Queerbaiting

{{Short description|Marketing technique for fiction}} {{multiple image | total_width = 320 | image1 = Benedict Cumberbatch filming Sherlock cropped2.jpg | image2 = Martin Freeman filming Sherlock cropped2.jpg | footer = The cast and crew of the television series ''Sherlock'' have denied that the relationship between the characters Sherlock Holmes (left) and John Watson is meant to be seen as romantic, although some fans interpret it that way. Some critics have described the depiction as queerbaiting.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references: <ref name="DailyDot_Sherlock">{{cite web |last=Romano |first=Aja |title="Sherlock" fans lash out over sunken JohnLock ship |work=The Daily Dot |date=April 26, 2013 |access-date=December 24, 2014 |url=http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/sherlock-fandom-johnlock-ship/ |archive-date=16 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616181033/http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/sherlock-fandom-johnlock-ship/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Moffat_Video">{{cite AV media |title=Steven Moffat talk about JohnLock and Season 3 & 4 |type=YouTube video |date=May 13, 2013 |access-date=December 24, 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB6Uzz9G5sM| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211118/QB6Uzz9G5sM| archive-date=November 18, 2021| url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Autostraddle">{{cite web |last=Bridges |first=Rose |title=How Do We Solve A Problem Like "Queerbaiting"?: On TV's Not-So-Subtle Gay Subtext |work=Autostraddle |date=June 26, 2013 |access-date=December 14, 2014 |url=http://www.autostraddle.com/how-do-we-solve-a-problem-like-queerbaiting-on-tvs-not-so-subtle-gay-subtext-182718/ |archive-date=October 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022042650/http://www.autostraddle.com/how-do-we-solve-a-problem-like-queerbaiting-on-tvs-not-so-subtle-gay-subtext-182718/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The Next">{{Cite web |last=Scout |first=Emmett |title=Please Do Not Bait the Queers |work=The Next |publisher=University of Washington |date=June 19, 2013 |access-date=December 14, 2014 |url=http://www.uwbnext.com/editorials/please-do-not-bait-the-queers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230234609/http://www.uwbnext.com/editorials/please-do-not-bait-the-queers |archive-date=December 30, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}} }} '''"Queerbaiting"''' is a term used to describe certain creative and marketing practices (often related to a work of fiction) that seemingly hint at, but do not depict, same-sex romance or other LGBTQ+ representation.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kj5nDwAAQBAJ&q=Queerbaiting&pg=PT279|title=Claiming the B in LGBT: Illuminating the Bisexual Narrative|last=Harrad|first=Kate|date=October 5, 2018|publisher=Thorntree Press LLC|isbn=9781944934613|language=en|access-date=February 13, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231125040602/https://books.google.com/books?id=kj5nDwAAQBAJ&q=Queerbaiting&pg=PT279#v=snippet&q=Queerbaiting&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> A variety of scholars, cultural critics and fans have claimed that these practices are intended to attract ("bait") a queer or straight ally audience with the suggestion or possibility of queer relationships and/or queer characters, while not alienating homophobic members of the audience or censors by explicitly portraying those relationships or characters.<ref name=":5">{{cite journal|first1=Judith|last1=Fathallah|title=Moriarty's Ghost|journal=Television & New Media|volume=16|number=5|date=July 7, 2014|doi=10.1177/1527476414543528|pages=490–500|s2cid=145508280}}</ref>

Accusations of queerbaiting have been made towards films, television series, books, music, advertisements and other forms of media, but also towards celebrities who express an ambiguous sexual identity through their works and statements.<ref name="Independent 9 April 2019">{{cite news |last1=Ritschel |first1=Chelsea |date=9 April 2019 |title=What is queer-baiting and why do celebrities do it? |language=en |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/queerbaiting-lgbtq-ariana-grande-celebrities-james-franco-jk-rowling-a8862351.html |access-date=April 23, 2019 |archive-date=May 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522181615/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/queerbaiting-lgbtq-ariana-grande-celebrities-james-franco-jk-rowling-a8862351.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The term arose in and has been popularized through discussions in Internet fandom<ref name=":0">{{cite thesis |last1=Nordin |first1=Emma |title=From Queer Reading to Queerbaiting: The battle over the polysemic text and the power of hermeneutics |degree=Master's |publisher=Stockholm University |date=January 1, 2015 |url=http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:839802&dswid=-9433 |access-date=May 18, 2024 |archive-date=December 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203224533/http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:839802&dswid=-9433 |url-status=live }}</ref> since the early 2010s.<ref name="BBC 8 April 2019">{{cite news |last1=Honderich |first1=Holly |date=April 8, 2019 |title=Queerbaiting - exploitation or a sign of progress? |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47820447 |access-date=April 23, 2019 |archive-date=May 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515001353/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47820447 |url-status=live }}</ref> It comes from a larger history of LGBTQ+ discourse in media representation dating back to the 1970s from subtle marketing to LGBTQ+ people through commercials and books.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Waggoner |first=Erin B. |date=November 10, 2018 |title=Bury Your Gays and Social Media Fan Response: Television, LGBTQ Representation, and Communitarian Ethics |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2017.1391015 |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |volume=65 |issue=13 |pages=1877–1891 |doi=10.1080/00918369.2017.1391015 |issn=0091-8369 |pmid=29023204|s2cid=26208120 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Factora |first=James |date=2022-09-30 |title=The Problem With the Internet's Obsession With Queerbaiting |url=https://www.them.us/story/what-is-queerbaiting |access-date=2026-02-06 |website=Them |language=en-US}}</ref> == Assessments == === Queer audience concerns === Julia Himberg, a professor of film and media studies at Arizona State University, claimed that queer identities have been used and commodified by media producers to convey an "edgy identity".<ref name="BBC 8 April 2019" />

