In an effort to build a space for queer people like myself, every Tuesday I’ll be posting opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx/WOC community since I am Latinx.) Welcome to Queerly Not Straight! Enjoy and leave a comment below if you have a suggestion for what I should cover next.
There’s a problem in the DCTV verse. White queer couples, whether they be canon or not, take priority over queer couples of color and we’re tired of it. More than tired. We’re sick of it and think it’s time to call out the problem for what it actually is: racist.
It’s the subtlest form of racism. The one that many people aren’t really aware of. But it’s there, simmering beneath the very surface, making you pick and choose specific couples based on the color of their skin and not the quality of their ship. And whether you want to admit it or not, it’s racist.
Let’s look at Supercorp.
It’s a non-canon ship that will never end up together, not because Kara and Lena don’t have chemistry, but because The CW are too much of cowards to actually go down that road. And despite everything that Lena does that could be questionable, she’s the ideal ship for Kara because she’s a white woman.
It’s not like Supergirl fans have a queer couple right in front of their faces. Oh wait. They do. Alex Danvers, the confirmed queer woman of Supergirl, is in a relationship with a woman of color named Kelly Olsen. This makes their relationship interracial and the kind of representation we deserve. But where’s the love for these two?
Why is it that Supercorp is the ONLY one that gets the love? What about Sanvers, you cry out when you think about representation? That’s two white women. No representation there. At all. And if you’re unsure, a tan doesn’t constitute a woman of color. Sorry not sorry, Floriana Lima. The fact that people still don’t get that still blows my mind to this day.
Then there’s Avalance.
Legends of Tomorrow has really brought their A-game when it comes to this couple. And even though they are the only queer couple on that show, I can’t help but look at the attention these two get and compare it to Anissa and Grace from Black Lightning. Where are the gif sets all over Tumblr for that ship? Where are the fangirls freaking out over this lovely representation?
And don’t get me wrong. They exist. There are people that love Alex and Kelly from Supergirl and others who love Anissa and Grace from Black Lightning. But the fact that only the white queer ships are seen as truly popular, as gif worthy, as ship worthy, is proof that racism, even a micro version of it, is living in people’s minds.
So, check yourself the next time you’re shipping Supercorp, Sanvers, or Avalance and only those couples. Check yourself and remember that inherent racism has stopped Alex/Kelly and Anissa/Grace from being provided the same kind of love and attention that their white counterparts have been afforded. Get to know them, support them, and fall in love with them.
Queerly Not Straight posts every Tuesday with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx community since I am Latinx.)
Don’t miss out on posts like this! SUBSCRIBE to our monthly newsletter HERE!
