Do we need a Bechdel Test for queer fiction?

The Bechdel Test was developed to measure the representation of women in film. Here are the three criteria:

• The movie has to have at least two women in it,
• who talk to each other,
• about something other than a man.

If you try the Bechdel test on a lot of popular fiction, you will be surprised how many stories do not pass.

The Vito Russo Test developed by GLAAD is an attempt to make one for 2SLGBTQ+ characters in fiction. It’s not quite as pithy so I won’t copy it here. But similar to the Bechdel Test, it is about measuring representation of known queer/trans characters who are important to the story line. (Dumbledore doesn’t count my friends.)

Beyond representation — and trauma

I see where GLADD is coming from, but in my mind queer representation isn’t the problem. It’s that so many queer stories in films and books are so traumatic.

As a baby gay who didn’t know any other 2SLGBTQ+ people in real life, I searched for any representations of queerness I could find in fiction. And you know what I got? Boys Don’t Cry, Laramie Project, Before Night Falls and Brokeback Mountain. Important films for sure, and sadly three are based on true stories.

If you wanted to teach someone that being gay leads to a short, frightening life full of violence — those movies would do it for you.

The Queer Joy Test

For my and every other queer person’s sanity, I have developed a Queer Joy Test that I will use to evaluate all the books I review on this blog. Here is what I am looking for:

1. No hate crimes.
2. No tragic or heterosexual endings.
3. Focus on belonging and safety, not homophobia/transphobia.

That’s all I got for now! On to the reviews.