LGBT Fans Deserve Better

LGBT Fans Deserve Better, or Lexa Deserved BetterFans initially rallied under the Lexa Deserved Better hashtag before moving to the all-encompassing LGBT Fans Deserve Better as the scope of the movement expanded., is a fan campaign in response to the death of Lexa on the CW television series The 100, as well as the disproportionately large number of queer female characters killed off on television around the same time.
In March 2016, the Clexa fandom's outrage over Lexa's death, sometimes dubbed Lexagate, quickly turned into a call for action. The goal of the resulting fan campaign was to advocate for positive LGBT representation in media. Fans raised money for charity, arranged boycotts, advertised their cause on billboards, created the Lexa Pledge, started a non-profit organization, and helped organize the sapphic fandom convention ClexaCon. They also took to social media to voice their grievances en masse to the show's network and sponsors.
LGBT Fans Deserve Better garnered widespread media and industry attention, and propelled the "Bury Your Gays" trope into a national talking point. It has since become the subject of much academic scrutiny.
Acafan Dr. Elizabeth Bridges said of the movement:Exploiting Fandom: How the Media Industry Seeks to Manipulate Fans. Chapter: Introduction. University of Iowa Press (2019)
== Background ==
=== Lexa ===
Commander Lexa is a lesbian character from the post-apocalyptic scifi television series The 100. She has a huge following among queer female fans and is also one half of the juggernaut Clexa ship. On March 3, 2016, season 3 episode 7 of The 100 aired in which the character was killed off. Her sudden death left many fans feeling deeply betrayed, angry, and in a few cases, even suicidal."Why the best episode of The 100's third season has also thrown its fandom into chaos", by Vox.com."Why the Controversial Death on 'The 100' Matters", by Variety.
=== Fandom's Grievances ===
Fans felt that Lexa's death, particularly the way she died — via a stray bullet shortly after consummating her relationship with her love interest Clarke Griffin — exemplified and perpetuated a toxic trend that has plagued LGBTQ representation: the "Bury Your Gays" trope (also known as "Dead Lesbian Syndrome"). This was further exacerbated by the disproportionately large number of lesbian and bisexual female characters being killed off on television at the time, which The Fandomentals dubbed the "Spring Slaughter".
A Tumblr user observed:Tumblr post by girlfriendluvr-remade. Archived version.
By the end of the 2015/16 season, a total of 42 lesbian and bisexual female characters had been killed off, the most ever in a single season of US television."More lesbian and bisexual characters on TV have been killed off than ever before", by PinkNews. Archived version.
Moreover, LGBTQ fans of The 100 felt that they had been intentionally baited and exploited by The Powers That Be — particularly the showrunner Jason Rothenberg — for promotion and ratings, only to then be unceremoniously discarded (see We Deserved Better).
Acafan Dr. Elizabeth Bridges said in her review of the episode:Someday. Maybe. But not today. – The 100 – 3×07, "Thirteen", by Elizabeth Bridges, The Uncanny Valley.
=== Call to Action ===
The resulting outpouring of grief and anger from queer female fans soon turned into a call for action. In the days following Lexa's death, posts such as the one below were shared across social media as the fandom began looking for ways to get "justice."
While many Clexa fans supported taking action, not everyone was onboard and there were concerns early on that the fandom was taking it too far. Responding to a fellow Clexa fan, two organizers made the case for a more aggressive approach:Tumblr post by commanderoswald (archived).
By March 13, 2016, LGBT Fans Deserve Better had settled on its name and a press release was issued calling on others to join the movement. This post by Tumblr user killcommander gives a rundown of the tumultuous early days in March and April as the movement took off.
== Mission ==
The campaign's goal was to advocate for better LGBT representation in media by raising awareness of harmful tropes such as "Bury Your Gays".
From the "About" page on LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com:Mission page on LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com. Archived version.
There was also a great desire among fans to target The 100, showrunner Jason Rothenberg, and The CW network, so as to hold them accountable for Lexa's death.
From the "Background" page on We Deserved Better:About The 100 and its Controversy on WeDeservedBetter.com. Archived version.
== Organization ==
The campaign congregated around three online platforms early on: Tumblr, Twitter, and The 100 sub-forums on The L Chat (a lesbian web forum frequented by Clexa fans). Organizers disseminated information and plans through these platforms and later — as the campaign became more organized — through their websites.