Fans have derided, for instance, queer characters being used as plot devices rather than as characters for their own sake. ''Glee'', for example, a series with many queer series regulars, was criticized by fans for presenting "superficial stereotypes of queerness for dramatic effect".<ref name="Feminism New Media and Health">{{cite web |last1=Panigrahi |first1=Kerishma |title=Queerbaiting in Online Communities: Television, Fandom, and the Politics of Representation |url=http://kerishma.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/panigrahi_criticalessay.pdf |website=Wordpress |access-date=October 24, 2014 |publisher=City University of New York – Hunter College |date=17 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219085401/http://kerishma.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/panigrahi_criticalessay.pdf |archive-date=19 December 2014}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=January 2026}}

Queer fans consider queerbaiting as "a way to throw us a bone when we normally wouldn't have anything, to acknowledge that we're there in the audience when the powers that be would prefer to ignore us."<ref name="Autostraddle" /> Emmet Scout wrote that "queerbaiting works on its audience because it offers the suggestion that queer people do have a vital place in these stories, that they might even be the defining figures, the heroes. The suggestion—but not the reality."<ref name="The Next" /> Rose Bridges summarized the practice's effect on queer fans as receiving "just enough" representation "to keep us interested, but not enough to satisfy us and make us truly represented."<ref name="Autostraddle" />

=== Critiques === Critics of those who engage in queerbaiting discourse point to its similarity, and perhaps confusion by audiences, with subtext.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvrs8xtj |title=Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans through Homoerotic Possibilities |date=2019 |publisher=University of Iowa Press |isbn=978-1-60938-671-9 |doi=10.2307/j.ctvrs8xtj.4 |jstor=j.ctvrs8xtj |s2cid=241889076 |access-date=March 11, 2022 |archive-date=May 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511073051/https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvrs8xtj |url-status=live }}</ref> Subtext became popular in media, especially in film, during the 1930s due to the Hays Code which limited what can be shown on screen. The use of subtext has been a literary ploy to tell a variety of stories since. However, those who engage with modern queerbaiting discourse firmly argue that LGBT representation no longer needs to be in the shadows of media.<ref name=":02" /> Instead of adding artistic value, queer fans view this tactic as perpetuating LGBT marginalization for further capitalization.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

=== Societal shifts === Media scholars such as Eve Ng have noted that audience complaints about queerbaiting parallel the shift towards increasing queer representation in media and pop culture.<ref name="BBC 8 April 2019"/> According to Ng, as representation has increased, so too have expectations for that representation—and frustrations arise when those expectations are not met. She noted that rather than simply being satisfied with any degree of representation, queer audiences want to be represented through ''"respectful and meaningful depictions."''<ref name="BBC 8 April 2019"/> That is why, according to media researcher Julia Himberg, the ambiguous sexuality projected by twentieth-century entertainers such as David Bowie, Elton John and Madonna was not scrutinized to the same degree as that of their successors.<ref name="BBC 8 April 2019" />

Various businesses and corporations, such as Starbucks, Ben & Jerry's, and Tylenol have showcased queer people and queer families in advertisements, helping to normalize and increase awareness surrounding the queer community.<ref name=":3" />

Queerbaiting has brought the spending power of the queer community to light, and businesses make economic decisions that promote and support the queer community and its representation that ultimately entices the pink dollar. Terms associated with the queer community, like ''pink money'', have shown the importance of queer people within an economy and a society.<ref name=":3" />

In May 2020, reviewer Sophie Perry, writing for a lesbian lifestyle magazine, ''Curve'', noted how queerbaiting has long endured in LGBT representation, noting how She-Ra and Harley Quinn both had same-sex kisses, happening within stories that could have turned out to be "typical queerbaiting" but did not. Perry added that the "queer conclusion" of the ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' is thanks to ND Stevenson, describing it as very different from the conclusion of ''The Legend of Korra'', which confirmed Korra and Asami's relationship but left it "purposefully ambiguous" so it could air on a children's network. She concluded by calling ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' culturally significant and added that as more creative queer people come to the fore, inevitably queerbaiting will "become a thing of the past".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Perry |first1=Sophia |title=Is Queerbaiting Finally Being Put To Bed? |url=https://www.curvemag.com/opinion/readers-voice/is-queerbaiting-finally-being-put-to-bed/ |website=Curve |access-date=May 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524140041/https://www.curvemag.com/opinion/readers-voice/is-queerbaiting-finally-being-put-to-bed/ |archive-date=May 24, 2020 |date=May 22, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2021, a writer for ''Vanity Fair'', Joanna Robinson asked when "queer coding" veers into the territory of "queer baiting", with Dana Terrace saying it happens a "lot in modern anime", and Robinson saying this is also seen in shows like the end of ''Supernatural'' or the "hubbub around Finn and Poe in ''The Rise of Skywalker''".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Joanna |title=Raya and the Last Dragon's Kelly Marie Tran Thinks Her Disney Princess Is Gay |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/03/raya-and-the-last-dragon-kelly-marie-tran-gay-namaari-raya |website=Vanity Fair |access-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307025741/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/03/raya-and-the-last-dragon-kelly-marie-tran-gay-namaari-raya |archive-date=March 7, 2021 |date=March 5, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Examples ==

