#also have yall seen the tjlc video by sarahz on youtube

[daily911]

Honest question. How is a show with five LGTBA characters that is calling Buddie a bromance in one promotional video and promoting Eddie and Ana pairing queerbating Buddie? I just don't get it. And I agree that more representation is always better so it's no like having other LGTBA characters meant that buddie can't be canon, I just don't understand why people keep calling it queerbaiting. Is it bc people use that word every time their ship doesn't go canon or there is a reason here. I can understand the debate regarding Buck as they have different characters making comments and jokes about Buck being interested in men. Also, I've seen ppl talking about Buck, Eddie, and Chris being mistaken as a family many times, and I can't only remember the elf. . Also how are ppl saying that they only care about representation but then everybody is demanding we boycott a show with several LGTBA characters, most of them POC. I'm asking you bc you seem to be pretty unbiased when it comes to buddie (no too much hate, no too much adoration)

First, I have a lot of feelings about the word queerbaiting in general and I am conflicted over the term. But, to my knowledge, it means that a show baits/tricks the audience into thinking they are going to write a queer relationship, and then don't. The most common example I see cited is BBC Sherlock.

In general, I try not to assume malice where ignorance is a plausible explanation. So being as generous as possible, I think a lot of Buddie shippers see Buck and Eddie as obviously in love (only some of that is based on questionable interpretations/recollection of canon like you mention). They feel like if Buck or Eddie were a women, they would obviously be endgame (which I do somewhat agree with, especially in the beginning). And it seems like a lot of Buddie shippers feel like the vast majority of the audience agree with them.

So, the fact that the show doesn't seem to be going in that direction, feels homo/biphobic. And some fans feel deceived that a seemingly progressive show that cares about representation would deny the obvious.

And if the show had no other canon queer characters or relationships, I would be inclined to assume that the accusation of queerbaiting was made in good faith by people who genuinely just want to see more queer/bisexual representation.

BUT, there ARE quite a few other queer characters on the show who get almost completely ignored by fandom (in gifs and fics).

Like, I think there are more ao3 fics of Buck and men from OTHER TV shows (Jay Halsted, Kelly from Chicago PD and Fire respectively are two that I've seen multiple times) than there are fics centered around Hen/Karen. It's hard for me to take accusations of queerbaiting seriously when stuff like that happens. And it is obviously not lost on me that the main LGBTQ characters are all Black. This post captures some of my feelings about this.

Also, specifically regarding bisexual v. gay representation, so many Buddie shippers demonize or downplay the guys relationships with any/every women so again, hard for me to take seriously. Even just being so focused on bi representation that you ignore the representation the show has for queer Black people is suspect.

And so, when you consider the fervor for Buddie to become canon by the same people who seemingly ignore all the Black LGBTQ characters on the show, accusations of queer baiting feel more like people trying to make their desire for Buddie sound like an important fight against homo/biphobia instead of a bunch of people being pissed that their ship isn't canon. 

And all the usual caveats apply, #notallBuddieshippers, but based on what I’ve seen in this fandom and conversations I’ve had with others, accusations of queerbaiting are kinda thin.