The movement had no official leadership and could be quite chaotic at times, with various factions doing their own thing. For example, multiple separate websites with titles similar to "LGBT Fans Deserve Better" spawned from this campaign:
* LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com
* LGBTFansDB.com
* WeDeservedBetter.com
* LGBTViewersDeserveBetter.com (archived version, blog).
Of these websites, the first two served to provide information, statistics and resources on the state of LGBT representation on television, as well as educate people on the harmful effects negative representation can have on the LGBT community.About Us page on lgbtfansdb.com. Archived version. The third, WeDeservedBetter.com, served to chronicle the particular grievances of the Clexa fandom against Jason Rothenberg and other members of The 100 staff, thereby helping readers understand the source of the fandom's anger.Introductory post on WeDeservedBetter.com. Archived version. LGBTViewersDeserveBetter.com was set up as a one-stop shop for updates on all campaign projects.
== Campaign ==
=== Projects ===
Lexa's death gave rise to a flurry of fannish projects made under the umbrella of the LGBT Fans Deserve Better movement. This section covers the four main projects that fans coalesced around. Examples of smaller projects include the #IAmLexa video project and a campaign to send postcards to The CW.
==== Trevor Project Fundraiser ====
On March 6, 2016, the campaign launched its first major project with the Leskru WW fundraiser for The Trevor Project, a charity that provides suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth in crisis. The term "Leskru" originally meant "Lesbian Clan" in The 100's conlang, but was used as a catchall by the campaign to mean "The united clan of LGBTQ/supporters/allies".Leskru WW fundraiser page on lgbtfansdeservebetter.com
Gina Tass, a behavioral therapist, had set up the fundraiser on behalf of the then-burgeoning movement as a way for the young Clexa fans "to process their feelings in a healthy way," "voice their opinions, make an impact together, and not feel alone.""Young People Find Community on a Fundraising Page for Trevor", by The Trevor Project. Archived version. By the end of March 2016, Leskru WW had raised over $100,000. It has raised over $175,000 as of December 2020, and is the charity's top fundraiser.The Trevor Project: Top Individuals. Archived Version.
The Tumblr blog leskru101 collected messages left by donors, examples include:Tumblr post by leskru101. Archived version.
==== The Lexa Pledge ====
The campaign collaborated with several writers and producers from the Canadian drama series Saving Hope to launch "The Lexa Pledge" in April 2016. The Pledge called on the television industry to make the following seven commitments:
Several screenwriters and producers signed the Lexa Pledge, promising to treat LGBTQ characters with consideration of their emotional and cultural impact."The Lexa Pledge Gains Traction, Urging TV Writers To Be More Considerate When Killing LGBT Characters", by IndieWire. However, others in the industry raised concerns about the Pledge. Krista Vernoff, executive producer on Grey's Anatomy, said:"Bury Your Gays: TV Writers Tackle Trope, the Lexa Pledge and Offer Advice to Showrunners", by The Hollywood Reporter.
==== Billboards ====
In the spring of 2016, billboards advertising the movement were put up around Los Angeles,"The 100" Fans Once Again Remind The World That LGBT Viewers Deserve Better by Autostraddle. specifically near the CW headquarters in Burbank. A Tumblr user recalled:
The idea had been pitched to fans by the organizers behind LGBTViewersDeserveBetter.com and quickly took off:Tumblr post by sleepyandfreckled. Archived version.Tumblr post by queerbaitedagain. Archived version.
With the fandom's support and designs by yikes-im-clexatrash,Billboard Locations and Corresponding Designs by lgbtviewersdeservebetter-blog. Archived version. the organizers went ahead and raised around $15,000 for the billboards.[billboards update 05/06] by lgbtviewersdeservebetter-blog. Archived version.
==== Clexa Fanart Book ====
The Clexa Fanart Book is a print book collection of Clexa fanart contributed by over 20 fanartists. It was created by the people behind LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com as part of the LGBT Fans Deserve Better movement. Proceeds from the book were donated to the Leskru WW fundraiser (see Trevor Project Fundraiser).
To fund the project, the organizers set up a GoFundMe page on May 29, 2016, which raised over $40,000 by the June 8 deadline. A second print run was crowdfunded through an Indiegogo campaign, raising nearly $5,000.
=== Direct Action ===
From the start, organizers felt that there would be no real change in the television industry if there were no overt consequences for The Powers That Be, hence the need for direct action.THE RATINGS ISSUE, Tumblr post clarabelacqua. Archived version.Tumblr post by blinktumble. Archived version.
