Writing LGBTQ Characters—How and How NOT To

 

I have written at length about the importance of inclusion. A diverse cast enriches your world and elevates your story from black and (mostly) white to Technicolor-vivid. But it’s more than just different ethnic groups. 

When you write other sexual orientations, other gender identities into your cast, you not only have the opportunity for diverse voices but you also get considerable perspective on a world beyond CIS men and women.

The challenge, however, is to avoid stereotypes and cliches. As with different ethnic and cultural groups, respectfully approaching LGBTQ characters is the baseline.

“Doctors can bury their mistakes, lawyers have to live with theirs.” Charles Hamilton Houston, pioneering Civil Rights Attorney

Writers have to live with their mistakes, too. I have read that later in life, Robert B. Parker regretted the depiction of LGBTQ folks in his early novels. He began with gay men as predators or hustlers in God Save the Child, but eventually evolved to writing both Gino Fish (a gay mobster and stand-up guy in Night Passage) as well as Lee Farrell, (an out gay detective in Paper Doll). Both are fully-formed depictions of gay men at oposit ends of the legal spectrum. Neither are stereotypes or played for gags.

Which one is gay?

Parker’s enlightenment is probably due to the fact that both of his sons are gay—but not necessarily—which is why credible depictions are so very important.

Frank Herbert wrote the groundbreaking novel Dune and five other novels in the same universe. He depicted women as fully formed, individuals with agency and agenda, heroisism and menance. Further, he was one of the first science fiction writers to positively depict other ethnic groups, other religions, and other cultures as equal-to-if-not-better-than terms.

His blind spot, indeed his bigot spot, was sexual orientation. For all his far-sighted view on women and non-western, non-white cultures, Frank's work still included violent homophobia. If the predatory-gay Baron isn’t enough, Children of Dune, features a conversation where his Fremen leader, Stilgar, states that gay men contribute nothing to the sietch, (tribe) and would therefore be lynched. 

Herbert’s blatant prejudice is (somewhat) softened by the time God Emperor of Dune was published in 1981. While one lead character is outraged after witnessing an intimate moment between two women, another character dismisses it as "permissible" in experimentation. The stinch of stigma remains. 

Frank Herbert died of complications from pancreatic cancer surgery in 1986. Bruce Calvin Herbert, gay-rights activist and Frank's youngest son, died of AIDs related pneumonia in 1993. Father and son never reconciled their estrangement.

How NOT to: tropes to avoid

Girl, I say this as a friend, stop with your needy antics...

The gay bestie who only exists to wisecrack with your protag? Don’t, just don’t. Purses, hats, little dogs, little dogs with hats—all accessories. Gay men are human beings and if you plan on writing the other, write the other as people with their own agency and asperations. No, George should not be sitting on a shelf waiting for Jules to need him to be fabulous, (My Best Friend’s Wedding). 

LGBTQ folks did NOT come out of the closet for you to bury them in your story

Vasquez and Drake, at matched pair of life-takers/heartbreakers

From professional kitchens to east-Texas oil fields, I grew up working with butch women. Many were veterans. Most had taken some lumps over their orientation. So when James Cameron’s 1987 film, Aliens, debuted I was THRILLED to see Vasquez who looked like the badasses I had worked with and learned from. 

Her death—like a BOSS—still stung. 

(Dis)Honerable How dare you? mentions

Dead, dead, and holy-hell, who did you piss off?

Renly Boratheon, Loras Tyrell, Oberyn Martell—all gay/bi men killed, often horrifcally on Game of Thrones. "Yeah, but groundbreaking realistic fantasy drama..." 

Because nothing says "funny" like a gay-bashing turned deadly

Cicily is murdered saving her lover in Northern Exposure—a SITUATION COMEDY. 

Don't even ask who Talia, (Andrea Thompson) pissed off

In the 90s, J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5 broke massive ground with it's positive depictions of LGBTQ folks...and then Talia Winters is mind-wiped, (basically murdered) after she establishes a relationship with Susan Ivanova—and I was beyond stung. I was angry at the lazy writing. 

But wait, there’s more! Or, less...

No one has a monopoly on LGBTQ characters written badly. For every The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, (EXCELLENT representation and FUN) there are six Silence of the Lambs, (not-so excellent representation, that has aged like milk). Thomas Harris wrote dialogue where FBI Agent Clarince Starling states that there is no link between transgender identity and violence, (quite the opposit actually) for nothing. Silence of the Lambs director, Jonathan Demme took great pains to repeatedly lens Hannibal Lecter declaring that the killer, Buffalo Bill, was not truly transexual—for no practical effect. 

