Ah, the ever-evolving acronym! This month, I want to focus on the 'Q' of LGBTQ+. The 'Q' stands for either Queer or Questioning, depending on who you ask. Sometimes the acronym is written with two Qs, one for each, but more often the two terms share the letter designation. Queer and Questioning - these two things are terms that have applied to me most of my adult life, particularly when it comes to my sexual orientation and gender identity, and I am far from alone in identifying with these terms.

Let's start with Questioning. Questioning is something that we do every day. It's in our nature as humans to question the world around us, the Whats, Hows, and Whys of the universe and ourselves. This is especially true when we're trying to figure out who we are as individuals, particularly when it comes to our identities and our potential future relationships. Personally, I think people being more inquisitive about themselves would do a lot of good. We never stop growing as humans; we keep evolving and changing day by day, week by week, and year by year. So, who is to say that our identity is the exact same from day to day, from week to week, or from year to year?

Now let's look at Queer. The dictionary definition of the word queer is 'strange, odd, or against the norm'. In relation to identity, it means that a person's sexual orientation or gender identity does not correspond to heteronormative ideals. For me, this word fits perfectly. I've never felt like I fit perfectly into one box when it came to who I liked. I was interested in people. People who identified as male, female, both, neither, or some other configuration thereof - I just liked people. I grew up in a fairly traditional family that wanted me to find a nice young man and settle down, but I knew from a young age that that was not going to be the path for me. I figured if I liked boys and girls, that meant that I must be bisexual - but I didn't really like cisgender dudes, so maybe that just meant that I was a lesbian? But I wasn't just into girls because then I met a group of transgender and gender-non-conforming folks, and my worldview opened up outside of the gender binary. So who was I? Who did I like? Who did I want to be? What did my gender identity mean to me, and how did that affect my sexual orientation? I kept questioning, kept an open mind, and finally arrived at the perfectly quixotic title of queer.

I was lucky in that the first time I heard the word queer, it was not as an insult, but in a book. However, I knew that that word was used in a negative way against people. As I got older and got more into the community, there was a movement to take the word back from those that had used it against us. The feeling of empowerment, of being able to say 'yes, this is me, and I am proud of it' was something that made me feel stronger and less afraid. I am 'against the norm', and I have never been happier.

This month in Representation in Media, we'll be doing something a little different. In past months that I've written this article, I've sought to focus on positive representation. And while we won't be focusing on negative representation this time, it won't exactly be positive either. But don't worry! We'll end on a positive note after all. Let's jump right in!

Major brands have been increasingly partnering with people who identify as trans, such as trans influencers, to promote their brands. Some of these include Nike and Bud Light. However, these brands have been facing backlash for doing this, as anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment runs rampant in right-wing politics in the United States. Many are politicizing the issue of hiring trans actors for advertisements because of legislature that has been passed and is in the works. Some have gone so far as to harass trans people who have posted about their deals with these companies on social media. These people even include celebrities and political figures, which is incredibly concerning. However, the companies have begun to defend their trans partners and remind people that harassment and bullying are not alright.

Despite many making efforts to get rid of trans representation in advertising, companies have many, many reasons to continue including them in their campaigns. For example, diversity is greatly important in advertising, but not just that. Some studies have shown that having trans people in advertisements makes them more memorable, which provides the companies with a higher profit. In addition, it helps to create more of a community image for these brands, which again helps to draw in customers. Though many of these company benefits seem monetary, it goes beyond that. Many of them are hoping to create the brand around their diverse partners in order to connect more with audiences and to bring authenticity to the table.

It's truly disheartening to see so much happening in the United States surrounding the trans community and larger LGBTQ+ community. However, for as many dissenters as there are, more supporters seem to pop up to support these communities and people. Brands don't seem to be slowing down in diversifying their partners, and many more forms of media are working to include more LGBTQ+ people and narratives. It is my hope that these major brands inspire others to do as they are and to be diverse and authentic with the representation. It provides wonderful opportunities and gives more LGBTQ+ people a platform, which is so crucial to them being able to represent their genuine selves and stories!