==== Twitter Trends ====
The day after Lexa died, "Lexa Deserved Better" trended worldwide on Twitter all day with 400K tweets/100 million impressions.Comment by Kate213 on the PRIMETIMER forum thread "S03.E07: Thirteen". Archived version In the following months, fans were able to get another 55 protest hashtags trending worldwide on Twitter (full list), often timed to coincide with the airing of The 100. Some of the trending hashtags amassed well over 100K tweets, examples include: "LGBT FANS DESERVE BETTER" (>280K tweets)"Fans revolt after gay TV character killed off" by BBC News., "CW stop JASON ROTHENBERG", "CW used lgbt fans", and "Bury tropes not us".Someone: Why are you still into that fandom when you don't like that show anymore? - Me: Have a seat, this may take a while..., Tumblr post by dontwantthenextcommanderiwantyou. Archived version.every day in the Clexa fandom since Thursday, Tumblr post by killcommander. Archived version.
Fans were instructed to direct their tweets to Jason Rothenberg, The CW, and The 100's sponsors (see Sponsors and CW Affiliates) during these hashtag campaigns. Although organizers tried to dissuade participants from being rude or threatening,Thursday Twitter Trends, Tumblr post by commanderoswald (archived). the multitude of hate tweets Rothenberg received forced him to abandon his Twitter account for nearly two years.Killing off Lexa: 'Dead Lesbian Syndrome' and intra-fandom management of toxic fan practices in an online queer community, by Guerrero-Pico, Establés and Ventura. Published in the Journal of Audience & Reception Studies (2018). Archived version.
Other fandomsTwo outside fandoms that were noticeably involved were the Fannibals and the Arrow fandom. As a guest on The L Chat explained here: "Hannibal fandom has been posting to elizajanesface and commanderoswald. I think it has to do with BF's tweet showing support [for the movement]. The arrow people are pissed about Laurel." Another guest chimed in here: "Arrow (CW show) because their stupid ass showrunners killed off Laurel in order to prop up Olicity(it's a rival ship, and Laurel's last words were literally about them) and to give Oliver manpain. So their fandom is pissed, and it's not just fangirls but fanboys who were fans of the comics and believe Olicity has ruined the show. Hannibal because their crazy" helped with the Twitter trends and the aforementioned fundraiser, for which one fan expressed the following gratitude:"LGBT Fans Deserve Better" by Choi, Talk Nerdy With Us. March 11, 2016. Archived version.
The relentless Twitter trends caught the attention of mainstream news outlets like BBC News early on, and were a key reason the movement took off in the way that it did.
==== Real World "Trend" ====
As the movement gathered momentum, "Lexa Deserved Better" became the rallying cry for many fans who were then inspired to take it a step further. Pat Shafer explained:
The idea to "trend" the phrase in the real world, not just on Twitter, originated from a Tumblr post made by rin-says on March 10, 2016:Tumblr post by rin-says. Archived version.
Fans graffitied the phrase on outdoor surfaces (or sometimes just held up signs) and shared pictures of their work. The Tumblr blog LexaDeservedBetter-WW compiled over 300 of such pictures that were sent in to them from around the world. Some examples:
Lexa Deserved Better mural.png|'Lexa Deserved Better' spray painted on a wall in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Lexa Deserved Better in Durango, Mexico.jpg|Spray painted on a wall (along with Lexa's war paint) in Durango, Mexico.
Lexa Deserved Better in Paris, France.jpg|Scribbled on a wooden surface in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.
Lexa Deserved Better in Sydney, Australia.jpg|Scribbled on an outdoor post in Sydney, Australia.
File:Lexa Deserved Better in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.jpg|Spray painted on a wall (along with Lexa's war paint) in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Lexa Deserved Better in Tokyo, Japan.jpg|Scribbled on a bench in Tokyo, Japan.
Lexa Deserved Better in Berlin, Germany.jpg|Scribbled on a railing in Berlin, Germany.
Lexa Deserved Better in Vancouver, Canada.jpg|Scribbled on the wall of the underground alley where actress Alycia Debnam-Carey filmed her last scene as Lexa on The 100 in Vancouver, Canada.
==== Blackout ====
The campaign called for a "blackout" of The 100 so as to hurt the show in terms of ratings and social media metrics.Boycott the 1OO on Social Media Masterpost, Tumblr post by barryspivot (archived). Fans were told to stop using the official #The100 hashtag on Twitter and Tumblr so that the show would not benefit from fan engagement. Alternative tags like #theloo and #TheFlopdred were used to discuss the show instead. Fans were asked to stop following The 100 and the CW's official social media accounts. Jason Rothenberg lost 15,000 of his then 121,000 Twitter followers in the four days after Lexa's death.The 100: Why are the fans so angry with show boss Jason Rothenberg? by DigitalSpy.com.
