Sidestepping Stereotypes: An Interview with Students Scott MacLean and Georgia Iris Salvaryn on LGBTQ Stereotypes in Literature--Marissa Stanko

Stereotypes abound in literature. They become part of formulas, stock characters or situations that are used across genres. But stereotypes are just generally accepted assumptions about groups of people, and many times, not only are they untrue, they are hurtful and dehumanizing. Everyone deserves representation in literature. I’ve gathered two members of the Writing Arts student body and of the LGBTQ community, Scott MacLean and Georgia Iris Salvaryn, to discuss LGBTQ stereotypes in literature and how to avoid them in writing. 
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Writer’s Insider: What harmful stereotypes have you seen in literature and other media?
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Scott MacLean: So one of the most prominent stereotypes that I see usually involves gay men being obsessed with straight men or straight-acting men. It reinforces this predatory idea that all gay men want to seduce masculine straight guys. Another thing I've noticed is sometimes it seems like they include a gay character just to check off a box, and then the character is just a shallow one-dimensional character with no backstory or progression (e.g., the gay best friend). The worst stereotype is the fixation on sex, as if that is all gay men care about and they just can't control their libido. So many of the movies I've seen that are labeled "LGBTQ" are about drugs, partying and sexual encounters. 
I think sometimes people are just trying too hard when they write gay characters or not nearly hard enough. I'm also so tired of seeing gay characters die or have unhappy endings. Why can't they get married in the end? Why can't they ride off into the sunset? I understand it's important to show the struggles that people in the LGBTQ community face, but I don't think that every story has to end in tragedy.

Georgia Iris Salvaryn: I have only recently started reading and watching LGBTQ literature and media, but I have heard that many times, the author/creator forms their LGBTQ characters based on mainly stereotypes. I'm personally not sure if that is just something that is "inescapable" (in other words, if the person who wrote the book or created the media doesn't identify as that sexuality, how can they otherwise write the character if not based on some stereotypes?) or if it's their choice to create generic characters and/or "drama" within the story.  

“Sometimes it seems like authors include a gay character just to check off a box.”
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WI: What stereotypes have you encountered in real life that you don't want to see in books?

SM: One of my biggest struggles is maintaining friendships with straight men. They often believe I'm hitting on them or secretly fantasizing about them when I'm just being a normal human being. I love when I see stories with gay male characters that have straight male best friends, because there is no reason that can't be reality. The biggest stereotype I want books to avoid is the oversexualization of gay men. I'm so sick and tired of hearing the same stories about wild nights and drug-filled sex. Give me stories where the main character is LGBTQ and it does almost nothing to affect the plot of the story! We are so much more than who we love!
 
GIS: I have been told, as a bisexual woman, that I am "just confused" and eventually will discover I am a lesbian or I am straight. The person who stated this also said something along the lines of, "There is no such thing as bisexual. You have to pick one sex over the other. You are just either experimenting or confused." 

WI: How do you feel about “LGBTQ fiction/nonfiction” being a separate category that is rarely intermixed with general fiction and nonfiction?
 
SM: I think it just furthers the separation and enables the narrative that it's abnormal or "other." While I appreciate that if I want to find an LGBTQ book on Amazon I can search in that specific category, it still makes it seem like it's somehow different than a story with straight characters. Why is heterosexual the default? If there are two love stories with the same plot but one of them has two gay men as the main characters that doesn't change the fact that they're the same love story. It almost seems like a way for the norms to stay norms: a straight person who doesn't think to search for an LGBTQ story may never encounter one and can remain completely unaware of the fact that such stories even exist. 
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GIS: I think the subgenre "LGBTQ" is helpful for people who want to read the literature and explore those authors and narratives, just like "African-American/Black" is helpful for people who want to read and explore those authors and narratives. I know that, having these labels, they aren't placed in the general fiction and nonfiction section. If they just meshed all of the these books together in the general category, it would allow others to explore these authors and narratives without the discrimination.

​“Why is heterosexual the default?”

WI: Even within the LGBTQ community, there is a lot of strife and misrepresentation. How would you recommend approaching writing a character that you don’t personally identify with?
 