The scene of Jame Gumb, (a fractured name for a fractured killer) dancing around with tucked genitals, in semi-drag remains iconic for all the worst reasons and continues to fuel prejudices 30 years later. But Harris and Demme didn’t start this fire. William Friedkin's Cruising and Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill both exploited anti-LGBTQ biases a decade earlier.

Who does it well?

Chester Himes wrote respectfully of gay men and the love they shared not only in his literary novels but also in his crime novels. That may be because Himes was bisexual. Still, that did not always translate to screen adaptations of Himes' work. 

It took director Bill Duke' 1991 film, A Rage in Harlem, actualized Himes’ prose from the 1957 novel. Instead of a predatory drag queen or a transexual “character” staged for laughs and abuse, Duke gave us Big Kathy, (played by Zakes Mokae) a trans-woman with loyalty and great affection for Goldie (Gregory Hines). Goldie's tears for Big Kathy speak to reciprocity.   

Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt dared to dipict a lesbian relationship that didn't end in death for one or both. Highsmith's novel, published under a nom de plume in 1952, could've just as easily ended her career and resulted in her publisher's ruin. Poignant and honest, Todd Haynes' 2015 film Carol is (lovingly) faithful tribute to the source material.

If your villain is LGBTQ, balance is imperative 

John Grisham’s novel The Client begins with a mob lawyer snatching a child, terrorizing the child, and then committing suicide in front of the child. Grisham takes the next 600-ish pages to show us that not all lawyers are bad guys mainly by showing two opposing lawyers tripping over each others' ego to save the kid. 

Not all military commanders...

In Tony Scott’s Crimson Tide, (1995) Gene Hackman’s Ramsey (an old-white-military commander) becomes the antagonist to Denzel Washington’s Hunter, (young staff officer on the come-up) a do-right man. 

George Dzunda’s Cob, (another old-white-military man) sides with Hunter. He sides with Hunter not because he likes him but because Hunter is right—by the book. It is a clear “not all old-white-military commanders” moment. 

See a pattern?

The best contemporary (popular) example I can point to—believe that I looked for others—is Outlander. Author Diana Galbadon wrote her first baddie, Captain Jack Randall as a sadistic gay rapist. She also wrote the Duke of Sandringham as nothing more than a rancid gay stereotype with some expositional properties. 

Has his own books, should've a show of his own, too.

Thankfully, she also wrote Lord John Grey. Grey is an English Army officer and a reluctant ally to heroes Claire and Jamie. He is also a gay man. The redemptive part, the part that makes Grey’s inclusion invaluable is that he expresses and attraction to Jamie but without threat or violence or any form of coercion. When Jamie rebuffs Grey’s advance, Grey continues to treat Jamie with respect and dignity. They become friends. 

Like writing about any other person that you respect and love

It’s just that easy. Instead of pummeling the reader with outdated and bigoted stereotypes or offereing up your gay darlings as sacrifices for CIS characters to live happily-ever-after, write the character with heart and soul. Just like all of your other characters.

I own none of the photos above. All are used here, for educational/instructional purposes, as covered by the Fair Use Doctrine.

Out of Touch—Patterson's Entitlement Problem

 

In a 2022 London Times interview James Patterson said that older white male writers aren’t getting work. No more familiar with subtlety in conversation than he is in print, the 75-year-old centimillionaire attributes the decreasing number of older white male writers to racism. There’s simply no other answer…in Patterson’s world.

 

Never mind that old white men continue to dominate writing rooms for just about every television show on air. Older white men also write almost every production on 

Broadway and the overwhelming majority of feature films. So, yeah, old white dudes are kinda big in show-biz.

 

Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Leslie Jones and old white men 

 

Richard Pryor was an irreverent pioneer who dealt with racism and social injustice through cutting humor. But his biggest grossing film, The Toy, was written by Francis Veber (old, white, and French). Almost all of Prior’s movies were written by white men. Eddie Murphy (purportedly) wrote Harlem Nights and Norbit. Meanwhile, Beverly Hills Cop was written by Daniel Petrie (not old at the time but quite white). Coming to America? Art Buchwald wrote that one. I’m 100-percent positive that Buchwald was born old and white. Leslie Jones’ biggest film to date is 2016’s Ghostbusters was written by Paul Feig, (you already know). It also begs noting that Hotel Rwanda was written by two white dudes.

If it works, what the problem?

 

On television, 95% of what you see is written by white men, no matter the subject matter or cast. CBS/Paramount TV’s All Rise, staring Simone Missick, (a woman of color) was created by an old white dude who also created such a hostile environment in which all the writers of color quit. Of course CBS took a measured, considerate approach. Just kidding. Network execs considered canceling the modest hit rather than FIRE THE WHITE DUDE CAUSING THE PROBLEMS.