Fans were also encouraged to stop watching The 100 completely. Those who still wanted to watch the show were urged to do so only through illegal streams, and links to illegal streaming sites were shared among fans before each episode.The1OO s4 & Clexa, aka Do NOT watch the1OO live, Tumblr post by anddirtyrain. Archived version. The campaign also urged fans to downvote the show on various platforms such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes."Master Post of: Sites to rate the 1oo down", Tumblr post by squidcoon. Archived version.
One of the organizers explained the reasoning behind the blackout:Comment #61665 by Guest on The L Chat thread "The 100 - Part VI; Maybe someday is now" (page 2056). March 10, 2016. Archived version.
Pat Shafer attributed the show's decline in ratings after Lexa's death to the movement:Outside Campaign Analysis: #LGBTFansDeserveBetter and the Power of Fandom Fervor, by Pat Shafer, Florida State University (2018). Archived version
==== Sponsors and CW Affiliates ====
The campaign targeted sponsors who had advertisements that aired during The 100's commercial breaks. Fans would send these sponsors tweets, emails and/or phone calls urging them to withdraw their support of the show. To make it easy for fans to participate, organizers compiled lists of sponsors and their contact information, and created templates that others could use as reference in their own letter-writing efforts. Companies who marketed to women between the ages of 16-35 and/or were known for their pro-LGBT+ stances were identified by organizers as the campaign's main targets.SPONSORS TO CONTACT: THE 1OO ADVERTISERS LIST and UPDATED LIST OF SPONSORS (FROM EPISODES 312 AND 313) on LGBTViewersDeserveBetter.com (archived); The 1OO Advertisers Masterpost on lgbtviewersdeservebetter-blog.tumblr.com.
From a post on LGBTViewersDeserveBetter.com titled "SPONSORS TO CONTACT":
As a result of the campaign, the following brands announced that they would no longer advertise on the show: Maybelline, Clorox, Target, Dairy Queen, CoStar Group, Fresh Step, and Colgate; while others like Hershey's promised to look into the situation further.#sponsorlist: p1 (comment #14524), p2 (comment #14559), p3 (comment #14281). Posted by Guest(s) on The L Chat thread "The 100 - Part X; Our fight is not over". May 7, 2016. Individual examples: Maybelline, Target, CoStar Group, Dairy Queen, Clorox, Fresh Step, Colgate, Hershey's. However, some of these companies continued to advertise elsewhere on the CW network.Maybelline Downplays Protest Against CW's 'The 100', by Variety.
As one fan recalled years later:
They also targeted The CW's parent companies and partners, as well as affiliated television stations and streaming services that aired The 100.How You Can Help by lgbtviewersdeservebetter-blog. Archived version.[IMPT Email Brigade to Tribune (The CW's Distributor Affiliate)] by lgbtviewersdeservebetter-blog. Archived version. Posts such as the one below were shared around on the movement's various platforms:Comment #18361 by Guest on The L Chat thread "The 100 - Part VII; Maybe someday is now" (page 613). March 14, 2016. Archived version.
=== Long-term Initiatives ===
==== Non-Profit Organization ====
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit all-volunteer organization called LGBT Fans Deserve Better was founded in the spring of 2016. Its stated mission is to "educate people on how harmful negative LGBTQ+ representation in the media can be to our community, as well as advocate for better, more positive representation."
==== ClexaCon ====
In response to Lexa's death and the growing number of queer female character deaths in 2016, Holly Winebarger, Ashley Arnold, and Danielle Jablonski, with the help of the LGBT Fans Deserve Better movement,"Generations, migrations, and the future of fandom's private spaces", by Brianna Dym and Casey Fiesler. Published in Transformative Works and Cultures (2018). started to put together ClexaCon as a multimedia convention for LGBTQ women and allies. ClexaCon was originally conceived as a small fan-run convention for "marginalized groups themselves to speak on what Lexa's death and the Spring Slaughter (though not called that at the con) meant to them and how we can better represent ourselves.""Shining A Light On LGBT+ Representation With The Clexa Project", by The Fandomentals. It grew into a much bigger procon with thousands of attendees after more interest was shown online. The first ClexaCon was held in March 2017 in Las Vegas.