=== Companies and brands === Disney has been accused of queerbaiting on several occasions, with Kodi Maier of the University of Hull arguing that "Disney is willing to create animated films and television shows that suggest queer content, but only so long as it doesn't damage its conservative image."<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Maier |first1=Kodi |editor-first1=Kuba |editor-last1=Shand-Baptiste |title=Luca, Disney and queerbaiting in animation |date=July 14, 2021 |doi=10.64628/AB.a3xtnxaav |url=https://theconversation.com/luca-disney-and-queerbaiting-in-animation-164349 |access-date=September 2, 2021 |archive-date=August 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826153551/https://theconversation.com/luca-disney-and-queerbaiting-in-animation-164349 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Emy |title=Disney back-patting for queer-baiting content |url=http://www.thecourieronline.co.uk/disney-back-patting-for-queer-baiting-content/|website=The Courier|date=January 15, 2020 |access-date=January 6, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322161729/http://www.thecourieronline.co.uk/disney-back-patting-for-queer-baiting-content/ |archive-date=March 22, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> The directors of ''Avengers: Endgame'' had spoken in interviews about believing it was "a perfect time" to include queer representation in the franchise, however, it turned out to be a single line said by an unnamed secondary character in the film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Avengers: Endgame's Gay Representation is Bullshit |date=April 29, 2019 |url=https://gizmodo.com/avengers-endgames-gay-representation-is-bullshit-1834338186 |website=Gizmodo |access-date=September 2, 2021 |archive-date=September 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902225620/https://gizmodo.com/avengers-endgames-gay-representation-is-bullshit-1834338186 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Wrap cited the close friendship between Poe Dameron and Finn in ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' as one example of queerbaiting.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yee |first1=Lawrence |title=Is JJ Abrams' LGBTQ Tease for 'The Rise of Skywalker' Just More Queerbaiting? (Commentary) |url=https://www.thewrap.com/jj-abrams-lgbtq-star-wars-rise-of-skywalker-queerbaiting/ |access-date=December 9, 2019 |work=The Wrap |date=December 6, 2019 |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209092825/https://www.thewrap.com/jj-abrams-lgbtq-star-wars-rise-of-skywalker-queerbaiting/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Rise of Skywalker'' also faced criticism after director J.J. Abrams stated in the promotional press tour for the film that he had included queer representation in the film, but it turned out to be a single shot of a kiss in the background of one scene.{{citation needed|date=January 2026}} A number of other Disney films, including the ''Beauty and the Beast'' in 2017 and ''Cruella'' in 2021 were described by critics for Screen Rant and USA Today as having queer characters but portraying queerness in a way that was either hinted at or a brief background that could easily be missed, asserting that this portrayal indicated that these films were queerbaiting audiences.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tadeo |first=Jericho |date=June 5, 2021 |title=Cruella Repeats Disney's Queerbaiting Problem |url=https://screenrant.com/cruella-movie-disney-artie-queerbaiting-lgbtq-problem/ |access-date=June 22, 2021 |website=Screen Rant |language=en |archive-date=June 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622071132/https://screenrant.com/cruella-movie-disney-artie-queerbaiting-lgbtq-problem/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Are 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Power Rangers' queerbaiting LGBT fans? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/03/29/are-beauty-and-the-beast-power-rangers-queerbaiting-lgbt-fans/99744846/ |access-date=April 2, 2020 |website=USA Today |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250910032310/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/03/29/are-beauty-and-the-beast-power-rangers-queerbaiting-lgbt-fans/99744846/ |archive-date=September 10, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Fiction ===  There have been various characters, or relationships between characters of the same sex, which have also been interpreted as examples of queerbaiting by at least some reliable media sources and commentators. This interpretation is not necessarily shared by all critics or fans considering the sensitive nature of the topic.

