I think there’s definitely a line to walk here for traditionally oppressed minorities. Depicting pain can be stereotypical and limiting.

But not depicting pain risks presenting a pop-culture message that can be misleading or even counterproductive.

I can only directly speak about LGBTQ art and culture, in which popular media gatekeepers strongly discourage projects that feature negative experiences.

Presenting positive stories of course is a wonderful thing, because it shows people that LGBTQ folks are three dimensional, ordinary, and relatable.

On the other hand, not depicting ordinary stories of pain and suffering, which are very common lived truths for many LGBTQ people, risks giving the general public a misleading idea of the state of equality.

Finding balance may not be easy, but walking that line is important, or at least I think it is.