== Responses ==
=== Industry ===
==== The Powers That Be ====
After initial silence, The 100 showrunner Jason Rothenberg issued a lengthy public apology three weeks after Lexa's death, in a blog post titled "The Life and Death of Lexa".'The 100' Showrunner Apologizes for Controversial Character Death, by Variety.'The 100' Creator Pens Apology Over Controversial Season 3 Death, by The Hollywood Reporter.
An excerpt from Rothenberg's apology:
He reiterated his apology at WonderCon a few days later."'The 100' Creator on Lexa Controversy: 'I Would've Done Some Things Differently'", by Variety. March 27, 2016. The CW president Mark Pedowitz acknowledged the fan outcry but said the network stood behind Rothenberg and their belief in "letting showrunners tell their stories.""CW boss addresses The 100 controversies", by Entertainment Weekly. August 11, 2016.
Other members of the show's writing staff also apologized to fans. The 100 producer and writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, who wrote the episode that killed off Lexa, acknowledged and applauded the fan advocacy:
Years later, following the end of The 100, Rothenberg would cite Lexa's death as his biggest regret on the series."'The 100' left fans outraged and in tears. Why they're still as devoted as ever", by Los Angeles Times. September 30, 2020.
==== Others ====
Beyond The 100, many producers, screenwriters and actors in the television industry responded to the movement. Some said the movement helped educate them and their colleagues on the "Bury Your Gays" trope, and the larger issue of harmful LGBTQ representation in media."#TheLexaPledge Could Change the Future of Lesbian and Bisexual Representation on TV", by The Mary Sue. April 26, 2016.
The co-creators of the Lexa Pledge, Noelle Carbone, Sonia Hosko, and Michelle Mama, wrote:"A Pledge to the LGBTQ Fandom" on LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com. Archived version.
In June 2016, the media advocacy organization GLAAD presented a panel on the "Bury Your Gays" trope at the ATX Television Festival; panelists included producers and writers from shows such as Grey's Anatomy and The Originals. At this panel, Carter Covington, showrunner of the LGBT-centered MTV series Faking It, raised concern that the movement could have the unintentional effect of scaring off studios and networks from including LGBTQ characters in their shows.
Said Covington:
A Writers Guild of America panel had also taken place in the previous month, Vox's Caroline Framke reported:"Creators of popular media are becoming increasingly wary of their fans. That's a problem for everyone." by Vox. June 8, 2016. Archived version.
In the face of mounting criticism over the "Bury Your Gays" trope, some showrunners defended their decisions to kill off queer female characters."We Are Not A Part Of That Conversation" on LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com. Archived version. Illene Chaiken, showrunner of Empire, said that she had been following the backlash to other shows "very closely," but insisted that the deaths of two queer female characters, Mimi and Camilla, on Empire did not fall into the "Bury Your Gays" category."'Empire' Showrunner Ilene Chaiken Responds to TV's Lesbian Death Trope", by Variety. In anticipation of backlash, another showrunner, Julie Plec, published a column in Entertainment Weekly in which she spoiled the forthcoming deaths of the lesbian couple Nora and Mary Louise on The Vampire Diaries. According to Plec, she and her writers were unfamiliar with the trope until the uproar over Lexa's death, and she thanked the fan community for starting a dialogue and educating her."Vampire Diaries: Ian Somerhalder blogs 'Days of Future Past'", by Entertainment Weekly.
=== Media ===
==== Mainstream Support ====
The movement was covered extensively by the media, even drawing the attention of international pressExamples of international media coverage include: BBC (UK), The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), The Straits Times (Singapore), El Colombiano (Colombia), Aktuellt (Sweden).. These news outlets were largely sympathetic to the movement and its grievances.
In a 2017 editorial on queer female fandom for the Transformative Works and Cultures, Dr. Eve Ng and Dr. Julie Levin Russo wrote:"Envisioning queer female fandom", by Eve Ng and Julie Levin Russo. Published in Transformative Works and Cultures (2017).
This attention and support from the mainstream media was crucial to legitimizing the movement, as the lesbian media website Autostraddle noted a few weeks after Lexa's death:"Pop Culture Fix: Is Lexa's Death on "The 100" the Beginning of a Lesbian TV Revolution?", by Autostraddle.
==== Dead Lesbian Stats ====
The movement prompted some journalists to investigate the claims of the "Bury Your Gays" trope, specifically with regards to queer female characters. Autostraddle compiled a list of all 212 lesbian and bisexual female characters who died on a television show,"All 212 Dead Lesbian and Bisexual Characters On TV, And How They Died" by Riese, Autostraddle. March 11, 2016. compared to their list of all 29 lesbian and bisexual female characters who got happy endings."All 29 Lesbian and Bisexual TV Characters Who Got Happy Endings" by Heather Hogan, Autostraddle. March 15, 2016. Vox charted all the character deaths of the 2015-2016 television season and concluded:All the TV character deaths of 2015-'16, in one chart, by Vox.
