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Showing results for "queerbaiting"
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Slang dictionary results for queerbaiting.

queerbaiting

American  
[kweer-bay-ting] / ˈkwɪərˌbeɪ tɪŋ /

noun

  1. Slang. a marketing technique involving intentional homoeroticism or suggestions of LGBTQ+ themes intended to draw in an LGBTQ+ audience, without explicit inclusion of openly LGBTQ+ relationships, characters, or people.

    Television programs need to start openly depicting queer characters, because I'm tired of the queerbaiting.

  2. Also queer-baiting acts of anti-LGBTQ+ provocation, especially in speech and writing, including hate speech, threats, and other forms of harassment targeting the LGBTQ+ community.


Etymology

Origin of queerbaiting

First recorded in 1955–60 queerbaiting for def. 2; 2010–15 queerbaiting for def. 1; queer ( def. ) + -baiting ( def. )


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Some social media users had accused Connor of "queerbaiting" after he was seen holding hands with actress Maia Reficco, his co-star in indie film A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2022

The musician has never been explicit about his sexuality, which has led to some to accuse him of queerbaiting: the hinting of queerness as a marketing tactic.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2022

“Noah Beck Tries Things” undertakes a version of this as well with queer collaborators, striking given that one of the most frequent critiques of Beck during his rise has been of queerbaiting.

From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2021

Flinging the word queerbaiting around for something as mundane as a picture of Eilish and some other women posing together undermines the community’s ability to call out when the practice is actually harmful.

From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2021

Today, that tradition of subtext has evolved into a more overtly strategic tactic: queerbaiting.

From The Verge ● May 29, 2018

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