Characters in some films and series falling within the superhero genre have been noted as examples of queerbaiting. Josh Engel of the New York Times and scholar Michael McDermott in the chapter of a 2019 book entitled ''Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans through Homoerotic Possibilities'' described the relationship between Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor in ''Supergirl'' as one example.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bromwich |first=Jonah Engel |date=December 4, 2017 |title=Who Do You Ship? What Tumblr Tells Us About Fan Culture |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/style/tumblr-shippers.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=January 6, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250406145633/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/style/tumblr-shippers.html |archive-date=April 6, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":02" /> Reviewers for Polygon, The Gamer, and The Washington Post said that the films ''Thor: Love and Thunder'' and ''Thor: Ragnarok'' queerbaited audiences with the characters Valkyrie (both films) and Korg (first film).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rivera |first=Joshua |date=July 18, 2022 |title=Thor: Love and Thunder reminds queer fans exactly what Disney thinks they're worth |url=https://www.polygon.com/23219276/thor-love-and-thunder-queerbait-gay-rock-aliens-enough |access-date=September 27, 2023 |website=Polygon |language=en-US |archive-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927013059/https://www.polygon.com/23219276/thor-love-and-thunder-queerbait-gay-rock-aliens-enough |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=King |first=Jade |date=July 8, 2022 |title=We Need To Stop Letting Ourselves Be Queerbaited By The MCU |work=The Gamer |url=https://www.thegamer.com/marvel-queerbaiting-thor-love-and-thunder/ |access-date=July 11, 2022 |archive-date=July 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709064735/https://www.thegamer.com/marvel-queerbaiting-thor-love-and-thunder/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Zane |first=Zachary |date=November 6, 2017 |title=Analysis {{!}} 'Thor's' Valkyrie is Marvel's first LGBT character. But you wouldn't know it from the film. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/11/06/thors-valkyrie-is-marvels-first-lgbt-character-but-you-wouldnt-know-it-from-the-film/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221090929/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/11/06/thors-valkyrie-is-marvels-first-lgbt-character-but-you-wouldnt-know-it-from-the-film/ |archive-date=December 21, 2019 |access-date=April 2, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en}}</ref> Okoye and Ayo in ''Black Panther'' and Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers in ''Captain America: Civil War'' were cited by reviewers for Full Circle Cinema and CBR as other examples.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arvedon |first=Jon |date=February 12, 2018 |title=Black Panther Screenwriter Addresses Rumors of Cut Gay Romance |url=https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-cut-gay-romance-scene/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109033904/https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-cut-gay-romance-scene/ |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |access-date=April 2, 2020 |work=CBR |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Kat |date=November 20, 2018 |title=Of Marvel and Queerbaiting |url=https://fullcirclecinema.com/2019/06/01/full-circle-pride-month-of-marvel-and-queerbaiting/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190625233404/https://fullcirclecinema.com/2019/06/01/full-circle-pride-month-of-marvel-and-queerbaiting/ |archive-date=June 25, 2019 |access-date=February 27, 2012 |website=Full Circle Cinema}}</ref>

Certain procedural, crime, police, teen, and comedy dramas were described as having character relationships that could be considered queerbaiting. Screen Rant and PinkNews cited Evan "Buck" Buckley and Eddie Diaz in ''9-1-1'' as one example,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Shealyn |title=9-1-1 Season 8 Finale Review: Buck & Eddie's Blatant Queerbaiting Takes Away From An Otherwise Heartwarming Conclusion |url=https://screenrant.com/9-1-1-season-8-finale-review/ |website=Screen Rant |date=May 16, 2025 |access-date=May 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250721152610/https://screenrant.com/9-1-1-season-8-finale-review/ |archive-date=July 21, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Bea |title=Queerbaiting: What is it and why is it a problem? |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/16/what-is-queerbaiting-everything-you-need-to-know/ |website=Pink News |date=May 16, 2025 |access-date=May 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251119182156/https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/16/what-is-queerbaiting-everything-you-need-to-know/ |archive-date=November 19, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> while AfterEllen and scholar Mélanie Bourdaa said the same about Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles in ''Rizzoli & Isles''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Langfelder |first=Natasia |date=February 1, 2016 |title=Let's End Queerbaiting in 2016 |url=http://www.afterellen.com/tv/471593-lets-end-queerbaiting-2016 |website=AfterEllen |access-date=January 6, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250111150533/http://www.afterellen.com/lets-end-queerbaiting-2016/ |archive-date=January 11, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bourdaa |first=Mélanie |date=May 20, 2021 |title=« #Clexa love is not a fight » : queerbaiting, pratiques toxiques et activisme dans la communauté des fans de #Clexa |trans-title=#Clexa love is not a fight": queerbaiting, toxic practices, and activism in the #Clexa fan community |url=https://journals.openedition.org/ticetsociete/6134?lang=fr |journal=Tic&Société |language=fr |issue=15 |pages=209–227 |doi=10.4000/ticetsociete.6134}}</ref> Reviewers for The Daily Dot, Autostraddle, and The Next asserted that the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in ''Sherlock'' was another example, even though the cast and crew denied this was the case.<ref name="DailyDot_Sherlock"/><ref name="Moffat_Video"/><ref name="Autostraddle"/><ref name="The Next"/> Other reviewers pointed to other series as examples. One critic for ''Bustle'' said the same about the relationship between Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge in ''Riverdale''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McGrath |first1=Mary Kate |title='Riverdale', Queer-Baiting, & How One Tweet Exposed The Fan Conversation We Need To Pay Attention To |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/riverdale-queer-baiting-how-one-tweet-exposed-the-fan-conversation-we-need-to-pay-attention-to-52319 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115113413/https://www.bustle.com/p/riverdale-queer-baiting-how-one-tweet-exposed-the-fan-conversation-we-need-to-pay-attention-to-52319 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=December 2, 2017 |work=Bustle |language=en}}</ref> Critics for ''The Advocate'', ''Teen Vogue'', and ''Georgia Voice'' asserted the same was the case for relationship between Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski in ''Teen Wolf''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peeples |first=Jase |date=September 17, 2014 |title=Op-ed: The Trouble With 'Teen Wolf' |url=http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/09/17/op-ed-trouble-teen-wolf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001201758/https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/09/17/op-ed-trouble-teen-wolf |archive-date=October 1, 2020 |access-date=May 1, 2020 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mallikarjuna |first=Krutika |date=September 29, 2017 |title=How 'Teen Wolf' Failed Its Bisexual Fans |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/teen-wolf-bisexuality-representation-jackson |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617193108/https://www.teenvogue.com/story/teen-wolf-bisexuality-representation-jackson |archive-date=June 17, 2018 |access-date=May 1, 2020 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Camryn |date=March 14, 2019 |title='Here We Go Again': The Endless Cycle of Queerbaiting in Pop Culture |url=https://thegavoice.com/outspoken/here-we-go-again-the-endless-cycle-of-queerbaiting-in-pop-culture/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826153630/https://thegavoice.com/outspoken/here-we-go-again-the-endless-cycle-of-queerbaiting-in-pop-culture/ |archive-date=August 26, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2020 |website=Georgia Voice |language=en-US}}</ref>