In its annual report on LGBTQ inclusion in television, the media advocacy group GLAAD found that it had been "a very deadly year for queer female characters," particularly lesbian representation which fell by 16%. Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President and CEO, wrote:Where We Are On TV '16-'17, by GLAAD.
==== Lessons to Be Learned ====
Other journalists offered their takeaways from The 100's mishandling of Lexagate.
In a March 14, 2016 article titled "What TV Can Learn From 'The 100' Mess," Maureen Ryan, chief TV critic for Variety, wrote:"What TV Can Learn From 'The 100' Mess" by Maureen Ryan, Variety. March 14, 2016.
Lisa Steinberg offered the following advice in the HuffPost on March 25, 2016:Life After Death, by HuffPost. March 25, 2016.
Syfy Wire's Dany Roth, who felt that Rothenberg's apology "wasn't enough", wrote on March 29, 2016:"Why Jason Rothenberg's Apology Fell Flat With The 100's Fans And The Real Lessons To Learn", by Syfy. March 29, 2016.
=== Bellarke/Other The 100 Fans ===
Many other fans of The 100, particularly those who shipped Bellarke — a popular pairing involved in a ship war with Clexa — either mocked the movement or were upset by the attempts to get the show canceled.jus souda nou don jus, Blood must not have blood. To The Lexa fandom!, Tumblr post by octaviakomskaikrugona.Tumblr posts by perpetualbbps.
In a Tumblr post addressing "The Lexa fandom", a fan pleaded:
Some fans tried to trend counter-hashtags such as "RENEW THE 100" and "CW THANKS FOR THE 100", but these attempts did not gain much traction. A group of Bellarke fans, hoping to counter the negativity surrounding the show, penned a letter to The CW president Mark Pedowitz praising the "diverse representation" on the show.This is the letter that was delivered to Mark Pedowitz when we sent him #The100 themed cookies. #The100Season4 #Bellarke, tweet by @LifeIsBellarke. Archived version.
An excerpt from the letter by Bellarke fans to Pedowitz:
On the other hand, some Bellarke/non-Clexa fans helped the campaign, either by donating to the Leskru WW fundraiser or by joining the Twitter hashtag drives.Tweet by @1nanyca
Examples of donor comments from the Leskru WW fundraiser:
As a whole, the campaign worsened the already vicious Bellarke vs Clexa ship war and further divided The 100 fandom, leading one Bellarke fan to call out the other side:To the bullies, the cowards and the trolls. You lose. #RenewThe100, tweet by @speedmouse. Archived version.
Some Bellarke fans would later blame Lexagate as the reason their ship did not happen:
===Snapchat Filter===
Shortly after Lexagate started, Snapchat released a new filter suspiciously resembling Lexa's war paint which became known as the "Lexa Snapchat filter."elycia + lexa snapchat filter, Tumblr post by barryspivot.Tweet by @DebnamCarey.
== Aftermath and Impact ==
=== Industry ===
The movement resulted in an unprecedented industry-wide conversation about the "Bury Your Gays" trope, though this was not without its limitations. 
Gretchen Jones, Managing Editor of The Fandomentals, wrote in a June 2017 article:
While the movement undeniably raised awareness of harmful LGBT tropes as it had set out to do, it is impossible to determine how much this increased awareness actually affected change in the television industry. With that said, the 2016/17 television season that followed did appear to show significant improvements in purely quantitative terms. Based on data provided by the movement, the LGBT online newspaper PinkNews noted that there was a sharp fall to a four-year low in the number of queer female character deaths on US television in 2016/17. On the CW network in particular, LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com found that the number of queer female character deaths fell from 5 out of 12 in 2015/16The CW Breakdown 2015-2016 on LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com. Archived version. to 0 out of 13 in 2016/17.TV: 2016-2017 Season on LGBTFansDeserveBetter.com. Select Network: The CW, Select between Endgame: All and Endgame: Dead. Archived version.
=== Femslash ===
LGBT Fans Deserve Better brought mainstream visibility to the often-overshadowed femslash fandom. The website io9 ran an article detailing the history of femslash fandom in the wake of outcry over Lexa's death and the "Bury Your Gays" trope, concluding:"The History of Femslash, the Tiny Fandom That's Taking Over the Universe", by io9.
