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LGBTQ+ Villany for a new era

ShyPerson

ShyPerson

Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
Location
Sweden
Pronouns
Him/He
Despite recent political snarls, in the mainstream media landscape we are slowly seeing non-heteronormative characters in the protagonist role (now if only trans and ace characters start getting billing). However o think it's also worth thinking about how LGBTQ+ plus characters should inhabit the other side of the morality spectrum.

This isn't anything new by any means. However the problem is that depictions of non-cishet people in the antagonist role have primarily been highly stereotyped in the worst manner that the rest of society viewd (and in some spheres still view) those who did not conform the the reigning heteronormativity as threats to the natural way of things. Archetypes such as the psycho lesbian, depraved bisexual and the sissy gay man were the norms that might raise the heckles of anyone belonging to said groups.

The question I want to raise is how would one go about depiction LGBTQ+ people in villainous and antagonistic roles, without making them problematic stereotypes in the process? Is there storytelling potential that can be unlocked that would otherwise not be possible for a heteronormative villain or a problematic caricature?
 
The first thing that comes to mind for me is the potential for villainous motivations, especially sympathetic ones. Trans characters who steal to fund (or facilitate) their transition, an LGBTQ+ person who snapped in response to some form of hate crime, etc. It's the sort of thing that provides an interesting moral quandary to the hero; if the villain is so sympathetic, are they truly evil? Have they just gone too far down the road that the hero themself is following? And does such a person more deserve punishment or help? Naturally, the tone of the setting also is going to affect things here; a lighthearted cartoon villain is nearly always going to have a more-forgivable list of crimes than one from a darker, grittier story.

Beyond that, regarding the potential for offensive stereotypes, writers need to remember to treat their villains like people. For example, if local supervillain Lord Blood is dating his beloved henchwoman Sable, that can create some interesting character dynamics and interactions in the face of an impending heroic beat down ("Go, my Lord! It's my job to hold Captain Sunshine off!" "No! I'm not leaving you behind to be beaten up by that pesky do-gooder!"). It's just that the same thing should occur in a universe where Lord Blood happens to be Lady Blood instead, or if Sable prefers the term henchperson.

No matter their moral alignment, characters shouldn't be defined by a single label (especially if it's expressed through an offensive stereotype). A good writer will be able to give a villain an LGBTQ+ trait and present it as just another part of their characterisation. It may have an impact on their story arc (as in the case of potential motivations), but it shouldn't define them, especially not in a way that is harmful to the perception of their particular demographic. Returning to the cartoon villain example, if you have a ton of villains with wacky quirks, I think an ideal world will have Lady Blood's quirk be her being an absolute drama queen who ironically faints at the sight of blood, not the mere presence of her non-heteronormative relationship with Sable, or a negative stereotype derived from the same.
 
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