In today’s society, people are coming out and identifying themselves more into the LGBTQ community rather than hiding their true identities. On social media such as Instagram, Tik Tok, and various shows, creators have created characters that encompass the LGBTQ community and shed light on their community. In the show, The Fosters, there is a lot of LGBTQ representation from adults to children finding their identities. In the show, the parents, Stef Foster and Lena Adams are a lesbian couple that adopts 4 children and having 1 biological son (due to a previous marriage). Stef and Lena were loving and caring parents that it doesn’t matter whether they are the same sex, they care for each other and support their children, proving that no matter your preferences, you can have an amazing family and support system. In addition to Stef and Lena, their adopted son Jude comes out as gay, after exploring his youth with both females and males. Having a young male role model gives comfort and acceptance to others that are exploring who they are and what they want. In the end, the term queer can be altered and defined differently depending on your perspective; however, everyone in the LGBTQ community is human and has the same right to happiness as everyone else in the world.
3 thoughts on “Queer: Gwen Savidge”
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I think that this is a strong example of positive representations of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is really important that shows like this continue to write characters who are also gay and not blanket gay characters. This concept has been very prevalent in the history of representation in tv and film because “queerness” was demonstrated through stereotypical characters who were not complex. They were also written from the perspective of heteronormative writers. The article, “‘The Fosters’ Does What Other LGBTQ Shows Can’t”, reinforces this idea by arguing that the show’s “greatest success is in portraying queer characters as complete human beings, neither hiding their sexuality nor becoming a caricature”.
I think you make a really interesting point here about the importance of representing queer parents in media. Despite all the progress society has made towards acceptance, there are still some people who believe that children should only be raised by a mother and father, and sheltered from queer ideas, representation, and experiences. Showing how queer couples can make excellent parents gives people an opportunity to see a story that contradicts their point of view and hopefully expands their perspective to be more inclusive of queer parents and identities. It is especially important to see that the couple’s queerness isn’t the main focus in media, rather it is how they care for their children, making them more well-rounded representations of queerness.
Having watched “The Fosters” I agree that this is a great representation of queer Media. This show provides different perspectives of people in the LGBTQ+ community. Stef and Lena show an older couple representation and tell the story of two women who have overcome their reluctance to be their true selves and are now happily married. On the other hand, Jude was at first exploring his sexuality and then had to come out to his family and community at a younger age. These representations promote acceptance and empathy which is why it is good this show is one of many to include queer portrayals.