Writing about the movement in an editorial for the Transformative Works and Cultures, Dr. Eve Ng and Dr. Julie Levin Russo noted the "powerful platform" femslash fandom has compared to its slash counterpart:
=== Clexa Fandom ===
Over the next few years, after much of the initial fervor had died down, fans shifted their focus to more long-term initiatives such as ClexaCon and the non-profit organization (NPO). Most of the campaign's websites were no longer being updated by 2018, with only the NPO's LGBTFansDB.com still active. The 100's series finale aired on September 30, 2020, bringing back Alycia Debnam-Carey as "Lexa" — technically a godlike being who takes on the form of Lexa because she is Clarke's greatest love — giving Clexa fans some closure.
Ultimately, the movement created a strong sense of community among Clexa fans, likely contributing to the longevity of the fandom.
The creators of WeDeservedBetter.com explained:"May We Meet Again": Social Bonds, Activities, and Identities in the #Clexa Fandom by Mélanie Bourdaa. Published in A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies (2018). Archived version.
The campaign remains a big source of pride for the Clexa fandom.Someone posted this on twitter and it just makes me so damn proud, Tumblr post by pillowprincesslexa. Archived version.Anyone that's new to Clexakru, welcome to the extra af fandom, Tumblr post by dontwantthenextcommanderiwantyou. Archived version.
Asked why she was still invested in the fandom a year after Lexa's death, a fan wrote:
Two fans, Rachel Ward and Margot van der Bie, founded The Clexa Project to produce an upcoming feature length documentary about the movement titled "Love Me Bait Me".
From TheClexaProject.com:Documentary page on TheClexaProject.com.
== Fanworks ==
Examples of fanworks created in support of the campaign.
=== Fanart ===
* Our Fight Is Just Beginning by PapurrCat for LGBTFansDB.com
* Our Fight Is Not Over by PapurrCat for WeDeservedBetter.com
* LGBT Fans Deserve Better by alyciaswink for LGBTViewersDeserveBetter.com
* LGBT fans deserve better. Lexa deserved better. Our community deserved better. by alyciaswink
* 100K for the Trevor Project by MaryneeLahaye
* We Deserve Better by MaryneeLahaye
* We Deserve Better by queerdellini
* Don't give up. Our fight isn't over. by the100art
=== Vids ===
* LEXA DESERVED BETTER (Thank you fandom!) by rophydoes
* #LexasLegacy At Clexacon 2017 by LGBTFansDB.com
* We Are Lexa's Legacy @ ClexaCon 2018 by LGBTFansDB.com
* #IAmLexa by LGBTViewersDeserveBetter.com
=== Meta ===
* "THE 100: WHY LEXA AND THE FANS DESERVE MORE" by The TV Wrap, published on Tumblr. March 4, 2016.
* "The 100 let down a great character and a vulnerable queer audience" by Steph, published on Medium. March 4, 2016.
* "LGBT Fans Deserve Better" by Choi, published on Talk Nerdy With Us. March 11, 2016.
* "Why The 100's Showrunner Jason Rothenberg's Silence Sparked Backlash From His LGBTQ Fans" by Leah Mythical, published on Screencritics. March 15, 2016.
* "Minority? Entitlement? Bullies? I Think It's Just Called Life-Saving" by Choi, published on Talk Nerdy With Us. March 20, 2016.
* "The life, rise and death of a commander or how The 100 made Lexa the icon of the Dead Lesbian trope" by beyondpopcorn on Tumblr. March 31, 2016.
* "Lexa Still Deserves Better: A Fan-Led Movement Carries On Two Years Later" by Cassidy, published on That's Normal. March 9, 2018.
== Further Reading ==
The LGBT Fans Deserve Better movement has been written about extensively in the media. It is also the subject of much scrutiny in academia.
Below is a selection of additional reading to provide further context and understanding of the movement.
=== Media Commentary ===
* "Why The 100's Showrunner Just Lost 15K Followers, And Why It Matters" by Dany Roth, Syfy. March 7, 2016.
* "An Open Letter To Jason Rothenberg Of The 100" by Kylie, The Fandomentals. March 8, 2016.
* "'The 100', Lexa, And What Happens Next" by Megan Logan, Inverse. March 11, 2016.
* "Here's How 'The 100' Sparked An LGBTQ Revolution" by Jasmine Hu, Buzzfeed. March 18, 2016.
* "Bury Your Gays: Why 'The 100,' 'Walking Dead' Deaths Are Problematic" by Dorothy Snarker, The Hollywood Reporter. March 21, 2016.
