what is queer baiting

Queerbaiting is a marketing technique used in fiction and entertainment where creators hint at, but do not depict, same-sex romance or other LGBTQ+ representation to attract a queer audience. The purpose of queerbaiting is to "bait" a queer audience into watching or reading a piece of media without actually providing the representation they are looking for. Queer fans consider queerbaiting as "a way to throw us a bone when we normally wouldnt have anything, to acknowledge that were there in the audience when the powers that be would prefer to ignore us". However, queerbaiting can be harmful to the LGBTQ+ community as it can continue the stigmatization of the community and prevent society from seeing LGBTQ+ people as normal individuals. While queerbaiting is most commonly thought of as a media and entertainment tactic, it can also be done in other spheres such as politics or community. The term "queerbaiting" is thought to have originated among fan communities on Tumblr and other social media networks in the early 2010s.