Women crave a "gay best friend" - and blame it on silly TV and movie stereotypes
Their main concern is (their own) appearance, they are a source of extreme (but completely unnecessary) "drama" and they appear in the story only as support for their friends, or rather girlfriends, in their love escapades. This is exactly how characters described simply as "gay best friends" are portrayed today (although this practice was mainstream in foreign works, especially at the turn of the millennium). And it must be said that in the early days, in fact, even such a depiction of a gay character was something to cheer about. After all, LGBT characters certainly didn't appear on screen "like a treadmill." Thus, the first reaction to "out gay men" on television was an unconcealed joy, even on the part of the LGBT community - joy that the heteronormative film industry had acknowledged their existence. But the problem with how LGBT people, or gay people, are portrayed did not take long to solve.
Gay as an accessory
There are, of course, a number of problematic stereotypes in the film industry, and in the case of the LGBT plane, "gay best friend" is certainly one of many. Leaving aside all of the so many "fun" characteristics associated with these characters, there's also the problem that they can't seem to function on their own, but must exist solely as a kind of "complement" to (most often) female heterosexual heroines (think of Stanford in Sex and the City, for example). Their space on the screen/screen is then clearly limited to moments of helping this character and especially to "funny" sketches arising precisely from their different sexual orientation. The fact that the gay characters ever talk about their personal problems and love interests, then there is not much to talk about (after all, they would also distract from the main character, not to mention that some viewers might also be offended...).
Of course, what happens on the TV screen doesn't necessarily affect many, and the same could eventually be said of the depiction of the "gay best friend" - if only that particular stereotype didn't literally "flip" into the very real world. It is no coincidence that many women have subsequently - actually under the influence of shows in which gay characters help the main characters literally 24/7 to solve small and bigger crises - started to long for their own gay best friend. There might not even be anything wrong with that yet, if these women didn't expect exactly the same benefits from this type of friendship that gay characters provide to TV/movie heroines. Hours of frolicking over coffee/wine. Shopping together. Discussions about the backgrounds of passing men. The willingness to be a great and listening ear at any time. As a result of this practice, it has become a constant reinforcement that gay men are de facto only there to fulfill these needs in their relationships with the heterosexual part of society (and without it, perhaps as if they wouldn't even exist).
Zdroj: Giphy
But then, according to some psychologists, women's desire for a gay boyfriend may also stem from the fact that gay men are not a "threat" - women do not have to present themselves in their presence in such a way as to attract attention, while at the same time they are not at risk of any form of potential physical/sexual assault from them (this has been proven by many psychological studies, among others). Unfortunately, however, this is not a great role in life for gay men either...
Even in the Czech Republic we have butter on our heads
Although it might seem that the practice of stereotyping gay characters as effeminate, caring only about their appearance and often unnaturally "squealing" is inherent mainly in foreign (American) production, the opposite is true. In the Czech Republic, we have also adopted a similar principle quite unreservedly (though, of course, belatedly). When gays have appeared in TV shows or films, they have usually not escaped stereotypes. One could name, for example, the TV series Ugly Katka or Krejzovi (here it was directly the classic role of the "gay best friend"), where gays served mainly as a source of amusement. Ironically, in the first case, the role of a fashion designer nicknamed Pipinka (sic!) was taken by Lumír Olšovský, who himself is openly gay in civilian life...
At the same time - since we have so readily taken inspiration from abroad - we could also look among those series that have proved that it is possible to create entertainment with gay characters in a non-planned way and with some overlap. This is proven, for example, by the domestic sitcom Will & Grace. Although Jack was undoubtedly also an example of the classic effeminate gay man who was the butt of countless jokes, he was in the end a completely positive representation of it - Jack lived exactly as he wished and was simply himself (it is no coincidence that this sitcom is still very popular and has also received new sequels).
Zdroj: Giphy
However, it must be said that with the increasing representation of LGBT people in the film industry (both in front of and behind the camera), much has changed. LGBT characters are still entertaining, but at the same time, they've been able to break out of the confines of silly stereotype. And so the gay best friend stereotype seems more and more like a relic of a bygone era. Well, at least in US productions. We in the Czech Republic still have a lot to learn. Although the first examples of "good practice" are already appearing in our country - for example, the miniseries Actor, in which Jan Cina excelled. It is obvious that if you want to, you can.
Having a best friend regardless of orientation
Having a gay best friend, despite the portrayal of this fact in the world of soap operas and films, should not be something to aspire to. In fact, one should desire to have a best friend who is kind, caring, fun and simply makes every moment spent with them great. Of course, these are exactly the characteristics that a gay man can fulfill, but the same is true for straight men. Simply put, sexual orientation should definitely not be a defining element in choosing friends, especially if the impetus is how LGBT people are perceived by some through pop culture.
So while it certainly makes no sense to condemn, for example, My Best Friend's Wedding (in which the gay best friend probably suffers the most of all), as this film was also undoubtedly groundbreaking in bringing a gay character into mainstream cinema, today's film and TV series in particular should be subject to some criticism due to their depiction of LGBT characters. Today, LGBT people have achieved a certain degree of representation, so the next step is to give them the space to finally be themselves and not just a source of amusement or even outrage (as was the case in the very beginning).