* "Queer women have been killed on television for decades. Now The 100's fans are fighting back." by Caroline Framke, Vox. March 25, 2016.
* "Autostraddle's Ultimate Infographic Guide to Dead Lesbian Characters on TV" by Heather Hogan, Autostraddle. March 25, 2016.
* "Why Imaginary Deaths Matter To Real-World Queer Women" by Dorothy Snarker, Women and Hollywood. March 28, 2016.
* "What Led to Lexa: A Look at the History of Media Burying Its Gays" by James McConnaughy, The Mary Sue. March 29, 2016.
* "TV keeps killing off lesbian characters. The fans of one show have revolted." by Bethonie Butler, The Washington Post. April 5, 2016.
* "It's Harder to Kill Off Gay Characters When They're Trending" by Angela Watercutter, Wired. April 14, 2016.
* "More Queer Women Are Being Killed Off On Television Series Than Ever Before — Study" by Liz Calvario, IndieWire. June 1, 2016.
* "'Bury Your Gays': Why Are So Many Lesbian TV Characters Dying Off?" by Alamin Yohannes, NBC News. November 4, 2016.
* "There are more LGBTQ characters on television than ever, but GLAAD says TV 'failed queer women'" by Bethonie Butler, The Washington Post. November 4, 2016.
* "TV Writers Need to Stop Killing Their Gay Characters" by Emma Dibdin, Marie Claire. August 9, 2017.
* "How 'Lexa Deserved Better' Became A Rallying Cry For Positive LGBT Representation" by Sarah Karlan, Buzzfeed. September 21, 2017.
=== Academic Commentary ===
* Killing Off the Lesbians: A Symbolic Annihilation on Film and Television by Millward, Dodd and Fubara-Manuel. Published by McFarland (2017).
* Not another dead lesbian: the Bury Your Gays trope, queer grief, and The 100, honors thesis by Kira Deshler, Whitman College, Washington (2017).
* "Lexa was me": A case study of Clexa fandom grieving by Nanna Dam Petersen and Line Boye Danielsen, Aalborg University, Denmark (2017).
* Bang Bang! I Shot You Down With A Straight Bullet: A Qualitative Study of the Lexa Case and Lesbian Fan Activism Online (in Swedish), honors thesis by Sofie Lundblad, Malmö University, Sweden (2017).
* Bury Your Gays and Social Media Fan Response: Television, LGBTQ Representation, and Communitarian Ethics by Erin B. Waggoner, University of Connecticut. Published in the Journal of Homosexuality (2017).
* Bury Your Gays: History, Usage, and Context by Haley Hulan. Published in the McNair Scholars Journal (2017).
* "May We Meet Again": Social Bonds, Activities, and Identities in the #Clexa Fandom by Mélanie Bourdaa. Published in A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies (2018).
* "We Shouldn't Have to Trend to Make You Listen": Queer Fan Hashtag Campaigns as Production Interventions by Annemarie Navar-Gill and Mel Stanfill. Published in the Journal of Film and Video (2018).
* Toxic regulation: From TV's code of practices to '#Bury Your Gays' by Kelsey Cameron, University of Pittsburgh. Published in the Journal of Audience & Reception Studies (2018).
* Killing off Lexa: 'Dead lesbian syndrome' and intra-fandom management of toxic fan practices in an online queer community by Guerrero-Pico, Establés and Ventura, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. Published in the Journal of Audience & Reception Studies (2018).
* "The 100" and the social contract of social TV by Myles McNutt, Old Dominion University. Published in Transformative Works and Cultures (2018).
* "We Deserve Better": Tumblr Fandoms and the Fan Activists' Fight for Better Representation of Queer Characters on TV by Lea Le Cudennec. Published in Synoptique: An Online Journal of Film and Moving Image Studies (2018).
* 'Perpetuate, Defy, Subvert - An Analysis of 'Burying Your Gays' on Television', honors thesis by Nicola Taghizadeh, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (2018).
* A genealogy of queerbaiting: Legal codes, production codes, 'bury your gays' and 'The 100 mess' by Elizabeth Bridges. Published in The Journal of Fandom Studies (2018).
* « LGBT Fans Deserve Better » : la contre-offensive des fans (in French), chapter 2 of Fan culture: resistance and memetics on social media, PhD thesis by Morgane Brucelle, Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III, France (2018).
==Notes==
==References==
Category:The 100
Category:2016 Events
Category:Activism
Category:Scandals
Category:Queer
Category:2021 Featured Articles