When celebrities hold their sexuality ambiguous or take part in overtly queer eventualities like kissing their male backup dancer — a query is typically raised: “Are they queerbaiting?”
Queerbaiting usually refers to a advertising tactic the place media makes use of queer imagery, lyrics, plots, and dialog to attract in an LGBTQ+ viewers with out the intention to ship correct LGBTQ+ illustration.
Right this moment, the time period has developed and can be used as a criticism of an individual, particularly a public determine, who’s seen to be portraying themselves as queer or ambiguous to pander to the LGBTQ+ neighborhood for advertising functions.
However does this hypothesis contribute to erasing queer identities like bisexuality, asexuality, and pansexuality? Ought to sexual fluidity or inventive roles solely be reserved for celebrities who explicitly establish as queer? Is their presence detrimental to the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, and are these claims legitimate? It is difficult!
Listed below are 10 celebrities accused of queerbaiting and the way they responded to the allegations.
1.
One of many greatest celebrities dominating the dialog round queerbaiting is Harry Types. Harry is thought for his inclusive music, androgynous model, and avoidance of labeling his sexuality.
Harry is probably the most vocal towards these accusations, stating in an interview with The Guardian, “Am I sprinkling in nuggets of sexual ambiguity to try to be extra attention-grabbing? No.”
“When it comes to how I wanna costume and what the album sleeve’s gonna be, I are inclined to make choices when it comes to collaborators I wish to work with,” Harry continued. “I would like issues to look a sure manner. Not as a result of it makes me look homosexual, or it makes me look straight, or it makes me look bisexual, however as a result of I feel it appears to be like cool.”
2.
When Nick Jonas went solo, he was criticized for queerbaiting after steadily courting the LGBTQ+ neighborhood at homosexual bars and advantages surrounding his music releases.
Along with his public appearances, Nick appeared in tv exhibits like The Kingdom and Scream Queens portraying homosexual characters.
Nick responded to claims of queerbaiting by saying, “Everybody’s entitled to their very own opinion. I feel it is unlucky that some folks must discover a unfavorable in each state of affairs. Clearly, my coronary heart is in the proper place, and greater than something, if they simply checked out my life and my homosexual associates and the genuine nature of the place my coronary heart is, they’d simply see that they are type of ignorant.”
3.
When Tyler Posey spoke about his sexual fluidity on his OnlyFans account, it sparked opposed reactions. An individual claimed he was a “gay-baiter” — solely pretending to be homosexual to earn a living.
Tyler clapped again on the allegations, saying that he is solely making an attempt to be trustworthy about himself. He added that the feedback are unusual and merciless, which impressed his consciousness of cyberbullying.
Tyler’s girlfriend, alt-rock singer Phem, who can be queer, helped him notice his sexuality. “She’s helped me notice that I match below the queer umbrella and that I’m sexually fluid, I assume. No, not ‘I assume.’ I don’t need anybody to take this and be like: ‘Nicely, he was type of wishy-washy about it.'”
4.
Billie Eilish was accused of queerbaiting when she launched a music video for “Misplaced Trigger,” a single from her sophomore album. The music video included suggestive interactions with partially dressed ladies.
Billie promoted the video on Instagram, her caption studying, “i like women.” This submit added gas to the hearth of the queerbaiting dialog.
In an interview with Elle journal, she stated to everybody discussing her sexuality, “Like, oh yeah, that is everybody else’s enterprise, proper? No. The place’s that power with males? I simply needed to make a track as soon as, after which I stored making songs. I by no means stated, ‘Hey, take note of my life.’ All my associates know I do not wanna see any of [the negative chatter]. When folks ship me one thing imply, it hurts my soul.”
Based on Advanced, folks additionally accused Ariana of exploiting the queer neighborhood when she headlined the Manchester Delight pageant in 2019 and doubled ticket costs.
Ariana swiftly responded, “The LGBTQ+ neighborhood has been so particular to me and supportive all through my total profession. The relationships I’ve with my LGBTQ+ followers, associates, and household make me so so joyful.” She claimed the ticket costs have been the venue’s choice and out of her management.
6.
When Normani launched “Wild Aspect,” that includes Cardi B, the artists have been accused of queerbaiting for holding one another whereas nude within the music video.
