Is 'ACS: The Assassination of Gianni Versace' EXACTLY What the LGBT+ Community Needs Right Now?

Like many avid TV viewers, LGBT or not, I've been glued to American Crime Stories: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, starring the charismatic Darren Criss as serial killer Andrew Cunanan. Apart from being a compelling and sinister true crime series, the piece highlights a number of key issues for the gay community (the show primarily features gay men, mostly white gay men, so we're not likely to see any Trans issues or issues surrounding gay people of colour here). For example we see the trails of being a Gay man during the HIV/AIDS epidemic; how gay couples struggle to function in a world that denies them equality and frowns upon their "lifestyle," and the way the police treat crimes involving gay people.

There has been a call recently to see more LGBT+ drama and characters where we see more than issues around HIV, coming out, discrimination etc., and with good reason. For many people in the straight, mainstream world, whose only association with gay people comes through the TV screen, it's understandable that they should harbour homophobia when all they see is a life full of sickness, depravity and social exclusion. It's true that seeing LGBT+ characters on screen who live happy lives and are seen as more than just their sexuality or gender orientation can help to change values and opinions as well as being aspirational viewing for young LGBT+ people. We certainly need to see more LGBT+ characters in leading roles, we need to see more such characters living happy, healthy lives and we need to see more drama where the source of conflict is not a character's sexuality.

However, what ACS: The Association of Gianni Versace does is to highlight important issues around homosexuality and gay life—many of which are still important today, and some which are important for preserving a "gay history"—but also shows a gay person who is flawed, who is violent, certainly not camp or comical in the stereotypical sense that we are used to seeing. Darren Criss' portrayal of Andrew is a far cry from characters in Will & Grace or Modern Family, and in sense I think that's why the series is needed for the LGBT+ community. There are some insinuations that Andrew's actions may be partly a result of the societal reaction to gay people—particularly during the HIV/AIDS crisis—but ultimately he is a serial killer all of his own making. We accept that while most straight, cis gendered people are nice, that a select few are horribly people. The same should be true of LGBT+ people. Seeing every gay person as hilariously funny, fashionable, camp, flirty though essentially sexless which we are used to from many mainstream comedies can be seen as helpful in softening gay man in the public eye, making us seem less threatening or strange; but it's not a fair depiction of real life. There are gay men in all walks of life, and some of them are not very nice. Expand that across the whole LGBT+ spectrum and the myriad different types of personalities multiples.

If we want fair and varied representation in the media then we should champion works like ACS: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, with all its grit and grime, just as much as romances like Call Me By Your Name or comedies like Will & Grace. We're moving into an interesting period in LGBT History. A period where there is a growing shift towards social acceptance and legal equality even in countries and communities where half a century ago that would have seemed impossible; but these are far from certain times. It's important to recognise moments in our past—which this show does brilliantly—when, to coin a modern phrase—the struggle was real; we also need to support fair representation in the media —the good, the bad, and the ugly; and ultimately we need to support members across our whole community and other oppressed and minority groups. The UK (where I live) is among the most LGBT friendly and inclusive places on the world and we have the "gayest parliament" with more LGBT MP's than any other government in the world. But that doesn't mean our rights couldn't just as easily be taken away. Seeing LGBT+ people as just that—people—can only help to normalise and humanize our way of life. We could be your best friend, your child, your teacher, your doctor, but we could also be that annoying neighbour, that violent thug at the pub, or worse still, a serial killer. We could be whatever our straight cis gendered counterparts could be, and that's why ACS: The Assassination of Gianni Versace is exactly what the LGBT+ community need right now.