The Finale Trend
Eleven weeks ago, Lexa was killed off in the most cliche way possible. Stray bullet, right after consummating her relationship with her lover, at the hands of an over-protective religious father figure. This happened after fans were baited for months on end, and Lexa, the female love interest, was never supposed to be anything more than a guest star.
As fans, we revolted. Not just at the show–but at a system that enables this to happen and allows white, straight, male showrunners to get away with exploiting, manipulating, and then tossing aside a marginalized group of young, LGBT+ fans. We demanded better. The following week, we banded together with LGBT+ fandoms everywhere and everyone agreed on one thing: LGBT+ Fans Deserve Better.
This phrase has become a rallying cry in the wake of Lexa’s death on The 1OO. Not just because of one show, but because of the horrific, bloody spring TV season that has seen 16 lesbian or bisexual women killed, and countless other minorities affected as well.
LGBT+ Fans truly do deserve better. Lexa has become a figurehead of this movement and her fans have provided the drive and passion to create something so strong that we have the chance to create change in the media. We can do great things when we unite behind a common cause and fight for change, because no one else will fight for us.
For that reason, for Lexa’s final appearance on The1OO, we will be trending “LGBT Fans Deserve Better” for the season finale, May 19th during the airing of the show.
We want to bring this movement back to where it began, when we were strong and united in our desire for better representation. Lexa died for nothing on the show, but we can make it mean something off the show–come together, and we can do this one last time in her memory.
Lexa’s story may end here, but she lives on through us and our fight for better representation.