SM: I think it's simple: write them how you'd write any character. Now it's one thing if you're straight trying to write a harrowing tragic coming out story because that could be a recipe for disaster. But if you're just writing a story with an LGBTQ character, just write how you'd write any story. Being LGBTQ is just one aspect of a person, it's not the entirety of their being. 
If the goal is to write about the difficulties faced by individuals in the  LGBTQ community, I'd recommend reading stories written by LGBTQ authors or simply reaching out to people you know that are LGBTQ. Do your research, just like you would for a character from a different time period, or one that lived in a different setting. There are plenty of straight authors that go on to write wonderful stories about LGBTQ characters, and they do so by remembering that we're all just human beings living our lives, not stereotypes or abnormalities.
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“I think it’s simple: write them how you’d write any character.”
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GIS: I have always been a curious person. With this in mind, I went for journalism as my undergrad degree and have had much experience interviewing different people with diverse backgrounds, from different communities, etc. As someone who might be approaching writing a character that I don't personally identify with, I would seek out literature, such as articles, blogs, and memoirs, to learn more, read more about those experiences and eventually, find people of that identity who are willing to give an interview.
However, as a bisexual woman, I cannot speak for all bisexual people. So, as a way to include other voices, I would look for other bisexual women and men and ask them about their identity and experiences. Therefore, the character would not be solely based on my own experiences but on a combination of experiences that, I believe, would make the character more well-rounded and real.​

“I would write a character not solely based on my own experiences, but on a combination of experiences.”
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WI: One thing that I notice a lot in books is that authors make an LGBTQ character’s whole personality being LGBTQ, automatically “othering” them. Or, they avoid specifying that the character is LGBTQ. What are your thoughts on that?
 
SM: It's so ridiculous when I see such an offensive stereotype put on display. I will say the flamboyant gay best friend can always find a way to make an appearance and while there is nothing wrong with being flamboyant, it's definitely harmful when that's the only aspect of their character. LGBTQ people have wants, dreams, likes and dislikes just like everyone else in the world so it's insulting to make it seem as if we're all so shallow and one-sided. ​

As for queerbaiting, I think it's a huge problem. Writers, whether it be in television, movies, or books, create these situations that draw in the LGBTQ community without ever delivering. I think it's their way of "keeping the straight community" while upping the LGBTQ viewership, which frankly is insulting to straight people too. It's as if they think straight people wouldn't dare to watch a movie or read a book with a gay main character. I watch movies with straight people all the time, what makes them think an openly gay character would lower ratings? 
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WI: Why do you think people are so afraid to write what they don’t know, and so unwilling to understand those who are different?
 
SM: I think one aspect of it could be the cancel culture of the internet. People are terrified to make a mistake so they never try. I don't believe it's necessarily because they don't want to understand, it's more that they don't ever feel the need to attempt such a feat. Part of it is the fact that they feel comfortable writing from a perspective that's relevant to their own personal experiences. A lot of writers probably never even consider writing from the viewpoint of someone other than a straight person. 
 
The fact that there is a clear lack of representation further proves that we need more LGBTQ authors. If nobody else is willing to tell our stories, we have to tell them ourselves. We need to lift up these narratives so they become part of the mainstream because these incredible stories deserve recognition and admiration. 
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“The fact that there is a clear lack of representation proves we need more LGBTQ authors.”
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GIS: There will always be stereotypes in literature, whether it's the LGBTQ community, the African-American/Black community, the Asian-American community, etc. This lack of awareness is based on an author's/creator's "unwillingness" to branch out from their field of understanding and laziness to commit to research; therefore resulting in a stereotype-based character or characters. 
 

“I do believe, however, over time, authors and creators will evolve and learn from past mistakes; hopefully, mustering up the willingness to commit to research and reaching out to people outside of their own community.”
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I do believe, however, over time, authors and creators will evolve and learn from past mistakes; hopefully, mustering up the willingness to commit to research and reaching out to people outside of their own community.
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In short: LGBTQ people are not the stereotypes associated with them, and those stereotypes have no place in writing.