Being in quarantine for the 52nd day has left me with an abundance of time to reflect on myself. Since coming home from college I have left a happy little bubble of queer friends that I felt so comfortable and “normal” in. That bubble has popped since being back home in a little heternormative town. I sit down to watch the most popular marvel movies and I’m flooded with an uncomfortable feeling of not belonging. It sucks being the only one in the room noticing the way heteronormativity floods the home and is internalized into each one of us. The media is key to setting standards and societal values. So, when me and many other queer individuals sit there watching and listening to the most popular movies and music, we are fully aware of the disconnect we have to it. Although I totally love superheros and marvel, I recognize my desire for something more. Captain Marvel cutting her hair and appearing more butch isn’t cutting it!
In order to maintain a healthy mindset and embrace my queerness I have learned to focus on the media that validates queerness and shows the beauty in queer people. If you are feeling the same way I have been, or if you are just interested to look at life in a non-normative way, here are some beautiful forms of media that show the beauty in queer individuals!
Youtube:
Youtube has created an amazing platform for people to speak their minds, and for youtubers to be the representation that they never had. Among so many topics, I find a lot of wonderful queer content here. From videos on coming out to cute queer trips, I find acceptance of my queerness here. These are a few queer youtubers you should check out!
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Chella Man & MaryV– they truly show what it means to be queer and in love! They also create beautiful art
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Sufi & Anjali– In 2019 this couple went viral for sharing their anniversary photos where they are pictured wearing traditional South Asian clothing. They continue to inspire me as a queer couple, and they are also a great representation of queer South Asian women
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Keara Graves– She shows her pride through making a lot of content dedicated to queer people, and she also shares her beautiful musical talent
Music:
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King Princess– I highly recommend listening to her top hits 1950 and Talia
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Tracy Chapman– Chapman is a major throwback but her famous song Fast Car talks about a possible positive future with her girlfriend
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Halsey– As a bisexual queen she brings experiences with men and women to her music and it allows for a large range of people to relate to
Movies & Shows:
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The Fosters– This show is on netflix and covers many political issues and social justice problems, but some of the main characters portray very positive ideas around queerness
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A Secret Love– A new Netflix documentary displays the secret relationship that two women maintained for 68+ years, and I find this to be a beautiful representation of a queer couple
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Love, Simon– in 2018 this movie came out and became super popular. It displays the struggle of coming to terms with one’s queerness and shows the importance of acceptance from others