Is queerbaiting problematic or powerful? Internet culture is making it harder to draw a moral line
The quest for queer representation may be unfairly forcing public figures to put a label on their sexuality.
Article by:
Elaine Obran
ANU Reporter Senior Writer
In 2003, when Madonna was locking lips with Britney Spears at the MTV VMAs and Prince was dancing on stage in three-inch heels, we couldn’t have predicted that, some 20 years later, there would be a term to describe such behaviour: queerbaiting.
The term refers to those who deliberately insinuate, hint and tease at queer identity without defining their sexuality.
Being an openly queer public figure used to mean facing homophobia, scandal and ‘gotcha’ journalism, but today artists such as Troye Sivan and Chappell Roan are enjoying mainstream success while embracing their queer identity.
But the lines blur with celebrities such as Harry Styles and Billie Eilish, who have been accused of performing sexual ambiguity and profiting financially in the process.
Jack Hayes is a PhD candidate at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at The Australian National University (ANU). He says the negative emotions attached to queerbaiting reflect the ongoing fight for LGBTQI+ rights and recognition.
“The term queerbaiting is almost defined by betrayal,” says Hayes.
“There’s a vulnerability when a queer person is looking for representation and feeling like they’re getting a little bit of that from a performer if their gender expression is androgynous.
“Queerbaiting is a confirmation that they aren’t queer, or they have been co-opting aspects of what we consider to be queer identity. There can be a loss of trust there.
“This is also something that has evolved in the past 20 years. There weren’t pop stars ‘out’ back then in the same way they can be now, and it feels really new and fragile.”
The rise of parasocial relationships online has also played a role in pushing queerbaiting into this new territory.
Parasocial relationships describe a one-sided connection, where someone – in this context the fan – is spending a certain amount of time and emotional energy on a person who doesn’t know they exist.
Queerbaiting raises the question of how much celebrities owe their fans in exchange for their support.
“Fans feel so close to these celebrities, but the celebrities are like, ‘diva, I don’t know you, but certainly buy my album,” Hayes says.
“The Gen Z of it all is that someone like Chappell Roan can make openly queer femme music now, and it’s incredibly popular and successful.
“But there is an irony there also. Gen Z is more comfortable with exploring sexual attraction, gender expression and gender fluidity, but they also rigidly police it, which is counterintuitive to allowing people space to experiment with their queer journey.”
Despite Billie Eilish’s recent ‘coming out’ on the internet, some fans still suspect the singer-songwriter is leaning into the queer community for branding and commercial growth.
It’s this kind of discourse that leaves little room for young artists to explore their queer expression.
“Billie the superstar wants to make money, but she’s also a person in the middle of that as well,” says Hayes.
“A good contrast, particularly in the Australian context, is someone like Troye Sivan, who came out prior to having an established music career and has probably been one of the more successful YouTuber-to-musician transitions. We’ve seen a lot of flops there.
“Whereas Billie began making music when she was 13. We don’t expect young teens to have a rigid idea of their sexuality, and yet we’re not facilitating a space in which a decade later, Billie is allowed to explore her sexuality, or rather, make an active choice to reveal a part of herself to the public.”
So, how can we find a fair way forward within the queerbaiting conversation? Hayes says it comes down to accountability – from everyone.
“If a celebrity isn’t going to be transparent with their sexuality, as is their right, but they want to play to and profit from queer audiences, they should remain a staunch ally to LGBTQI+ issues,” says Hayes.
“Because, at the end of the day, queer people don’t get to opt out of being queer when it’s inconvenient for them, and solidarity is really necessary.
“But there also has to be accountability in managing your parasocial relationships. It’s that question of, ‘what I am entitled to know about a stranger?’
“Ultimately, it’s nothing.”
Top image: Billie Eilish. Photo: DFree/shutterstock.com
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