As time has gone on, our society has become seemingly more and more accepting of the LGBTQ community. There have been conversations about becoming even more inclusive by doing things such as having a lesbian Disney princess or having more LGBTQ cartoon characters. Have you ever stopped to wonder if these ideas are those of the LGBTQ community or if they’re from others who wish to profit from them? It seems the reasoning for it is not for LGBTQ recognition, but for media developers to receive a check from it.
LGBTQ characters are almost never portrayed in realistic ways. It’s understandable to say films and television purposely exaggerate character roles to catch the attention of the audience, but most of the time it’s actually quite offensive. In a Huffington Post article authored by a middle school student named Harvey who identifies as queer, she says lesbians are most often hypersexualized in the media, leading people to believe their relationships are “synonymous with sexuality and sex.” Everyone knows sex sells, and movie developers certainly benefit from the inaccurate depiction of the LGBTQ community.
Some may say it’s simply an achievement to have these LGBTQ roles at all, regardless of whether the representation is accurate or not. However, even though the media seems to be including more LGBTQ roles, they’re most often played by straight actors. The reasoning for this seems to come down to the judgments placed on gay actors. A study done by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists discovered more than half of gay, lesbian and bisexual performers have overheard directors and producers making anti-gay remarks about the actors. The level of hypocrisy in the media makes it hard to believe they’re creating these films for representation instead of for their own monetary gain.
There are those who may argue gay roles don’t necessarily require gay actors. They could say gay actors often portray straight people, making it a double standard. However, SAG-AFTRA has also found that LGBTQ individuals are “less likely than heterosexual respondents to have an agent, which may put LGBTQ performers at a disadvantage when looking for work.” 
“It’s not that advisable to be honest,” said Rupert Everett, an openly gay actor. “It’s not very easy. And, honestly, I would not advise any actor necessarily, if he was really thinking of his career, to come out.”
The increase in LGBTQ characters in the media is a wonderful thing. However, the lack of deeper support for the LGBTQ community and failed accuracy of the representation is not. If directors and screenwriters are being paid for these movies, there should be a deeper concern for the individuals within the community and how they’re being illustrated. In time, LGBTQ characters may become more common and well-performed. As for now, there’s a major disconnect between what is true and what is sold.
 Chantelle Baker is a 21-year-old communication studies senior from Waipahu, Hawaii.