AvidBards
Reflections

Why I Want to See More Intersectional Queer Representation in Media

Visibility matters. It’s a simple enough concept, one we’ve heard time and time again. And yet, there is still a huge gap in mainstream TV and film media that needs to be filled. While I fully acknowledge that it has taken a long time for LGBTQIA+ stories to make their way to small and big screens, we are now at a point where we need to work harder to normalize intersectional queerness. As such, I expect those in storytelling industries to prioritize underrepresented queer voices, because there is simply no excuse not to make queer people of colour, people with…

View Post
Movies

Rocketman: Movie Review

I am a lover of musicals. Pretty much any musical, of any genre, finds its way onto my ‘to-watch’ list and is included in my ‘Musicals’ playlist on Spotify. So, of course, when I found out there was to be a whole movie dedicated to the life and songs of Elton John, there was no doubt I would be buying a ticket to see it. Last week, I finally got around to watching it, and let me tell you: emotions were felt. For those of you who have been living under a rock, Rocketman stars Taron Egerton portraying Reginald Dwight…

View Post
Reviews

Fluid Sexuality in ‘Striking Vipers’

If you’ve seen the new season of Black Mirror, you’ll have seen the show’s heavily lauded first episode, “Striking Vipers”. And boy, was it a real doozy – from its strong cast, unpredictability, and the way it tackled certain societal topics, it has easily become one of my favourite episodes. Warning: Major spoilers for Black Mirror‘s “Striking Vipers” below (S5E1). Read at your own risk. The episode begins with two people, Danny (Anthony Mackie) and Theo (Nicole Beharie). They seem to be strangers at the bar at a busy club, only to reveal a few moments later that they were…

View Post
Reflections

Pride Playlist

Pride Month is one of my favourite times of the year. I live in Toronto, which is one of the most diverse and queer-friendly cities. Pride Month is a time where the weather is finally getting warmer, the city becomes adorned with colour and liveliness, and though major corporations love to adopt Pride month as part of their marketing strategies (which I don’t really agree with), people are reminded of why there is so much to celebrate in the queer community. That being said, it’s extremely important for us to remember what the origins of the Pride Parade and Pride…

View Post
Reflections

On the Social Responsibility of Writers

Do they have any? With Pride month upon us, it is perhaps no surprise that the question of social activism is on my mind. And since I am in the midst of writing my doctorate thesis, the question of social activism and writing has occupied my thoughts. Particularly the wonder of whether or not writers have a social responsibility to be activists, especially if they are writing about social issues? I am unashamed to admit that social activism plays a large role in my life: I am an openly feminist person of colour, an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and ardently…

View Post
TV Shows

The Importance of Queerness in ‘Sex Education’

Netflix released an original series called Sex Education, which premiered in January 2019. I’ll admit, though I used to love seeing what new additions Netflix had, they’ve come to the point where they’re pumping out so much new material that it’s hard to decipher which one is worth watching. Upon seeing the title Sex Education, I assumed the show would be another denomination of other Netflix series’ like Lovesick, Easy, or Love. And don’t get me wrong: the shows I just listed are amazing. However, it’s just another case of ‘the more the shows, the harder it is to have…

View Post