It’s a bit of a quandary isn’t it. We want to see more quality films with queer and trans characters in which their sexual orientation or gender identity isn’t the only core issue in the story. In other words, we look forward to a time when a good story is a good story, regardless of the sexuality and gender identity of the characters. Yet, there’s still this need to tell stories that specifically apply to our experience and therefore directly appeal to queer and/or trans audiences.

Rather than wondering whether the queer character is essential to the story, perhaps a better criterion would be “how essential is it that the character be queer?” Something to chew on anyway.