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

queerbaiting

American  
[kweer-bey-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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