when i commented that on the youtube trailer someone came to tell me that "the novel is so good"... still…
If we think about the problem radically, it *is* always rooted in the patriarchy. The family comes between them because they can’t imagine their daughter living without a man (Gap, Blank, Dream, The Loyal Pin, The Secret of Us); or a man inserts himself because he feels entitled to her (Affair, Apple My Love, Dream); or even the characters themselves are struggling with internalized homophobia, misogyny, or comphet (Affair, 23.5). And even when the higher power coming between them is a woman, there’s usually a male influence involved that pits the girls against each other (Us, Love Bully). The intention behind that “someone with more power” always stems from patriarchal beliefs.
What’s also frustrating is how these stories rarely give the main characters proper closure after being mistreated. The people who harass, manipulate, or shame them for being queer are often forgiven without much accountability or real discussion of their behavior. which ends up reinforcing the idea that lesbophobia is normal or forgivable. (I'm looking at you Ekk in Affair and Sak in Reverse With Me and even Mawin in Dream.)
Lesbians are the most isolated group when it comes to sexuality, because they're the only one that fully removes men from the equation — emotionally, sexually, and socially. In a patriarchal society that centers men as the default, that’s not just uncomfortable; it’s threatening. Lesbian existence challenges the very idea that men are necessary for love, fulfillment, or stability. That’s why media, even queer media, often unconsciously reinforces male-centered narratives: it’s more "comfortable" for the system. A story where women love each other, build lives without men, and don’t answer to male authority directly undermines the structures patriarchy relies on and so it often gets altered to make room for men, even when they don’t belong.
Gay shows don’t always have to make “being gay” the only plot problem. That’s a very heteronormative way of looking at queerness. Queer spaces have their own unique dynamics and drama that deserve to be represented with depth — especially in lesbian media. Why is it that MLM shows almost never center their plot around a woman, or marriage, or some external “higher power” trying to force them into conformity? How does that not scream patriarchal bias?
But yes, even from a surface-level artistic view of GL as a genre, the trope of a “higher power” not letting two women be together is painfully overused. I’d get it if it were a genuine challenge they needed to overcome as a couple, or a messy story with a few misunderstandings. But when it always ends up involving unnecessary men or forced family drama, it just feels repetitive and uninspired.
😭😭 that's why I can't watch some of these GLs I hate these types of tropes 😭😔what happened to JUST…
the patriarchy has rotted their brains so much they can't see how two women can just love each other without a man being there to confirm that their love is "that strong" it's kinda lesbophobic don't you think?
Well, after the latest trailer my last hope for the first "light-hearted GL rom-com" (that's not a high…
when i commented that on the youtube trailer someone came to tell me that "the novel is so good"... still doesn't remove the male from the story now does it
What’s also frustrating is how these stories rarely give the main characters proper closure after being mistreated. The people who harass, manipulate, or shame them for being queer are often forgiven without much accountability or real discussion of their behavior. which ends up reinforcing the idea that lesbophobia is normal or forgivable. (I'm looking at you Ekk in Affair and Sak in Reverse With Me and even Mawin in Dream.)
Lesbians are the most isolated group when it comes to sexuality, because they're the only one that fully removes men from the equation — emotionally, sexually, and socially. In a patriarchal society that centers men as the default, that’s not just uncomfortable; it’s threatening. Lesbian existence challenges the very idea that men are necessary for love, fulfillment, or stability. That’s why media, even queer media, often unconsciously reinforces male-centered narratives: it’s more "comfortable" for the system. A story where women love each other, build lives without men, and don’t answer to male authority directly undermines the structures patriarchy relies on and so it often gets altered to make room for men, even when they don’t belong.
Gay shows don’t always have to make “being gay” the only plot problem. That’s a very heteronormative way of looking at queerness. Queer spaces have their own unique dynamics and drama that deserve to be represented with depth — especially in lesbian media. Why is it that MLM shows almost never center their plot around a woman, or marriage, or some external “higher power” trying to force them into conformity? How does that not scream patriarchal bias?
But yes, even from a surface-level artistic view of GL as a genre, the trope of a “higher power” not letting two women be together is painfully overused. I’d get it if it were a genuine challenge they needed to overcome as a couple, or a messy story with a few misunderstandings. But when it always ends up involving unnecessary men or forced family drama, it just feels repetitive and uninspired.