Some critics described specific musical, romantic, and black comedy films and series with queerbaiting between characters. Beca and Chloe in ''Pitch Perfect'' were described as one example by Them and Film Inquiry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donald |first=Ella |date=January 17, 2018 |title=Pitch Perfect Has a Queerbaiting Problem |url=https://www.them.us/story/pitch-perfect-has-a-queerbaiting-problem |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025111601/https://www.them.us/story/pitch-perfect-has-a-queerbaiting-problem |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |access-date=May 1, 2020 |website=Them |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Pitch Perfect 3 A Ca-Queerbaits Its Audience|url=https://www.filminquiry.com/pitch-perfect-3-queerbaiting/|last=Obropta|first=Clement Tyler|date=June 27, 2019|website=Film Inquiry|language=en-US|access-date=May 1, 2020|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726093410/https://www.filminquiry.com/pitch-perfect-3-queerbaiting/|url-status=live}}</ref> AfterEllen cited Max Black and Caroline Channing in ''2 Broke Girls'' as another example.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bendix |first=Trish |date=June 30, 2013 |title=2 Broke Girls Keeps Everyone Guessing |url=https://afterellen.com/2-broke-girls-keeps-everyone-guessing/ |access-date=November 22, 2024 |website=AfterEllen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126231609/https://afterellen.com/2-broke-girls-keeps-everyone-guessing/ |archive-date=January 26, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Spectator'' said the same about Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray in ''Glee''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Storey |first=Bailey |date=April 2, 2022 |title=The act of queerbaiting: Why is it so bad? |url=http://www.vsuspectator.com/2022/04/01/the-act-of-queerbaiting-why-is-it-so-bad/ |access-date=January 5, 2026 |website=The Spectator |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203215631/http://www.vsuspectator.com/2022/04/01/the-act-of-queerbaiting-why-is-it-so-bad/ |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Viewers and critics for PinkNews and Junkee alleged the same between Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair in ''Wednesday''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iftikhar |first=Asyia |date=November 24, 2022 |title=Netflix's Wednesday series sparks debate with LGBTQ+ viewers |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/11/24/wednesday-netflix-wenclair-queer-ship-reaction/ |access-date=November 27, 2022 |website=PinkNews |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127011236/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/11/24/wednesday-netflix-wenclair-queer-ship-reaction/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Salem |first=Merryana |date=December 9, 2022 |title=Netflix's Promotion Of 'Wednesday' Is A Perfect Example Of Queerbaiting |url=https://archive.junkee.com/netflix-wednesday-queerbaiting/345892 |access-date=January 4, 2025 |website=Junkee |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251104184240/https://archive.junkee.com/netflix-wednesday-queerbaiting/345892 |archive-date=November 4, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Others described certain fantasy films, and other media, as queerbaiting. Critics for Den of Geek, Capital FM, and The Guardian pointed to possible queerbaiting in two media within the Harry Potter franchise. This included Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald in ''Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harrington |first=Delia |date=November 20, 2018 |title=Fantastic Beasts 2 is Queerbaiting That Puts Dumbledore Back in the Closet |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/fantastic-beasts-2-queerbaiting-dumbledore-back-in-the-closet/ |access-date=April 4, 2020 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250813014016/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/fantastic-beasts-2-queerbaiting-dumbledore-back-in-the-closet/ |archive-date=August 13, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> and between Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy in ''Harry Potter and the Cursed Child''.<ref>{{cite web | title=Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hints at gay relationship between Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy |work=Capital FM |date=December 8, 2021 |first=Jazmin |last=Duribe | url=https://www.capitalfm.com/news/tv-film/harry-potter-cursed-child-albus-severus-gay/ |access-date=September 6, 2025 |archive-date=January 6, 2026 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20260106140324/https://www.capitalfm.com/news/tv-film/harry-potter-cursed-child-albus-severus-gay/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Masad | first1=Ilana | title=Harry Potter and the Possible Queerbaiting: Why fans are mad over a lack of gay romance | work=The Guardian | date=August 16, 2016 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/aug/16/harry-potter-possible-example-queerbaiting-cursed-child |access-date=September 6, 2025|archive-date=April 8, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250408223546/https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/aug/16/harry-potter-possible-example-queerbaiting-cursed-child |url-status=live}}</ref> CBR asserted the same between Qing Ming and Bo Ya in ''The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Hannah |title=Netflix's The Yin-Yang Master Is a Fantasy Epic Tarnished by Queerbaiting |work=CBR |date=February 15, 2021 |access-date=April 20, 2021 |url=https://www.cbr.com/netflix-the-yin-yang-master-boys-love-queerbait/ |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421012016/https://www.cbr.com/netflix-the-yin-yang-master-boys-love-queerbait/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Reviewers pointed to some animated series as having queerbaiting. Polygon noted that queerbaiting controversy over ''Voltron: Legendary Defender'', between Shiro and Adam, and Keith and Lance was addressed by the series co-creator Joaquim Dos Santos.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haasch |first1=Palmer |title=Voltron creator addresses fans over season 7's queerbaiting controversy |url=https://www.polygon.com/tv/2018/8/16/17698024/voltron-adam-controversy-netflix-queerbaiting-dos-santos-letter |access-date=December 26, 2018 |work=Polygon |date=August 16, 2018 |archive-date=June 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190615134146/https://www.polygon.com/tv/2018/8/16/17698024/voltron-adam-controversy-netflix-queerbaiting-dos-santos-letter |url-status=live }}</ref> Other critics for TheGWW and CBR asserted the series ''Naruto'' queerbaited between Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Steven |date=April 29, 2016 |title=Queerbaiting - LGBT+ Characters in Media (Part 2) |url=https://thegww.com/queerbaiting-lgbt-characters-in-media-part-2/ |access-date=November 22, 2024 |website=TheGWW.com |language=en-US|archive-date=May 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523091625/https://thegww.com/queerbaiting-lgbt-characters-in-media-part-2/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Matadeen |first=Renaldo |date=August 27, 2023 |title=Can Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Overcome Naruto's Queerbaiting? |url=https://www.cbr.com/boruto-two-blue-vortex-mitsuki-kawaki-lgbtq-queerbaiting/ |access-date=November 22, 2024 |website=CBR |language=en|archive-date=May 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250525121036/https://www.cbr.com/boruto-two-blue-vortex-mitsuki-kawaki-lgbtq-queerbaiting/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Anime News Network asserted the same between Izetta and Princess Finé in ''Izetta: The Last Witch''.<ref name="ann">{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Jacob |title=What's So Gay About Yuri!!! on Ice? |work=Anime News Network |date=November 2, 2016 |access-date=April 20, 2021 |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-11-02/what-so-gay-about-yuri-on-ice/.108391 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108093115/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-11-02/what-so-gay-about-yuri-on-ice/.108391 |url-status=live }}</ref> The relationship between Kumiko Ōmae and Reina Kōsaka in ''Sound! Euphonium'' was described as queerbaiting by Fotogramas and Anime News Network.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carlos Saloz |first=Juan |title=Los Animes Que Destaparon el Tabú de la Homosexualidad en España |trans-title=The Anime That Uncovered the Taboo Of Homosexuality in Spain |work=Fotogramas |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=April 20, 2021 |url=https://www.fotogramas.es/series-tv-noticias/a25331755/anime-homosexualidad-espana/ |language=es |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421022740/https://www.fotogramas.es/series-tv-noticias/a25331755/anime-homosexualidad-espana/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bridges|first=Rose|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/haruchika-haruta-and-chika/episodes-1-3/.97825|title=Haruchika – Haruta & Chika Episodes 1-3|website=Anime News Network|date=January 21, 2016|access-date=January 5, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022113945/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/haruchika-haruta-and-chika/episodes-1-3/.97825|archive-date=October 22, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast, Christopher Farris and Steve Jones of Anime News Network disputed that the series was queerbaiting was misguided and erased "the concept of bisexuality"<ref>{{cite web|last1=Farris|first1=Christopher|last2=Jones|first2=Steve|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2024-04-23/.210092|title=This Week in Anime: So, Is Sound Euphonium Queerbaiting or Not?|website=Anime News Network|date=April 23, 2024|access-date=January 5, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251211132016/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/this-week-in-anime/2024-04-23/.210092|archive-date=December 11, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> and Misty Schultz stated in ''Anime Feminist'' the series had "queer subtext".<ref>{{cite web|last=Schultz|first=Misty|url=https://www.animefeminist.com/versus-queerness-and-the-power-of-subtext-in-sound-euphonium-liz-and-the-blue-bird/|title=Queerness and the Power of "Subtext" in Sound! Euphonium & Liz and the Blue Bird|website=Anime Feminist|date=April 26, 2019|access-date=January 5, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251007015733/https://www.animefeminist.com/versus-queerness-and-the-power-of-subtext-in-sound-euphonium-liz-and-the-blue-bird/|archive-date=October 7, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>