 

Meanwhile stars Simu Lie and Jean Yoon have both expressed their exasperation and embarrassment for some of the things written for Kim’s Convenience. A show about a Korean Canadian family business, Kim's Convenience was based on a play by Ins Choi but his involvement was diminished with each season—by white dudes hired to do the writing. The proposed spinoff, Strays, from Kim’s Convenience focuses on Shannon...the white girlfriend. 

That's why I like comic books, they're so inclusive and innovative

 

I read a comic book written in the 90's where Power Girl minimizes the sexual exploitation in her impractically-revealing costume. She further infers that those with problems with her costume are insecure (women) or closet-perverts (dudes). Another story depicts fanboy-favorite Starfire glossing-over sexual assault—with a "hakuna matata" attitude. Of course both bits of drek were written by dudes (the white-part is inferred). 

But, but, but, gay characters... 

Just like in other media, LGBTQ depictions in comic books, (TVs, movies, I can go on...) are flamboyant-finger-snapping-fabulous sidekicks. The characterizations are interchangeable with people of color who have a cutting wit or speak only in slang. Otherwise, the characters, (hardly actualized people) curiously cite distinctly white-cis-male views, often quite contrary to their self-interests. LGBTQ characters written in most movies/TV shows for the last 65-ish years have been written by CIS-men.

Funny how Patterson missed all that

 

Patterson's most famous character is Alex Cross, psychologist and former FBI Agent. But Cross is African American so his achievements must be born of adversity. Not any adversity, mind you, it must be trope-specific. Cross' mother was a junkie and his father, her dealer. Cross pulled stickups as a juvenile. In spite of it all, he bootstrapped to college and grad school and then onto the FBI. A bureau that is only 11% black with only 4% black agents and notoriously rigorous screening processes. Sure. Don’t even get me started on Cross trading racist sobriquets with bestie John Sampson.

Patterson alarm is so-so founded

 

Movies, books, television—children’s stories, women’s stories, black/latinx/Asian stories, even LGBTQ—stories are all largely penned by old white dudes. Maybe Patterson has seen the fringe breakouts like Atlanta (written by Donald Glover) and Insecure (created/penned by Issa Rae) or maybe saw (of?) Ryan Coogler’s success with Black Panther and Creed and decided that they are taking over. He states this in complete oblivion to current events.

 

Why Patterson's (further) misrepresentation matters

 

It is really easy to look for something/one to blame when you've put in a lot work only have circumstances break against you. But that's neither honest, nor helpful. How do I know?

I have written about the challenges I face based on shifting readership/taste. Caveat: I’m an old white dude. But that is not why I remain unpublished. It’s a question of tastes and readership and interest. And maybemaybemaybe my hard-head.

Mostly it's about numbers

 

Women make up the overwhelming majority of readers. Estimates vary between 60% and 75% of all fiction readers. Still, that’s just quibbling over where the ball landed in a blowout game.

 

The breakdown reflects popularity. Mysteries/thrillers remain hot, (55-60% female readership). Romance always sells, (85-95% female). Fantasy (45-50% female) and science fiction (22% female, seems really low) are specialty niches. But crime, hardboiled, gritty-street-level crime is primarily male-focused and a tough sell. Heist novels? Forget about it. 

Guess which genre I write...

 

The old writer-axiom is "go where the money is you’re loved." Donald Westlake wrote romance novels, erotica, and even suspense/thriller. But he was loved for his crime books so that’s the majority of his published work. 

Elmore Leonard began writing westerns and in 10 years, he sold half-a-dozen novels, two-dozen short stories, and two script/screenplays. Then tastes, readership, and interests changed. After attempts at literature and humor, Elmore segued to crime fiction which resulted in dozens of books, short stories, and film work on his stories. In short, he adapted and overcame.

The idea of someone else getting a seat a the table takes someone else's seat is dangerous 

 

Pose, Persepolis, Get Out—people of color, women, and LGBTQ folks are finally getting the chance to tell their stories across all media in popular culture. People writing stories about people—not characters—where the people don’t have to be “snappy”or “fabulous” or accessories. The idea that this represents a threat to white male writers is not only absurd, in the age of "white-replacement theory," it’s deadly.

 

Always a job for people with skills

 

Bosch, The Sopranos, The Old Man—all reflect “dad” shows written about men of a certain age, by men of a certain age, for men of a certain age. Twelve Angry Men was revived on Broadway. Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise continue to crank out dad movies. Much of what I cite is based on dad books.

 

So, no neither racism nor ageism represent an impediment to old white men in the writing game. 

Writing white-male stories for non-white-non-male audiences—as clearly demonstrated—is NOT an impediment to old white men in the writing game. Patterson is voicing a fear of sharks from his mansion on the mountain. The rest of us are building a bigger reading table with more stories to offer everyone.

I do not own the images above. All are used here for educational/instructional purposes as covered by the Fair Use Doctrine.