Lesbian and Bi Characters on TV

Lately I've seen a lot of criticism of lesbian and bi characters on TV shows, mostly by lesbians themselves. Let's use Glee as an example. I understand that it can be upsetting the way some characters are portrayed. I, like most of you, eagerly await Tuesday night when I can settle down on my couch and turn on Glee. I'll admit it, one of my favorite things about Glee is Brittana. I cringe every time Brittany kisses Artie or Santana sleeps with another guy, and live for moments like this:

Or this:

Or especially this:

I would be damn happy to make this the Brittana Show and have the above every week. But that's not real life. High school is filled with confusion, love, hate, dating, breakups, makeups, and identity crisis. If Santana and Brittany just got together and stayed together, it wouldn't be real. That's the great thing about Glee. Girls can RELATE to the characters. There are girls, like Santana, who feel an attraction to their best friend, but are afraid to act on it. Questions run through their minds: Do I like her? Am I gay? She's my best friend. I like guys. Do I just like sex? Could I be bi?


There are girls like Brittany, who are thinking, Well, I like her, but she doesn't always act like she likes me. I do like girls, and I like her, but I also like guys. What does that mean? Do I like her more? Should I date someone else so it seems like I don't like her?


This is all real. It happens every day all around the country. Brittany and Santana are REAL. Would I jump up and down with joy if they got together? Sure. But I think they're being portrayed as real people, real teens, real girls questioning their sexuality. They aren't sure who they are or what they want. They're trying to find it. And I think that the process of getting there is just as important, if not more than, the outcome. Maybe Santana and Brittany will never get together. Maybe Santana will decide that she would rather be with a guy than a girl. That's not Ryan Murphy turning his back on lesbian characters, that's reality. Maybe Brittany will end up with a girl. It's uncertain. It's real. It's unpredictable. And that's what I like about it.


Thoughts?