Opinion: After their first seasons, many shows featuring lesbian characters are canceled, to the disappointment of LGBTQ+ fans.
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Over the course of 2022, many beloved shows that featured female queer leads were axed. These include “First Kill,” “Warrior Nun” and “Gentleman Jack,” all of which were widely successful. While across the board streaming services are trying to cut back on production as they sink back to pre-COVID profit levels, the trend of canceling LGBTQ+ content about women is noticeable and infuriating. It shows the lack of value placed on sapphic characters and stories. 
Instead of engaging directly in the infamous Dead Lesbian Syndrome, which “demonstrates a limited understanding of lesbian women: as victims of circumstance rather than as active agents,” these networks are simply killing off entire shows in one fell swoop. They have learned their lesson after dealing with the fury often incurred by the tragic deaths of queer characters, such as after the show “The 100” killed off a major LGBTQ+ character, so instead they have opted to cut portraying certain queer stories at all. 

This cancellation phenomenon is a compounding of two main issues all queer women face: sexism and homophobia. Women-centered stories are already undervalued and seen as not as profitable. When a bias against gay people is added into the mix, lesbians really don’t stand a chance. It is a dreadful combination that I as an out lesbian often encounter — the world of TV is no different. Though people often view fictional media as an escape from reality, real world issues always have a way of seeping in. 

The amount of speaking roles for women on TV have increased a lot in recent years, sitting at 47% on streaming services and 45% on broadcast networks. However, there is still a lot left to be desired. There is, of course, the Bechdel Test, which requires “at least two women are featured, that these women talk to each other and that they discuss something other than a man.” Shamefully, a large share of modern media still don’t pass this.

Often, shows focused on LGBTQ+ characters are underdogs from the beginning. The creators have to fight like hell for them to be picked up and made, are usually given less of a budget and then are given lackluster marketing compared to other shows produced on the same platforms. “Gentleman Jack” creator Sally Wainwright said there were sudden budget cuts for the show and it was given a much more undesirable slot leading up to its cancelation. 

The promotion that is given often only highlights that the show contains an LGBTQ+ romance, instead of highlighting other important parts of the plot. 

“The art for the initial marketing was beautiful. I think I expected that to be the beginning and that the other equally compelling and important elements of the show — monsters vs. monster hunters, the battle between two powerful matriarchs, etc. — would eventually be promoted, and that didn’t happen,” Felicia Henderson, “First Kill” showrunner, said. 

When the deadly combination of systemic homophobia, sexism and misguided marketing all inevitably hurt a show, the networks simply believe it is not measuring up and nix it. LGBTQ+ viewers are then left with a laundry list of one season shows, never to be expanded upon. It’s easy to become cynical, knowing so many LGBTQ+ stories can be started but never finished.