This contrasted to those series that did portray a same-sex relationship after being criticized for queerbaiting. ''Killing Eve'' was criticized by ''The Independent'', Cosmopolitan, The Guardian, CBR, and Meaww for queerbaiting with main characters Eve and Villanelle's relationship during seasons 1 and 2.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Young|first1=Sarah|date=June 6, 2019|title=Killing Eve accused of queerbaiting by viewers|language=en|work=The Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/killing-eve-season-2-queerbaiting-eve-villanelle-romance-sandra-oh-jodie-comer-a8946546.html|access-date=June 16, 2019|archive-date=June 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616195813/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/killing-eve-season-2-queerbaiting-eve-villanelle-romance-sandra-oh-jodie-comer-a8946546.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Gutowitz|first1=Jill|date=June 25, 2019|title='Killing Eve', 'Dead to Me', and The Confusing State of 'Queerbaiting' on TV|work=Cosmopolitan|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a28072311/what-is-queerbaiting-killing-eve-dead-to-me/|access-date=July 25, 2019|archive-date=June 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629025002/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a28072311/what-is-queerbaiting-killing-eve-dead-to-me/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Abraham|first1=Amelia|date=June 29, 2019|title=Why culture's 'queerbaiting' leaves me cold|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/jun/29/why-cultures-queerbaiting-leaves-me-cold-amelia-abraham|access-date=July 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203234336/https://www.theguardian.com/global/2019/jun/29/why-cultures-queerbaiting-leaves-me-cold-amelia-abraham |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> The two characters then kissed one another in season 3.<ref>{{cite news |last=Matadeen |first=Renaldo |date=April 30, 2020 |title=Killing Eve Finally Ends Eve & Villanelle's Queerbaiting With an Epic Kiss |url=https://www.cbr.com/killing-eve-finally-ends-eve-villanelles-queerbaiting-with-an-epic-kiss/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525043355/https://www.cbr.com/killing-eve-finally-ends-eve-villanelles-queerbaiting-with-an-epic-kiss/ |archive-date=May 25, 2020 |access-date=May 2, 2020 |work=CBR}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bandyopadhyay |first1=Alakananda |title=Pride Month 2020: How Sandra Oh's Eve Polastri redeemed 'Killing Eve' from falling prey to queerbaiting |url=https://meaww.com/pride-month-2020-sandra-oh-eve-polastri-save-killing-eve-queer-baiting-villanelle-relationship-kiss-444228 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607080716/https://meaww.com/pride-month-2020-sandra-oh-eve-polastri-save-killing-eve-queer-baiting-villanelle-relationship-kiss-444228 |archive-date=June 7, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2020 |work=Meaww |language=en}}</ref> In the series ''Supernatural'', the relationship between Castiel and Dean Winchester, sometimes referred to under the shipping name "Destiel", was seen as queerbaiting by fans as noted in The Advocate.<ref name="Advocate">{{Cite web|last=Cruz|first=Eliel|date=July 17, 2014|title=Fans Take Supernatural to Task for 'Queer Baiting'|url=http://www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2014/07/17/fans-take-supernatural-task-queer-baiting|access-date=December 14, 2014|website=The Advocate|archive-date=April 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428105618/http://www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2014/07/17/fans-take-supernatural-task-queer-baiting|url-status=live}}</ref> In the fifteenth season, Castiel confesses his love to Dean immediately before dying, prompting criticism that the show was playing into the "bury your gays" trope as noted in Polygon and BuzzFeed News.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Radulovic|first=Petrana|date=November 6, 2020|title=Supernatural actually made Destiel canon(ish)|url=https://www.polygon.com/tv/2020/11/6/21552929/destiel-fanfiction-ao3-memes-supernatural-season-15|access-date=November 7, 2020|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107004646/https://www.polygon.com/tv/2020/11/6/21552929/destiel-fanfiction-ao3-memes-supernatural-season-15|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Strapagiel |first=Lauren |date=November 6, 2020 |title=Destiel (Sort Of) Became Canon And "Supernatural" Fans Are Shaking |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/laurenstrapagiel/destiel-supernatural |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829061717/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/laurenstrapagiel/destiel-supernatural |archive-date=August 29, 2021 |access-date=August 30, 2021 |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en}}</ref>.

