex messages in what we consume and challenging our binary thoughts
Written by Nina Johnson, Arts Staff Writer
Illustrated by Ellie Eisenberg, Contributing Illustrator and Designer
When assessing the media we consume, it’s both natural and important to ask ourselves how our own values align with what we’re either seeing, reading or watching. Posing to ourselves a myriad of important, pertinent questions is an essential part of our developmental process: where do we criticize, when do we revel and when do we internalize? To exit this trance, with the potential of entering a more loving, beautiful age, we have to start from the ground up with what we consume. What is the art we’re consuming telling us about sexuality? About love? About attraction? About our identities in relation to others?
Over the past few years, alongside a welcomed increase in LGBTQIA+ presence in media, the expansion of queer discourse has followed suit. Falling into binaries––or dualities––can at times feel second nature to us, but new media continues to press against what we’ve grown accustomed to and asks us to recognize other members of the LGBTQIA+ community. As consumers, understanding small nuances are essential to dissecting the potentially harmful or disdainful remarks that result in blatant identity dismissal. While, in 2022, we less often have Carrie Bradshaw’s biphobic remarks in “Sex and the City,” we have before us a new landscape to traverse.
Recently, the concept of bi-erasure has especially taken hold. Bi-erasure can loosely be defined as the dismissal and underrepresentation of the bisexual identity, both in and out of the art world (Newson, 2022).
While I’ll be focusing on pieces that fall generally within the queer canon, it’s important to note that there are many blatantly homophobic and biphobic pieces in circulation. I’ll be addressing media that perhaps attempt earnestly to portray queer identities accurately, but in one way or another, fall short.
“Call Me By Your Name” by André Aciman is a great example of the complexities within sexuality labeling, and the erasure, be it incidental or not, of various identities (Newson, 2022). While the plot that unfolds is often regarded as a homosexual love story, the intricacies pave a reality more complicated. Aciman, in both the novel and the film, emphasizes the sexual identity fluidity amongst his beloved characters. In both mediums, the two main characters are immersed in a series of love affairs, with no one gender specifically.
The gender identity of the various relationships is not of keen importance to the nuances of the plot, or its deeper significance. Critics and film fans, however, generally, disregard the main characters' relationships beyond the one they have with each other. Their labeled sexualities are ostensibly vague, but it provides us as consumers with a salient new question: why is bisexuality so quick to be disregarded as legitimate, so readily viewed as a stage or an intermediary step in the sexuality that an individual ultimately “lands” on?
To be clear, Aciman’s representation is not without other ‘follies,’ politely speaking. Regarding love, his writing is top-notch, lyrical and heartbreaking. The age difference between his characters is another deeply problematic issue entirely. In his own right, his writing validates bisexual existence: it doesn’t require proof or explanation, it simply is and can be.
Let’s now talk about “Glee.” Although the series began with arguably good intentions from the beginning––a diverse cast and subject matter in need of representation––it quickly nose-dived into promoting just about every textbook, harmful stereotype. Kurt, one of the show’s most loved characters, makes a jab at his partner’s label of bisexuality, deeming it only a phase he’s soon to be out of. In the wake of these split-second moments, a lasting impression remains. Disparaging remarks are difficult enough to process on their own, but a layer of depth is added when they’re coming from an openly queer individual.
Regarding the bisexual representation that does exist, identifying a character as bisexual is not merely enough; beyond coding a character, authors and creatives must construct identities that are both diversified and accurate portrayals of the vastness of those who identify as bisexual (Picker, 2019). Young, white and cisgender women are not the only individuals that call themselves bisexual, although even our favorite media can often make it appear as so (Newson, 2022).
Where do we draw the line? How critical should we allow ourselves to be? Simply put, there’s no correct way to go about consuming media; binary choices are not always right or cut and dry. Be it a comfortable classic movie, or a brand-new book off the shelf, being able to critically bring into question the different experiences with queerness and sexuality are essential to our understanding of ourselves.
If you’re looking to get a sense of a more comprehensive view of bisexuality, I suggest you check out these incredible works: “Greedy: Notes From A Bisexual Who Wants Too Much,” a newly released book by Jen Winston, “Conversations with Friends” by Sally Rooney and “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo. The identities of the characters in these novels and anecdotes from storytellers are wrought with complexity and hardships. Notably, however, the legitimacy of their identities is not the question at hand, and is instead, more focused on what makes them feel fulfilled, and how to exist.
It feels natural for us to think in binaries, in black-and-white manners. Duality feels comfortable, it feels like a trance, perhaps a reason bisexuality is difficult to be legitimized by some people. Allowing ourselves to express more openly other ideas––intersectionalities, androgyny, stepping away from the gender binary and a strict view of love and attraction––will push us forward into the kind of future we desire, and have earned.
Sources:
Picker, C. (2019, October 20). Bi-Visibility: How the Media Plays a Part in Bi-Erasure. The Bubble.
Newsom, S. (2022). Bisexuality in Media: A Dangerous Game of Telephone. State University of New York College at Brockport