It’s only been two days and Love Island is already fetishising lesbians

For a show that’s called queer Islanders a ‘logistical difficulty’, it has no problem showing boys drooling over two girls kissing

2 years ago

Izzy Schifano

Love Island 2022
UK

Love Island started up again this week, and with it came floods of memes, Iain Stirling’s lame voiceover, and, as the girls put it, boys in “ugly trunks”. But it’s also brought two very gross instances of girls being fetishised for kissing other girls. Let me repeat that: It’s already happened twice. In two days.

Considering that last year Love Island producers said including queer contestants presents would be a “logistical difficulty”, and ITV boss Kevin Lygo said that including queer people in Love Island “wouldn’t be suitable for the show”, this series it certainly has no problem with letting boys drool all over girls who kiss other girls – and it’s grim.

oh the fetishisation of lesbians by straight men #loveisland

— katrina 🌙🪐 (@katrina_acock) June 7, 2022

At the end of the first episode, the Islanders played a game of “dares” to break the ice, picking cards out of a box. Amber got one that told her to give her best chat up line “to the girl you fancy the most”. Luca said “you can’t do that”, and she asked why, to which he just said: “Oh”. Then Amber turned to Tasha, saying “Tash, fancy giving us a tash?”, and the two pecked. The boys may as well have actually drooled, staring with mouths wide open.

Episode one

Then in last night’s episode, Islanders did a challenge where they found out each other’s “baggage”, and one of these saw the boys having to guess which girl has kissed “10 other girls”. Again the boys were shocked and seemed almost gleeful when they heard this, then it was revealed the girl was Paige. “Just send me the pictures”, Luca said later in the episode when the boys were talking about it.

Episode two

I’m not saying kissing people is ever an issue, kiss whoever you like – the problem is the boys’ reactions and the way they were shown. Women should be allowed to kiss each other without being fetishised. I, like other lesbians and women who date other women, am downright sick and tired of constantly being sexualised by men. It happens walking down the street, in the supermarket and on the bus, and being too afraid to show any affection to your partner is the worst feeling – but watching it play out on national TV in front of millions of people is a whole different ballgame. Our sexuality is not your porn category.

It’s not just the male Love Island contestants sexualising female contestants kissing in front of them and fetishising even the idea that girls can kiss other girls – their reactions are being broadcast to the nation, and now people on social media are doing it too. One user tweeted about Paige having kissed 10 women, saying “sign me up 😂”. It’s gross.

Look, despite what Daily Mail readers might want you to think, we all know Love Island isn’t very woke. Like at all. But for lesbians to be fetishised in literally 100 per cent of the series so far – twice in the first two episodes – has just left a bad taste in my mouth, and LGBTQ+ viewers deserve to be pissed off about it.

Love Island 2022 continues on ITV2 at 9pm tonight. For all the latest Love Island news and gossip and for the best memes and quizzes, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook.