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Kaley Gregory

Professor Granillo

English 103

21 October 2018

Welcome to the Queer Neighborhood

For as long as society has existed, there have been almost universally accepted norms, but

these strict standards of social acceptance have begun to slacken over recent years. Our society

has perpetuated a heterosexual standard that is oppressively forced upon two defined genders,

repressing those of the LGBTQ, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, community.

Although the LGBTQ community is still significantly marginalized, great strides have been

made as far as securing queer rights through education of the population, encouragement of

acceptance, and queer theory. Queer theory is a school of thinking that challenges the social

dichotomy of gender and sexuality in order to emphasize the mismatches between sex, gender,

and preference. These queer theories and concepts can be identified throughout many

publications and broadcasts. Troye Sivan’s music video series, “Blue Neighborhood,” makes a

statement about the normalization of homosexuality and the persistence of homophobia in

society; through the queer concepts of heteronormativity, homosocial bonding, and homophobia,

Sivan seeks to give representation to queer minorities in order to contribute to a more inclusive

culture which will learn to value tolerance and acceptance.

The Blue Neighborhood acts as an autobiographical reflection of the artists experiences

with love and loss. Released in the late summer of 2015, this pop music video illustrates a queer

love story in an age where homosexuality is becoming more normalized, but those of the

LGBTQ community are still discriminated against. This work applies several concepts from
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queer theory including, but not limited to heteronormative attitudes, homosocial bonding, and

homophobic mentalities that can translate into internalized homophobia. According to queer

theorists, David L. Wallace and Jonathan Alexander, heteronormativity is a close-minded social

construct that can be defined as “the underlying presumption of a hetero/homo binary that

continues to privilege heterosexuality in our society” (Wallace and Alexander 793). This concept

not only privileges those who conform to gender and sexuality norms, but attributes to social

ostracization to those who adhere to genders and sexualities that are not deemed acceptable. The

idea of gender was touched upon by philosopher and gender theorist, Judith Butler, who stated

that gender is merely a performance of one’s true self, but gender itself cannot be truly defined.

She also contended that, “To assume that gender always and exclusively means the matrix of the

“masculine” and “feminine” is precisely to miss the critical point that … those permutations of

gender which do not fit the binary are as much a part of gender as its most normative instance”

(Butler 42). This outlook of performative gender challenges societal gender norms because it

dictates that gender lies on a fluid spectrum in which there is no dichotomy. These concepts have

been applied to and identified in media throughout recent years to gain better understanding of

representation of the LGBTQ community.

All in all, Sivan’s music video rendered an authentic representation of a homosexual

relationship, however, there are some adverse connotations that have resulted in it being

negatively received in certain circles. All through media, there has been a shared opinion that

publications and broadcasts containing a queer character or relationship are inherently over-

sexualized and provide only one-dimensional personalities and representations. The article “As

A Queer Middle-Schooler, I Have A Problem With Media Representation,” expresses the fact

that “media continues to treat romantic feminine relationships as synonymous with sexuality and
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sex, which leads members of society to view these relationships as some sort of taboo.”

Although there is some media that is guilty of over-sexualizing the queer community, “Blue

Neighborhood” depicts the building of a relationship and the more romantic aspects of a love

story by portraying their childhood friendship. In doing so, it also communicates that the

substance of a person or relationship should not be reduced to their sexual preference and that

homosexual relationships are similar to heterosexual relationships through foundational

homosocial behavior. With this in mind, Sivan’s music video is responsible for providing

LGBTQ representation and contributing to a more inclusive culture.

Moreover, heteronormativity, or the assumption that all people are heterosexual,

pressures the LGBTQ community to be perceived as heterosexual to be considered normal and

deemed socially accepted, was a prominent queer concept portrayed throughout “Blue

Neighborhood”. After the boy had been assaulted and threatened by his father, he rejects the boy

he was in a relationship with and was seen holding hands with his implied girlfriend (Sivan

07:19). Due to the abusive behavior of his father, the boy felt pressured to conform to

heteronormative standards and did so by concealing his true sexuality in favor of social

acceptance and approval. By emphasizing the impact of heteronormative pressure and

compulsory heteronormativity, attention is brought to LGBTQ discrimination and the warped

performance of gender and self that is force upon them. Correspondingly, this representation of

compulsory heteronormativity displays the harmful preconception and expectation placed upon

the population which is oppressive to the LGBTQ community and promotes tolerance as

opposed to discrimination.

In addition, “Blue Neighborhood” also depicts a homosocial relationship which denotes

strong emotional ties between same-sex people through bonding. In the beginning of the “Blue
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Neighborhood” video, there is a juxtaposition of images of the two boys playing when they are

young and intimately holding each other during their adolescence (Sivan 00:30). This contrast

between homosocial and homoerotic imagery seeks to illustrate the emotional connection that

originated between the two boys. The presence of homosocial bonding within video provides

relation through a shared experience between the LGBTQ and heterosexual communities as

homosocial bonding is seen as needed for identity, emotional, social growth. Although

homosocial bonding is considered integral to the development of identity and community, there

has been significant apprehension due to continuation of homophobic attitudes and fear of being

discriminated against and ostracized.

Furthermore, the music video directly addresses homophobia, or the deep-rooted

loathing of same-sex love, and illustrates its negative effect on the LGBTQ community (Tyson

304-305). Within the second segment of the music video, the boy’s father confronts him about

his relationship with another boy and proceeds to beat him, call him homophobic slurs, and

threaten his life (Sivan 04:40, 07:38). This behavior from his father displays a deep-seated hatred

and dread of homosexuality with no defined reason other than it was considered intolerable by

societal standards. The homophobic display is purposed to bring attention to the harmful

discrimination that the LGBTQ community experiences and accentuates the fact that this

discrimination can come from even the closest of family members. Through the homophobia

presented, it is evident that it harms not only the already-marginalized LGBTQ community, but

also those perpetuating the hateful behavior. Additionally, Sivan’s music video, “Blue

Neighborhood,” calls for an end to homophobia and other homophobic exclusions through the

negative effects it had on the boy.

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Furthermore, the concepts of homophobia and heteronormative pressures can cause

people of the homosexual community to internalize the prejudice and hatred that is being

directed towards them which, in turn, is translated into self-hatred due to their sexuality or

gender. Near the conclusion of the music video, the boy feels that he was rejected by society and

all of the people closest to him due to his sexuality and how he expressed it; it is implied that he

commits suicide by jumping over a cliff (Sivan 11:17). The constant suppression and shaming

the boy experienced because of his sexuality translated into self-hatred which drove him to

commit suicide. This displays the immediate as well as the long-term psychological and

emotional toll that bigotry and prejudice can take on an individual. Through the inclusion of this

scene, those who enforce these societal norms are forced to come to terms with their negative

impact on others and the stigma that harms not only the LGBTQ community, but society as a

whole. All things considered, this internalized self-hatred is a product of societal standards of

acceptance and normalcy which continue to oppress the people of the LGBTQ community.

The “Blue Neighborhood” music video effectively communicates the queer concepts of

heteronormativity, homosocial bonding, and homophobia in order to further promote more

inclusive media and culture that will ultimately learn tolerance and full acceptance of the

LGBTQ community. The regular discrimination toward the LGBTQ community through

heteronormative pressure and homophobia was embodied by the boy’s father and his abusive

actions in order to illustrate the emotional damage that this treatment can induce. Homosocial

bonding, which can bridge the gap between the dichotomy of homosexuality and heterosexuality,

was depicted through the boy’s close friendship as children and effectively demonstrated the

bonding that takes place in all relationships. Through this video, there is a call for more authentic
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representation of LGBTQ minorities as well as a request for the acceptance and recognition of

the LGBTQ community and removal of gender binary pressure and standards.
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Works Cited

“As A Queer Middle-Schooler, I Have A Problem With Media Representation.” Huffington Post.

January 23, 2017. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-medias-role-in-

hypersexualization-and-homophobia_us_58855382e4b0111ea60b97d3.

Butler, Judith. “Gender Regulations.” Undoing Gender, Routledge, 2004, 40-55. EBSCOhost.

https://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzExMDU4N19fQU41?si

d=480e8b88-88a7-4cf7-ab86-43c3cbad0799@sdc-v-

sessmgr05&vid=4&format=EB&rid=1.

Sivan, Troye. “Blue Neighborhood”. Blue Neighborhood, YouTube Aug. 9, 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xCMF7jsDJI.

Tyson, Lois. “Lesbian, gay, and queer criticism.” Critical Theory Today, Third Edition,

Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, 1998, 302-342.

Wallace, David L. and Jonathan Alexander. “Queer Rhetorical Agency: Questioning Narratives

of Heteronormativity”. JSTOR. EBSCOhost.

https://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=4358f4c7-1609-4577-b344-

1c1bab754281%40pdc-v-

sessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=edsjsr.20866924&db=edsjsr.