TOW #12 – Stop Killing off TV’s Lesbians by Nico Lang

Recently more people are starting to notice and become more angered by the lack of queer representation on TV. In response to this many TV networks are adding very few queer characters and claiming diversity. However, most of these characters are quickly killed or given a very bland or stereotypical storyline. A large majority of the characters being killed are queer women. Research shows that since 1976, 11% of TV shows has featured a queer character. Of that 11%, 65% have been decease queer women. Queer women already have a hard time getting representation due to fetishization of their relationships, but now when they finally do get representations they’re quickly killed before they can get any type of happy ending.

 In his article Nico Lang explores the ‘Dead Lesbian Syndrome’ currently being popularized on TV. He mentions many examples of queer female characters being killed by ‘accidents’.  Lang believes that DLS is due to the fact that most writers don’t know how to write LGBTQ storylines that don’t just revolve around their sexualities. He thinks that the writers decide to kill off the queer characters because once the character’s sexuality discovery or coming out plot line is completed they’re no long necessary. Throughout the article he continuously criticizes the media to achieve his purpose.

 His audience is firstly, the TV corporations that are killing queer women and queer women themselves. Lang’s purpose to the corporations is to not only bring light to the issue but to also address what DLS promotes. DLS tells queer women that they’ll never be able to have a happy ending, that either they or their partner will die before anything happens. This then relates to his purpose for queer women everywhere. To queer women Lang tries to tell them that this trope is wrong and unrealistic and that the women will get happy endings. As a young queer woman his words meant a lot to me. The first queer woman I ever saw on TV died a couple episodes into the show and because of that I grew up thinking that it wasn’t safe to be a queer woman. Lang’s words didn’t let me know that this trope wasn’t fake, I learned that on my own years ago but his words, I believe, will help other queer women who aren’t aware of the trope’s falsehood.