While some students at the University of North Florida credit queer characters in TV and film with helping them understand their own identities, others say visibility means little when LGBTQ characters are often reduced to stereotypes, side characters, or oversexualized to draw in audiences.

Months after “Heated Rivalry” became one of HBO Max’s most-watched shows, some students are reflecting on the show’s popularity and questioning what makes queer representation special. 

“There is a difference than just being a set piece and an accessory versus being a character that actually tells a story,” said Ausare Hicks, president of the UNF Pride Club. 

Popular for the right reason?

“Heated Rivalry” follows the story of professional hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, two closeted rivals whose hidden romance unfolds across six episodes. The series, created by Jacob Tierney, had an average of 10.6 million viewers per episode, with viewership more than doubling after its Season 1 finale, according to Warner Brothers Discovery. 

The show gained traction primarily among middle-aged white women, with the show being described as “immensely homoerotic” by Harper’s Bazaar. 

Some of UNF’s queer students are happy that mainstream audiences are enjoying the show, but students like Angel Granados, a UNF sophomore studying chemistry, said they are cautious about the reasoning behind the growing fandom.

“Shows like Heated Rivalry only show the hot side of gayness,” Granados said. “That is how many people only come to consume this content, because they sexualize gay and lesbian relationships. People that are not part of the queer community watch these shows for entertainment purposes and do not actually support or understand the whole spectrum of sexuality.”

Hicks said they felt they were unable to finish watching the show despite its popularity, describing the show as “softcore pornography” rather than a romance highlighting struggles that queer athletes face. 

“I think people watched it because it is hot boy-on-boy action, not necessarily because this is, oh my god, thinking about the queer story of how hard the coming out journey is,” Hicks said

Hicks made sure not to dismiss the importance of the “hot boy-on-boy” hockey romance, with the show inspiring athletes to come out of the closet. 

“All media tells a story and will help somebody in some way,” they said. “I am happy that it helps athletes come out and puts a spotlight on this important relationship.”

This heavy sexualization in queer media has often led to students like Mya Munoz, a UNF sophomore majoring in chemistry, to look for representation elsewhere. Munoz said they prefer to read yuri manga, or Japanese comics centering on sapphic relationships, since the storylines aren’t “as sexual as the Western comics”. 

“It’s just different and so refreshing,” said Munoz. Since this content is less mainstream, Munoz said they often find content by talking with friends and getting recommendations. “Most of the time I find a lot of good stuff.”

“Can’t lie, though, you kind of have to pirate it,” Munoz said.

Screentime v.s. Storyline

“There is a huge difference,” Granados said, “between a queer person’s appearance in a show and the development of a queer person in a show.

Emma Masson, a UNF sophomore studying psychology, said that the 2005 manga and anime “Nana” was a show that they felt depicted a lesbian relationship respectfully, “except they aren’t actually together. “Nana”  follows two college women who are roommates and have boyfriends, whose deep feelings for each other are never fully made explicit. 

“One of the characters says, ‘If Nana were a guy, she would be the love of my life,” Masson said. 

“Like girl, it’s legal,” Munoz said, perched on a chair nearby. 

According to GLAAD’s Where We Are on TV 2024-25, 41% of LGBTQ characters on screen would not be returning due to cancellations, character write-offs, or series endings. GLAAD reports that of the 489 LGBTQ+ characters across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, only 39% of those characters would be returning.

Hicks pointed out the growing deficit of queer characters, saying how shows often use being gay as “a set piece and accessory”, instead of fully developing the character.

“A queer character can be there as set dressing, but that does not necessarily do anything as a piece of queer media. A lot of the time in media like that, they use the gay character to champion their white cis protagonist in some way. It is the virtue signal of it all,” Hicks said.

Margarette Phillips, a UNF graduate student pursuing her master’s in English, said Loras Tyrell from “Game of Thrones” is a clear example of the problem. 

“Writers have a problem with creating characters with unique qualities and making that quality their whole personality,” Phillips said. “This can lead to incidental stereotyping of the LGBTQ+ community. 

“I am more fond of characters who happen to be part of the LGBTQ+ community who are allowed to show why they are an amazing person,” Phillips said.

Characters, not carictures

A concern among LGBTQ viewers like Hicks and Philips are the stereotypes that often afflict gay characters on screen. 

“Don’t even get me started about the gay best friend trope,” Hicks said.

“My biggest concern is when a character’s entire plot or personality is centered around their sexuality, or if the character’s sexual orientation is being sexualized in a way that fetishizes people who are LGBTQ+”, said Phillips.

