Is it ever OK to use the term queerbaiting?

[Jilly_in_VA]

Queerbaiting has been on our tongues for a while now. But over the past 12 months, the term has erupted into our lives with some vigour. From questions surrounding Harry Styles' sexuality to calling out movies for their almost-depictions of queer characters, the trailer for Wakanda Forever, and the recent Doctor Who storyline springs to mind.

Queerbaiting is an accusatory term that brings into question the validity of someone’s sexual identity. As a bisexual person, I find the term hard to reconcile with, for a myriad of reasons. My main issue is that the premise of queerbaiting stands to question sexuality loudly by demanding proof and making people feel they need to justify their presence in queer spaces. In this context, it feels inherently biphobic, transphobic, homophobic, and ultimately wrong.

Heartstopper actor Kit Connor — who plays Nick Nelson in the Netflix show — is the latest in a string of people in the public eye who have been forced to come out because they've been accused of queerbaiting. In a recent tweet, the 18-year-old actor said; "Back for a minute. i’m [sic] bi. congrats on forcing an 18 year old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye."

This comes after mounting pressure from fans for clarity on his sexual identity, amongst accusations of queerbaiting.

What is queerbaiting?
"Queerbaiting" is used to describe the actions of a writer, director, or producer, or those in entertainment marketing, who give a character or storyline traits that appear to be promising of queer interactions, with no "payoff." You might remember it happening between characters Okoye and Ayo in Black Panther, to Beca and Chloe in Pitch Perfect.

The internet has, as it usually does, co-opted the term. Now, some people use "queerbaiting" to describe the actions of an actual person who doesn't (openly) identify with the LGBTQ community but displays queer tendencies through the way they dress, their body language, or their reluctance to answer questions about their sexuality, or to give themselves a label. Sometimes celebrities are accused of capitalising on queer culture, with the likes of Harry Styles and Billie Eilish coming under fire.

https://mashable.com/article/queerbaiting-term-explained

It is my considered opinion that such demands, as well as expressions of homo- and transphobia, are made by people who are not entirely secure in their own sexuality. YMMV and probably does.