=== Social media === On April Fool's Day 2020, content creators, who were mostly straight men, started to post short videos and challenges on social media, mostly TikTok and Instagram, lip-syncing to will.i.am's "Boys & Girls" and pretending to come out as bisexual.<ref name="culture.affinitymagazine.us">{{Cite web|url=http://culture.affinitymagazine.us/queerbaiting-on-tiktok-invalidates-lgbtq-stories/|title=Queerbaiting on TikTok invalidates LGBTQ+ stories|date=April 11, 2020|website=Arts + Culture|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028164934/http://culture.affinitymagazine.us/queerbaiting-on-tiktok-invalidates-lgbtq-stories/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, Alpha House influencers were accused of queerbaiting, while other straight web personalities received the same accusations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/tiktok-alpha-house-boys-barrett-pall-queerbaiting-accusation-lgbtq-2021-8|title=A group of thirst trap TikTok guys is being accused of having different 'straight' and 'queer' accounts to appeal to multiple audiences|first=Kieran|last=Press-Reynolds|website=Insider|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=August 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826154626/https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-alpha-house-boys-barrett-pall-queerbaiting-accusation-lgbtq-2021-8|url-status=live}}</ref> Some influencers came out after being accused of queerbaiting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.intomore.com/the-internet/tiktok-star-theo-carow-comes-bisexual-queerbaiting-accusations/|title=TikTok Star Theo Carow Comes Out as Bisexual After Queerbaiting Accusations|first=Jude|last=Cramer|website=INTO|date=August 16, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=August 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826154701/https://www.intomore.com/the-internet/tiktok-star-theo-carow-comes-bisexual-queerbaiting-accusations/|url-status=live}}</ref> Noah Beck was also accused of queerbaiting while he kept confirming his identity as straight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pride.com/celebrities/2021/3/08/heres-why-people-are-accusing-tiktok-star-noah-beck-queer-baiting|title=Here's Why People Are Accusing TikTok Star Noah Beck of Queer-Baiting|date=March 8, 2021|website=Pride|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=August 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826154647/https://www.pride.com/celebrities/2021/3/08/heres-why-people-are-accusing-tiktok-star-noah-beck-queer-baiting|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many "challenges" or "trends" on TikTok or Instagram were accused of queerbaiting. This includes kissing others of the same gender, posting false coming out narratives, or falsely claiming to be in a same-sex relationship.<ref name="culture.affinitymagazine.us"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/05/11/tiktok-trend-best-friends-kissing-sexualising-lesbians-fetishisation/|title='Best friends kissing' TikTok trend prompts passionate debate about queerbaiting|date=May 11, 2021|website=PinkNews|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=January 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121105901/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/05/11/tiktok-trend-best-friends-kissing-sexualising-lesbians-fetishisation/|url-status=live}}</ref> Many celebrities, including Billie Eilish and Normani,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wonderwall.com/news/billie-eilish-accused-of-queer-baiting-with-instagram-post-465811.article|title=Billie Eilish accused of 'queer baiting' with Instagram post|date=June 11, 2021|website=Wonderwall|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=January 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121105903/https://www.wonderwall.com/news/billie-eilish-accused-of-queer-baiting-with-instagram-post-465811.article|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/queerbaiting-lgbtq-community-1201273/|title=Why Queerbaiting Matters More Than Ever|first1=Moises|last1=Mendez II|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=July 23, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2022|archive-date=April 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403142948/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/queerbaiting-lgbtq-community-1201273/|url-status=live}}</ref> were accused of queerbaiting for their posts on Instagram.