These tropes and stereotypes can be frustrating. “I despise it when lesbian couples look like a straight couple,” Phillips said. “Not all lesbians have short hair. Not all lesbians are tomboys. Not all lesbian couples need to have someone being the man and someone being the woman.” 

For Phillips, one of the earliest places that she found meaningful representation was while gaming. “One of my favorite games from the time I was 11 until this very day is Undertale by the creator Toby Fox,” she said. “The game features a genderfluid main character, and a lesbian couple involving two major characters, Undyne and Alphys. I always credit this game to being the person I am today.”

Hicks, who felt their answer was “basic”, said “Steven Universe” was a show that stood out to them, watching the animated Cartoon Network show starting when they were 12.

“Steven Universe”, an animated series created by Rebecca Sugar that premiered in 2013, has long been praised for its representation of queer characters and gender identities. 

Granados and Phillips also shared a love for the show, highlighting the character Garnet. “A great example of positive representation without it being misguided are the sapphic characters Ruby and Sapphire, also known as Garnet,” said Phillips.

“This couple features the first same-sex marriage in a children’s show. It is one thing for a show to feature an LGBTQ+ character in passing, but to have them be integral to the plot is true representation,” said Phillips

“With examples like that, it is easier to voice things, especially about gender, that people otherwise do not have the words for,” Hicks said

What about the children?: HB 1557

Phillips said that without representation on screen, children often are kept in the dark about gay relationships. 

“When I was young, my television constantly showcased straight couples, which taught me that there was no other path than to either marry a man or be single,” Phillips said. 

“I did not realize that marrying a woman was an option until my friends told me about it when I was 11. This should not be a topic children have to find out about on their own,” said Phillips.

Phillips, who holds an undergraduate degree in education from the university, said that Florida’s HB 1557 contributes to this issue, which prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and identity in any Florida public school, according to CNN. Signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in March of 2022 for kindergarten through third grade, the bill was later expanded through the 12th grade. 

“This bill does not just discriminate against LGBTQ youth,” Phillips said, “It completely prohibits age-appropriate lessons about the human body to teenagers going through puberty. Due to this, teenagers proceed to learn from the internet, which can be littered with pornography, netizens who promote unhealthy habits, or groomers who prey on uneducated youth,” Phillips said.

Hicks said the bill was like “the military doing don’t ask, don’t tell.” “I know you are queer. I can see you. We can see each other. But on paper, I cannot give you anything. I cannot do anything for you.” 

Hicks said that adolescence is when children begin decoding their identities. “Not giving children the ability to identify themselves, and not giving them space, that matters,” said Hicks. “All of this is under the guise of parental rights over education.”

Cancellation of the Queers

A show that Granados said had one of the best LGBTQ representations in children’s media is “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power”. 

“I think the character who helped me accept myself more was Adora. Seeing Adora and Catra onscreen was one of the first times seeing openly gay people on-screen,” Granados said. 

Granados was then surprised to learn during the interview that Netflix had pulled the animated series from the streaming platform and was no longer available.

“She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” was taken off the platform on February 21, 2026, with the creator, ND Stevenson, writing on X that “years of hard work by many talented crews have ended up without a home. As is often the way with queer art, our tracks are swept away behind us.”

According to  GLAAD’s Where We Are on TV 2024-25, 61 LGBTQ inclusive series that were tracked in the study were canceled or ended that season. Hicks also pointed out The Owl House, a Disney animated series, which he says was not renewed after storylines began centering on a queer relationship.

“Corporations do not have to pretend to be pro-gay anymore,” said HIcks. “It is no longer profitable to be pro gay.”

Granados feels the same way. “Queer shows are given an unfair opportunity just because the majority still frown upon homosexuality and think it is not something to normalize or educate on, Grandos said. “Shows that talk about the struggles of being gay or gender queer, or show the development of a queer person, get cancelled because people do not want to acknowledge it.” 

According to GLAAD’s 2025 Studio Responsibility Index, only 36% of LGBTQ characters in major studio films were people of color. Hicks said that racial visibility in the queer community has been uneven. “There is a radicalized thing with gender and sexuality because Black people are not always included in all forms of awareness, especially when it comes to being non-binary,” they said.

UNF Pride Club is making an effort this upcoming school year to highlight Black queer history with its events and media, according to Hicks. In October, the club plans to host a movie day featuring “Paris is Burning”, a documentary about 1980’s New York drag and “ball” culture, and other acclaimed works. 

“A lot of queer history is Black queer history,” said Hicks. “When you think about those foundational spaces where ball culture and queer language began, it began rooting in Black culture. That is important to say.”

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