Sherlock Oneshots (Mystrade/Johnlock/Mormor)

Queer Media Analysis - Pt. 1

As I said in my art book, I am writing a series of essays on queer media for school and thought I'd put them in this book. My question for the papers is 'Do we still need coming out stories?' I'm looking at a bunch of different queer films and shows, and looking at ones with coming out scenes, LGBT terms, and those without. I'm also doing a mini deep dive into queerbating. My main examples with coming out scenes and LGBT terms are 'Heartstopper', 'Love, Simon', 'One Day at a Time', 'Schitt's Creek', and 'Margarita With a Straw'. My main examples without coming out scenes or LGBT terms are 'Good Omens' and 'Our Flag Means Death'. Some examples have LGBT terms, but no coming out scene, or vice versa. I'm analysing the unnecessary coming out scenes in shows/films like 'Margarita With a Straw' and 'Smiley'. I'm also looking at if it's hurtful to always have a coming out plot because it perpetuates the idea that queer people HAVE to come out. 

Currently, I have some massive streams of consciousness paragraphs about 'Good Omens' and 'Our Flag Means Death' mainly, and I'm certainly not done. I'm uploading them in chunks because my life is a burning pile rn so I have no motivation to write. Also I am newly single so I don't want to write romance lol

Also I go by Arrow online now and it's my nonbinary nickname irl

Anywayyyy

Here we go!!

Queer representation is constantly changing, and for more of the past few decades, we've been stuck in this space where we've been getting majority 'coming out' stories. The question is: do we still need those narratives, or should we try to show different experiences that don't centre around 'having' to tell everyone? Media like 'Good Omens' and 'Our Flag Means Death' are full of queer characters of every variety, but neither of these examples include a 'coming out' scene or the use of LGBT terms. Does this make them better or worse than the pieces that do use those devices? Both sides of this include queer characters and queer relationships/friendships, so is one better than the other, or do they both have benefits, and should both stick around?

There is a difference between a coming out story, a purposeful coming out scene, and a coming out scene that adds little to nothing of anything to the story. 

There is also media that includes no coming out scenes/plots, whilst still including queer characters. Two of the best, and most recent, examples of this are 'Good Omens (TV series)' (2023 -) and 'Our Flag Means Death' (2023 -). Both of these series include several queer characters that make up the majority of the cast, and yet, no coming out scenes are included in either of these series. 'Our Flag' got the closest, but even then, no LGBT terms were used, and it was simply a scene of a man realising that, for the first time in his life, he's in love. And he happens to be in love with a man. 

Most of the characters in 'Our Flag' are queer, and there are several queer relationships in the show. Every queer character and every relationship are treated with care and respect. This series is also set in 1717, which is partly why no LGBT terms are used. Pirates were historically very queer, so it makes sense for this show to follow that pattern. However, this show does make references to things that didn't exist at the time, and those moments are always played for laughs (for example, Frenchie saying that the boat's journal was actually him writing fanfiction). Because modern things are mentioned, there's no reason why the writers couldn't add in queer terminology, right? No. The fanfiction line is a joke. Queer life isn't. And as previously stated, this show takes care of its queer characters, and someone's queerness is never a joke. 

The closest we got to a queer term was Lucius saying, "I'm great at keeping secrets; my mum thought I liked girls for years". Until that point, Lucius represented a lot of gay male stereotypes – he's quite feminine, his voice, his mannerisms, etc. This line was a confirmation of his supposed queerness, as was his later relationship with another man on the crew, Black Pete, who until he ends up with Lucius, almost seems a little bit homophobic. 

He doesn't like anything he does to be perceived as feminine, and he has a very strict idea of masculinity. After being presented with seemingly his opposite, Lucius, Pete learns that being a bit soft isn't a bad thing, and that he is perfectly allowed to express that part of himself. The biggest theme of the series is found family, and with that comes acceptance, support, and self-discovery. Pete looks at the queer people around him, and learns from them. His hero – Blackbeard – is also queer, and is constantly bending gender stereotypes. 

Pete ending up with Lucius doesn't seem to make much sense at first. But after the audience learns more about Pete, everyone can see that Pete is almost the opposite of his first impression. He had this very rigid idea of masculinity, and had his heart set on following it. But, after he learned to respect his captain, and once he started dating Lucius, he realised that masculinity is what you make of it. He learned to not be so hard on himself, and that femineity is a good thing, and something to strive for, as it makes you a better man. Pete becomes one of the softest and most emotional characters, especially in the on-going season 2, and has had some of the most subtle – but important – character growth of the series.