Writing Queer: 9 Ways To Do Your Queer Characters Justice
Ahead of our WRITING QUEER talk next week, writer and performer Lucy Dickson (she/her) offers advice on meaningful ways to include queer stories and characters in your work.
With thanks to Lucy, Meg McGrady (they/them), and Queerly Productions.
There’s no denying that the world of musical theatre is unapologetically queer: it owes much of its canon to queer writers, its form to a cultural history of campness, and many of its best performances to queer actors. And yet, LGBTQ+ representation in musical theatre is still lacking. Here are some of our top tips for making sure that your queer characters are written with authenticity and sensitivity.
1. Think outside of the cis-male gaze.
Pop culture narratives are almost always focalised through the narration of a cisgender white man. Even Rent, a musical which owes its narrative to the queer community, is quite literally told through the lens of a cis, straight white man. Think about who is telling your story: if you’re writing about queer characters, ensure that those characters are given the agency to forge their own narratives. Don’t tell LGBTQ+ stories through a focal point which automatically codes queerness as ‘otherness’.
2. Think outside of the cis-male gays.
Just because you’ve featured a queer story, that does not mean that you’ve ‘ticked your diversity box’. Most stories which feature LGBTQ+ characters fall into the trap of exclusively featuring cis white gay men. Yet, the first brick at Stonewall was thrown by a trans woman of colour. Don’t forget to prominently feature characters from communities which have historically been overlooked because of systematic racism, misogyny and transphobia.
“There is undoubtedly something enormously liberating about writing characters less bound by the social conventions of compulsory heterosexuality.”
3. Don’t expect your queer characters to adhere to cis/hetero-normative standards.
Some queer people want to live the ‘heteronormative dream’, but simply with the person they love. The marriage, the monogamy, and the blissful monotony.
But for so many members of the LGBTQ+ community, that isn’t the case. Remember that when writing queer, you might also need to question the pre-conceived notions of what a ‘relationship’ or ‘family’ can mean.
In queer circles, monogamy isn’t a given. Kink is celebrated, not scorned. Children may have more than one set of parents. Close queer friends can also be lovers, chosen family, and exes (sometimes all at once). So remember, that to write these characters with authenticity, you’ll have to confront many of your own internalised biases, and beliefs about what ‘normal’ needs to look like.
4. Let your queer characters LIVE.
The ‘bury your gays’ trope (also known as ‘dead lesbian syndrome’) is still very much alive and kicking. Historically in popular culture, queer lives have often been more expendable than the lives of their cis-het counterparts: 25% of cis queer men in popular media are killed off, as are 35% of all cis queer women. The numbers are even higher when looking into trans representation. If your narrative involves the death of an LGBTQ+ character (particularly your only LGBTQ+ character) take a step back, and interrogate if, and why, it’s necessary to your narrative.
‘Fun Home’ (book & lyrics by Lisa Kron, music by Jeanine Tesori)
5. Let your queer characters live full and happy lives.
This goes hand in hand with the above. In the cases where queer characters are kept alive, their stories have historically been defined by the ways in which their LGBTQ+ identity has made their life difficult. Just look to the glut of queer stories which focus exclusively on the AIDS epidemic, or the number of ‘coming-out’ tales steeped in a lack of acceptance. What’s more, a ‘coming out’ narrative robs us of the opportunity to see a queer character being their authentic selves: coming out should be the start of a journey, not the end of one.
So if you’re telling a queer story, please, make it a positive one. One that that explores the beauty of the queer identity, and the incredible families that we get to build for ourselves. Or at the very least, one that isn’t defined by our trauma.
6. Re-evaluate your definitions of vocal ranges.
This is often overlooked when writing musicals which feature gender-non conforming characters. The vocal range of, for example, a trans woman who transitioned later in life may look different to the range of a cis woman: bear this in mind, and write with this in mind. Consult with trans singers if you’re unsure about how best to approach this.
Also, make sure that you write about your vocal ranges in a gender-inclusive way. Talk about ‘a high vocal register’, an ‘alto’ or a ‘broken voice’ : don’t define your ranges by ‘men’ and ‘women’, forcing those who fall outside of the realms of binary gender to identify with a gender that doesn’t feel appropriate to them.
7. Take a stance on appropriate casting as early as possible in the creative process.
Whilst casting may not always be a part of the writing process, you have the agency as a writer to make it clear (e.g. within character descriptions) what you expect of a casting director when finding performers to bring your characters to life.
This is especially relevant when casting Trans and Non-Binary characters. Casting a cis performer in the role of a trans person isn’t only insensitive: it’s dangerous. It feeds into the transphobic narrative that, for example, a trans woman is nothing more than a ‘man, pretending to be a woman’. Such beliefs are inherently linked to the disproportionate levels of violence directed towards the trans community. Casting cis actors in trans roles is not, and should never be, a viable alternative to authentic trans representation.
The question around whether straight actors should be allowed to play queer roles whatsoever is a contentious one, even within the LGBTQ+ community. However, I’m firmly of the opinion that you’re far more likely to get an authentic performance of a queer narrative from someone who has lived experience of queer identity. What’s more, queer actors are so often forced to ‘play it straight’: as a performer myself, I know how validating it can feel to portray your authentic sexual identity on a stage. The fewer queer performers denied this opportunity, the better.
8. Collaborate with, and consult with, those who have lived experience of queerness.
This advice should be taken whenever you’re representing folks of a minority identity whose experience you don’t share. Reach out to friends, actively engage, listen, and learn from them. And remember, emotional labour is still labour: ensure that the people you’re consulting with are fairly compensated for their time and energy.
9. Enjoy Yourself!
There is undoubtedly something enormously liberating about writing characters less bound by the social conventions of compulsory heterosexuality. So enjoy yourself! Not only will writing three dimensional queer characters improve your musical, but it will also be an adventure, and an opportunity to question convention, in more ways than one!
Learn More:
Want to learn more about queer representation in musicals?
BOOK NOW for ‘Writing Queer’: Lisa Kron (Fun Home) in conversation with Forristal & Clarke (Public Domain), Wednesday 14th July 8pm BST / 3pm EST.