Our Flag Means Death is the opposite of queerbait

The Atlantic

"Queerbaiting—playing up queer romance, but always under a veneer of plausible deniability, and with no intention of payoff—is nothing new on TV," says Emma Sarappo. "Gay culture and aesthetics have long been extremely appealing to the mainstream. But homophobic laws and sentiments still have broad support in America, and television sometimes seems afraid to commit to LGBTQ stories." But Our Flag Means Death isn't queerbait, despite many viewers fearing that it was. "It’s a love story told over a season where the narrative constantly affirms that the romance being teased is real," says Sarappo. "But imagine what television could pull off in a future where LGBTQ lives and stories are less stigmatized. Imagine the narrative possibilities for tales about queer romance if viewers can trust that they’re getting meaningful looks from the start, and not just settling in for seasons of endless yearning."

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