Authenticity vs Commerciality: Queerness in Musicals

As LGBTQ+ representation becomes more mainstream, there has been an increase in queer representation in Broadway musicals. Representation is an important way for a society to understand a marginalized community. Thus, the representation must be authentic and accurate or it could be harmful. However, authentic representation is hindered by the desire of Broadway producers to sanitize queer stories that appeal to a general audience. There is a belief that one must sacrifice accuracy for a show to be commercially successful. This attitude, and its fallacy, are displayed when comparing the shortcomings of representation in the Broadway musicals La Cage Aux Folles and Rent with the advancing representation in the Broadway musicals Fun Home and A Strange Loop.