Although this has been criticised, others have argued that the popularity of this trend is an example of the growing acceptance of LGBT people and (among males) a homosocial embrace of a "softer" form of masculinity.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hawgood |first1=Alex |title=Everyone Is Gay on TikTok |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/24/style/tiktok-gay-homiesexuals.html |work=The New York Times |date=October 24, 2020 |access-date=January 21, 2022 |archive-date=August 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826154708/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/24/style/tiktok-gay-homiesexuals.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Notes == {{notelist}}

== References == {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Abidin|first=Crystal|date=2019-09-03|title=Yes Homo: Gay influencers, homonormativity, and queerbaiting on YouTube|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2019.1644806|journal=Continuum|volume=33|issue=5|pages=614–629|doi=10.1080/10304312.2019.1644806|s2cid=204369535|issn=1030-4312|url-access=subscription}}</ref> }}

== Further reading == * {{cite magazine |last=Spencer |first=Chloe |title=Is It Really Queerbaiting? A Brief History of LGBTQIA Censorship in Mainstream Cartoons |website=Art Decko Magazine |date= March 1, 2017 |url=https://artduckomagazine.wordpress.com/2017/03/01/is-it-really-queerbaiting-a-brief-history-of-lgbtqia-censorship-in-mainstream-cartoons-by-chloe-spencer/ |ref=none }} * {{cite journal |last1=Ng |first1=Eve |title=Between text, paratext, and context: Queerbaiting and the contemporary media landscape. |journal=Transformative Works and Cultures |year=2017 |volume=24 |doi=10.3983/twc.2017.0917 |doi-access=free |ref=none}} * {{Cite journal|last=Brennan|first=Joseph|date=March 2018|title=Queerbaiting: The 'playful' possibilities of homoeroticism|journal=International Journal of Cultural Studies|language=en|volume=21|issue=2|pages=189–206|doi=10.1177/1367877916631050|s2cid=146538875|issn=1367-8779 |ref=none}} * {{Cite journal|last=Brennan|first=Joseph|date=June 1, 2018|title=Slashbaiting, an alternative to queerbaiting|journal=The Journal of Fandom Studies|language=en|volume=6|issue=2|pages=187–204|doi=10.1386/jfs.6.2.187_1|s2cid=188834385|issn=2046-6692 |ref=none}} * {{Cite journal|last=Bridges|first=Elizabeth|date=June 1, 2018|title=A genealogy of queerbaiting: Legal codes, production codes, 'bury your gays' and ' The 100 mess'|journal=The Journal of Fandom Studies|language=en|volume=6|issue=2|pages=115–132|doi=10.1386/jfs.6.2.115_1|s2cid=159000499|issn=2046-6692 |ref=none}} * {{Cite journal|last=McDermott|first=Michael|date=June 1, 2018|title=The contest of queerbaiting: Negotiating authenticity in fan–creator interactions|journal=The Journal of Fandom Studies|language=en|volume=6|issue=2|pages=133–144|doi=10.1386/jfs.6.2.133_1|s2cid=158207740|issn=2046-6692 |ref=none}} * {{Cite journal|last=Casey|first=Jeff|date=August 18, 2018|title=Afterthoughts on "Queer Cannibals and Deviant Detectives," Inspired by Hannibal Season 3|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/10509208.2018.1499346|journal=Quarterly Review of Film and Video|volume=35|issue=6|pages=583–600|doi=10.1080/10509208.2018.1499346|s2cid=192354667|issn=1050-9208 |ref=none|url-access=subscription}} * {{cite book |editor1-last=Brennan |editor1-first=Joseph |editor1-link=Joseph Brennan (author) |title=Queerbaiting and fandom : teasing fans through homoerotic possibilities |date=2019 |publisher=University of Iowa Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrG8DwAAQBAJ|location=Iowa City |isbn=9781609386726 |pages=}} * {{Cite journal|last=Riley|first=Olivia|date=September 22, 2020|title=Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans through Homoerotic Possibilities ed. by Joseph Brennan (review)|journal=The Velvet Light Trap|volume=86|pages=60–62|via=Project Muse |ref=none|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/765117/pdf}} {{LGBTQ}}

Category:LGBTQ terminology Category:LGBTQ portrayals in mass media Category:LGBTQ-related controversies Category:Discrimination against LGBTQ people Category:Mass media and entertainment controversies Category:Advertising and marketing controversies