Ghost Lady Friday

*Sigh*

It is a truth universally-acknowledged by TV/film writers and producers that any show with a lesbian or bisexual woman must be in want of her to be killed off eventually. (And yes, today's post was brought to you by the mess that was The 100's handling of Lexa. More here, if you're curious.).

Perhaps I don't have to explain this trend to most of you, but here goes anyway: queer characters make up a tiny share of TV/film characters. So, while ideally, they would get the same treatment any other character would get, including the possibility of death, it seems that lesbian and bisexual female characters in particular are killed off in disproportionate numbers. So, we are already barely represented in media, and then when we are, this representation decreases further when these characters are killed off.

(I have no idea if this is also a thing for queer men. Whatever the case, I don't see them critiquing the phenomenon as much. Or maybe I just don't pay as much attention. Anyway).

I dedicate today's post to these lesbian and bisexual characters, an assemblage of which can be found at Autostraddle. (Addendum: Without getting pedantic about it, I would have included Xena on this list. Which means Lucy Lawless could have been on this list 3 times. Which makes me feel very confused, to be honest. I love that she's playing lesbian/bi, but for once would love to see her get a happy ending doing so! Also, if movies were included in this list, this list would have been quite a bit longer, as lesbian/bi characters in movies get similar treatment as in TV).

HOWEVER, to end on an upbeat note, I think it's important to add that it is a rare lesbian/bisexual character death that I accept as canon. In my head, despite their tragic ends, all of these characters are now somewhere happier. Together. Like getting down with their bad selves at a Dinah Shores Afterlife.

Or, perhaps, canoodling in a secret password-protected vault of stories at A03.

I am quite sure of this.

Imagine:

Dana Fairbanks (The L Word)  is alive, giving Samantha Krueger (Ascension) free tennis lessons, just because Samantha reminds her of a "soup chef" she once knew. It is precisely as adorkable as you think it would be.

Tara Thornton (True Blood) and Tamsin (Lost Girl)  are generally in charge of things in this 'verse, and are even more badass when their powers are combined (and yes, I mean "when their powers are combined" in the dirtiest manner possible).

And then, what would happen if we mixed the authoritarian Helena Cain (Battlestar Galactica) with free spirit Jenny Schecter (The L Word)? Yes, please.

The possibilities are endless, really, and at this point, they belong to the fans.