The series 'Yellowjackets', created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, explores the horrors experienced by a group of teen girls after a plane crash, including starvation and cannibalism. Unlike typical portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters who suffer tragic fates, the romance between teen characters Van and Tai emerges as a beacon of hope amid trauma. Their relationship defies the Bury Your Gays trope, offering representation and a refreshing perspective on queer love. As anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments rise, their story brings lightness and provides essential visibility to queer narratives in contemporary media.
Our characters are the bright spot in a show about trauma. And we are the queer characters. So often the queer characters are the trauma or going through the trauma of coming out... The trauma is this plane crash, and these girls are in love, and that’s lightness within that darkness.
Historically, LGBTQ+ characters have been made to suffer for their alleged transgressions... With queer actors Hewson and Brown starring as the teen sapphics, even amid the freezing and carnage, Van and Tai's love story is one for the ages.
Upon the show's premiere, it dovetailed with a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation throughout the United States, reflecting a necessary representation of queer stories amidst societal challenges.
I'm really grateful to the writers and showrunners for that and really grateful for what that means for fans who get to watch the show and see themselves on some level.
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