Queer Guide for the Straight Eye

When I was 15, my older sister and I would watch Jack & Bobby together while talking on the phone (I’m dating myself here -- there certainly wasn’t any Netflix Party in 2004!) and I had a small crush on Jack. In this particular episode, Lost Boys, Jack’s close friend Matt reveals he is in love with Jack. Ultimately, Matt commits suicide. I was closeted at the time, and my sister graciously reassured me I could tell her anything. Incredulous, I hung up the phone.

Dismayed by the depiction of queerness on prime-time television, I was desperate to find media showcasing not only queer people falling to tragedy, but instead, having “normal” lives with supportive friends and family. I didn’t feel represented by Will & Grace or Queer Eye For The Straight Guy and wasn’t aware of any other queer media. All the queer people on these shows seemed wealthy, well-adjusted, and confident -- all things I wasn’t at the time.

I walked to the public library frustrated. It was there I found queer literature with relatable protagonists that gave me the confidence to visit my local queer youth drop-in center and make friends. Literature, much more than media at the time, had convinced me that “being gay was okay” and that queer people could do more than commit suicide or die from AIDS. It took a grim depiction of queerness to push me to explore more queer media and finally begin to accept myself.

It’s not 2004 anymore, thankfully! The struggle for queer rights still continues, but now, we have queer stories created by queer writers backed by both media congolermates like Warner Media with multimillion dollar budgets and independent media companies armed with an iPhone 5s. To celebrate these successes in representation, I propose a drunken evening where you learn to love yourself with five “shots” and “chasers” of media that depict queerness. Shots, as we know, can sometimes be pleasurable, but mostly they just get the job done. Chasers, on the other hand, provide a much more pleasurable experience. These recommendations are no exception. Get excited, because I have a fun evening planned for you!

First Shot: Happiest Season (2020)

Released just this past year, you’d think that this movie would be an empowering queer film, but nope. A closeted person forces their partner to go into the closet while home for the holidays at her parents’. Is this really a story that needs to be told in 2020? I was so excited to see this film because I love the writer and director, Clea DuVall, and I also love Aubrey Plaza. I also was sold on this movie because it billed as a lesbian romantic comedy, and what it felt like instead was a case study of the main protagonist’s psychoses.

Chaser: But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)

Now here is a romantic comedy! This movie is about a cheerleader (Natasha Lyonne, yes, the actress in Russian Doll!) who is shocked to learn her family and friends believe she is gay and is being sent off to True Directions, a gay conversion camp. Who does this cheerleader fall for? A rebellious and outspoken lesbian named Graham (Clea DuVall). Don’t be shocked when you see a much younger RuPaul make an appearance in this movie also!

Second Shot: Cobra Kai (2018 - present)

This show has reigned as Netflix’s most-watched show for weeks. At first glance, it does feel like a compelling drama that seeks to interrogate the themes of justice and morality with awesome action sequences. This show does try to tackle some serious issues like addiction and bullying, and they even did have a queer subplot in the second season! But I personally had to stop watching after the second season’s finale because of how they handled the only person of color’s plotline. That’s when I knew that this show is just about washed-up middle aged white men appropriating martial arts and doesn’t even clear the Bechdel test.

Chaser: The Warrior (2019 - present)

This show is based on an original concept and treatment by Bruce Lee and one of the executive producers on the show is his daughter, Shannon Lee. It is such a fascinating meditation on the relationships with the police, Irish immigrants, and Chinese immigrants in the 1870s during the Tong Wars in San Francisco. It’s not very often that you are able to see a mainstream television show that features two queer characters and such a fantastic cast of Asian actors. I won’t spoil who the queer characters are, but you’ll have to watch Season 2 to find out! I bet you could guess one -- I called it while I was watching with my boyfriend.

Third Shot: RuPaul’s Drag Race

I think everyone should watch Drag Race! It’s liberating to see an entire cast of talented queer people in a reality TV show doing what they do best: entertain. However, in recent years, the show has become so mainstream that I’d wager that most of the audience doesn’t define themselves as part of the LGBT community. I’m happy for all the queens and RuPaul for creating a brand that has become so popular and lucrative, but it feels as though that some of the true struggles of queerness becomes glossed over and loses its potency. The show also has never allowed a drag king to compete, and that just seems like a missed opportunity to me..

Chaser: Dragula, Drag Race Thailand

Now the obvious chaser would be season 3 of Dragula, most notably for the inclusion of Landon Cider who was rejected from competing on Drag Race Season 8. Can you imagine rejecting the first Drag King appearing on Drag Race after Landon submitted this undeniable piece of art?

I would also be remiss not include Drag Race Thailand because that show has some of the most intricate fashions I have ever seen. I also think it does a great job of showcasing the queer culture and customs in Thailand. They also treat their runway as a way to tell a full narrative, not just a simple catwalk. It’s definitely must-watch TV.

Fourth Shot: Queer Eye For The Straight Guy

I know so many people love this show, but I personally cannot stand it. This show doesn’t feel like it was meant for gay people, and now that it’s 2020, my biggest issue with it is that all stars AMAB. I won’t even discuss my thoughts about how they pulled over Kamaro in episode 3 of the first season of the reboot. I immediately stopped supporting the series after that.

Chaser: We’re Here

Bob The Drag Queen, Shangela, and Eureka are arguably some of the best drag queens ever to grace the stage in RuPaul’s Drag Race. This show feels like it is meant for queer people and their allies. The premise is that these three queens go to remote locations in the US and makeover residents in a one-night only drag show. I might’ve cried when I watched a mother who told her daughter she was going to hell make her drag transformation.

Fifth Shot: Euphoria

Listen, I haven’t finished this series. I am still hung up on the seeing underage high school students engaging in sex and drugs in a gorgeous and glorified manner. That being said, the cinematography of this show is unparalleled. And who can really hate Zendaya and Hunter Schafer? I think it’s almost impossible.

Chaser: Tangerine

This film was shot on iPhone 5s smartphones and it was such a perfect decision. I don’t even want to spoil this masterpiece for you, but one thing to note is that the main actresses had no major acting experiences. The writers met these two actresses at the Los Angeles LGBT center. 5/5

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Okay, it’s time to get sober. We’ve had a great evening of amazing LGBT representation and five shots is considered binge drinking, so now we have to drink some water and maybe take some Advil.

Water: Moonlight (2016)

That’s not me crying when rewatching the trailer of this movie while writing a blurb about this movie for this piece -- that’s you! This is the movie I wanted to see when I was 16 instead of Brokeback Mountain. Barry Jenkins, the writer and director, does an amazing job at depicting the inherent loneliness of being different. This really has everything you want in a movie: tragedy, comedy, and romance. Moonlight is a tour de force that is equal parts sobering and heart-warming. If there is one thing you watch from this list, make it Moonlight.