Signs and Symbols of Queerbaiting

 When I consider concepts such as signs and symbols, something that stands out to me most about them is the fact that they can mean different things to different cultural groups. An example of this is the concept of "queerbaiting." Queerbaiting is a marketing technique where LGBTQ+ characters and relationships are hinted at, but often not canonized or acted upon. The signs that are put into queerbait media stand out as obvious to members of the queer community, but when someone who is unfamiliar with queer iconography sees them, they slip under the radar.

Buck and Eddie from "9-1-1"

Sometimes, these queerbaits come to fruition. For example, the character of Evan “Buck” Buckley from ABC’s procedural drama 9-1-1 was revealed to be bisexual in the show’s 100th episode, after queer fans theorized that he and his on-screen best friend, Eddie Diaz, had the potential to be more than friends. When Buck came out, many straight fans of the show claimed that the decision came out of nowhere, while eagle-eyed queer fans had been suspecting the character was bisexual from the very first season. Buck’s actor Oliver Stark spoke about the issue, telling upset fans that they seemed to have missed the point of the show. Though this particular character did end up being queer, it was after 99 episodes of him being presumed heterosexual, therefore not negating the queerbaiting. 

Stark's Instagram story post regarding Buck's queer storyline

Other times, they do not come to fruition, remaining ambiguous to strike the balance between queer audiences and potentially homophobic ones. Characters like Keith and Lance from Voltron, Merlin and Arthur from Merlin, and Will Graham and Hannibal Lector from Hannibal had moments that stood out to queer audiences as implying romance between the characters, but each show ended with those characters still assumedly heterosexual.

Keith and Lance from "Voltron"

These queerbaits are often executed by implementing signs queer people use to identify one another in the world, but sometimes it is simpler. Just the application of a common trope within a queer lens often slips past straight audiences. 

In Stranger Things, central character Will Byers, who does come out as gay in the penultimate episode, gives his best friend Mike Wheeler a painting depicting Mike as the “heart” of their group. However, they use the Cyrano trope, by having Will present the painting as being from his foster sister and Mike’s girlfriend, Jane “Eleven” Hopper. Though many audiences did pick up on Will’s feelings for Mike, queer ones used the basis of the trope to assume this meant these feelings and the painting would be properly addressed later on. Ultimately, it ended up being an unresolved Chekov’s gun, leaving queer fans upset at the storyline and feeling that if they weren’t going to take the relationship in that direction, it was queerbaiting to establish Will’s romantic feelings for Mike in the first place. 

Will and Mike from "Stranger Things" with Will's painting

The question then is why do these tactics keep working despite the fact that LGBTQ+ audiences are duped time and again? And will straight audiences catch on to the tactics that are happening right under their noses?