Cardi B wasted no time firing again at these claims, reminding the haters that she identifies as a bisexual girl.
I don’t like this new “queer baiting” phrase.I really feel prefer it stress artist to speak about their sexuality or their experiences that they don’t really feel comfy talking about.If a artist kiss a lady on a video does which means she gotta present movies & textual content wit wit different ladies?
In response to nude photographs of Cardi B and Normani holding one another, she defined it was to hide her being pregnant.
Uuummmm @RollingStone queer baiting? You do know we was making an attempt to cover an entire child bump proper ?Additionally I’m married to a person however I’ve specific soo a lot about my bisexuality and my experiences wit women .Abruptly “queer baiting” is the brand new phrase & folks use it to the bottom ! https://t.co/M3kn4NyJBs
7.
Charlie Puth was known as out for queerbaiting after he posted a TikTok video purposefully misusing a filter about homosexual intercourse that labeled whether or not he was a prime or a backside.
Folks additionally criticized Charlie for his sexually charged social media engagement, together with innuendos and partially nude photographs, and the queer ambiguity of his newest single with Jung Kook of BTS, “Left and Proper.”
Whereas he is but to straight tackle the queerbaiting accusations, Charlie had this to say concerning the on-line criticism of his work with BTS:
I don’t normally pay any thoughts to issues like this, however one thing needs to be stated. This harmful, poisonous, web screaming match between ‘fandoms’ has to cease. I’m 28 years previous, so it doesn’t actually imply something to me when some particular person I don’t know writes a nasty message to me…
However what I do know is that 10 years in the past, language like this directed in the direction of me would’ve affected me deeply in a really unfavorable manner. And I’m serious about all the opposite youthful children on twitter seeing stuff like this every day.
It might sound cliche, however please be nicer to one another on right here. No extra screaming about made up nonsense. It does no one any good. All of us want to like one another MORE THAN EVER RIGHT NOW.
8.
James Franco appeared in a number of roles as a homosexual man, and casually joked that he was a “little homosexual” throughout an interview. Critics speculated that he used homoeroticism for business achieve.
In response to the hypothesis, James did an interview with 429 Journal the place “Straight James Franco” spoke to “Homosexual James Franco.” He stated, “Nicely, I wish to assume that I am homosexual in my artwork and straight in my life. Though, I am additionally homosexual in my life as much as the purpose of intercourse, after which you possibly can say I am straight. So I assume it is determined by the way you outline homosexual. If it means whom you might have intercourse with, I assume I am straight.”
James’ present sexual misconduct accusations continued the dialog about whether or not he makes use of his “queerness” to divert consideration away from his extra problematic habits.
9.
Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova, professionally often known as t.A.T.u, have been as soon as thought of homosexual icons for his or her unabashed music movies. However, within the 2003 documentary, Screaming for Extra, the duo revealed they’re straight and have been marketed as queer ladies for his or her musical act.
“That was my function. I by no means was a lesbian. I by no means was drawn to a lady. I by no means had that,” Katina informed the Each day Beast when questioned. “I had some ideas as a result of I used to be pretending to be who I wasn’t. After which, I used to be serious about it rather a lot, ‘Why am I involved?’ There are such a lot of actors enjoying completely different roles in films. I’ll simply take a look at it as a film. If I’m serving to folks with this function, then why not.”
On a Russian TV present, Yulia spoke out towards the homosexual neighborhood, saying that if her son have been homosexual, she would condemn him. “I imagine that an actual man have to be an actual man. God created man for procreation, it’s the nature. The person for me is the help, the power of… I will not settle for [a] homosexual son.”
10.
Lastly, Madonna confronted criticism after she posted a remark in response to Lil Nas X’s BET Award efficiency the place he kissed his male backup dancer.
Madonna posted a side-by-side image on her Instagram story of herself kissing Britney Spears (a second from 2003 that many thought of queerbaiting) and an image of Lil Nas X’s efficiency together with the hashtag: “#DidItFirst.”
Madonna did not reply, however Lil Nas X brushed all of it off, saying she meant no hurt by the remark.
What do you consider these celebrities who have been accused of queerbaiting? What about their responses?