THE BLACK GUY DIES FIRST… But Why?
If a black guy doesn't die first (or remarkably early on), then he doesn't die first, end of story. Compare Gay Guy Dies First, Vasquez Always Dies, Disposable Woman, Bury Your Gays, Bury Your Disabled, Slashers Prefer Blondes, and Red Shirt. Contrast Final Girl, an archetype guaranteed to make it to the end. This could be due to a multitude of reasons, but one that sticks out is the fact that gay characters were never in a leading role, making them prime targets for a tragic end. Remember, the Hays Code was introduced in and ended in , which is also coincidentally the end of the Civil Rights Movement.
Bury your gays
"Bury your gays" or "dead lesbian syndrome" is a trope in the media portrayal of LGBTQ people in which queer characters face tragic fates, including death, much more often than straight characters. You bastard! Wait, wrong show! 
Bury your gays
People die in war. If they get killed off immediately, or get killed in a way that it's implied they aren't as important to the story because they are gay, you have a problem. It's similar to the "black guy dies first" and "fridging the girlfriend" tropes. Ira: Snag it and put it in the bucket. Harry: I've seen this movie; the black dude dies first.
What Is the 'Bury Your Gays' Trope? 'Bury Your Gays' Trope
Possible Reasons Behind the ‘Bury Your Gays’ Trope In a similar vein as the ‘ Black Guy Dies First ’ trope, gay characters in older media were often seen as expendable when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Since Autostraddle updated its list of dead lesbian and bisexual characters on TV in March , there have been significant additions, including Villanelle from Killing Eve. Transgender, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, gay, intersex, asexual, aromantic, and queer characters deserve to live. 
The Bury Your Gays Trope, Explained
In horror films, the afflicted main character might have a sassy Black Best Friend that gets killed off to show that this is no laughing matter. 80s horror shows were good at this, and film makers had growing backlash against all the exploitation films. Compare Bury Your Gays as well as Red Shirt. This reflection of once widespread homophobia drew mainstream attention in the s through publicized examples such as the death of the character Lexa in the The television series. The controversy and discussion resulting from these examples led some creators of popular fiction to consciously avoid harmful tropes and present more positive portrayals of LGBTQ characters.
Black Dude Dies First
From early cinema to modern television, we explore the controversial history of LGBTQIA representation in media, focusing on the harmful pattern of killing off queer characters. We'll examine how this trope evolved from censorship laws to contemporary storytelling, and why it continues to impact audiences today. . The Bury Your Gays Trope • Insights • Studio Lutalica
What exactly is the "bury your gays" trope, and why is it so harmful for LGBTQIA+ representation? Here's a breakdown of the trope, its origins, and how fandom is fighting against it. . 5 Examples of the ‘Bury Your Gays’ Trope in TV and Film
Across media, gay or lesbian characters tend to meet unhappy endings such as heartbreak, loss, insanity, depression or imprisonment. In many cases, they end up dying, either through suicide, homophobic attacks, illness or other means. Viewers have called this trope "bury your gays" and "dead lesbian syndrome". [5]. .