Bachelor In Paradise: Why Demi & Tia’s Colton Mocking Is Wrong

Fans are tuning in to watch Bachelor In Paradise season 7 to catch up on all the romance, the drama, and the intrigue, but Demi Burnett’s recent comments about Colton Underwood being gay are being perceived as negative LGBTQ+ representation. Although Demi’s queer storyline on Bachelor In Paradise season 6 was revolutionary for the series, her recent comments about gay The Bachelor star Colton Underwood are exposing some of the reality show’s flaws. Here’s why Demi’s mocking comments about Colton’s sexuality can be considered offensive and should not have space on Bachelor In Paradise season 7.

As is the case for most LGBTQ+ people, Colton’s journey toward owning his identity as a gay man was a long and harrowing one. As Bachelor fans know well, Colton’s rise to fame and success was based on a TV show demonstrating his romantic interest in women. Colton was first introduced to the world of reality TV on The Bachelorette season 14. Colton was a fan-favorite in Becca Kufrin’s season, which landed him a role on Bachelor in Paradise season 5. There, Colton had a brief relationship with Tia Booth that ended before the season concluded. Colton then went on to star as the leading man on The Bachelor season 23, where Demi competed for his love. In April 2021, Colton came out as gay to Bachelor Nation during an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America.

Even though Colton didn’t have the opportunity to be openly gay on The Bachelor, his presence in the franchise is validation enough for the queer audiences who are eager to see themselves represented on the show. However, it seems like not every Bachelor alum recognizes the significance of Colton’s journey. In a recent episode of Bachelor In Paradise, contestant Demi made a dig at her competitor Tia at the expense of Colton’s gay identity. When Tia set her sights on Demi’s current love interest, Kenny Braasch, Demi had choice words for her competitor. Mocking Tia’s past relationship with Colton, Demi scoffed, “The only thing worse than Tia’s gaydar is her denim shorts.” Demi’s comments are insensitive as they undermine the experience Colton underwent suppressing his sexuality and make light of how meaningful Colton’s gay identity is to The Bachelor‘s queer fanbase.

Since he came out, Colton has largely received support from his co-stars and fans. Colton even scored an unscripted series of his own at Netflix shortly after he announced his gay identity. Recently, Colton announced that he’s in a relationship with his new boyfriend, Jordan C. Brown. Colton’s coming out meant a great deal to LGBTQ+ fans of The Bachelor, a show that is not known for its inclusive casting. For just about 2 decades, The Bachelor franchise has pushed back on diversifying the perspectives of its stars. For instance, it wasn’t until 2017 that The Bachelorette featured its first Black bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay. Since her season, Rachel has continued to distance herself from the reality dating series and call out the show for its intolerant casting. Unfortunately, the cast of Bachelor In Paradise continues the series’ trend of featuring problematic statements.

Regrettably, The Bachelor universe still has a long way to go before the franchise boasts an inclusive cast that uplifts LGBTQ+ audiences. Demi’s mocking comments about Colton’s gay identity are wrong as they discredit the work he’s recently done to make The Bachelor a more queer-friendly space. Hopefully, Bachelor In Paradise will cast more LGBTQ+ stars to offset their problematic past and present.

About The Author

Christopher Davis
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Christopher Davis is a freelance reality TV writer for Screen Rant. Since his graduation from Emerson College with a degree in visual and media arts back in 2019, Christopher has pursued the ever-evolving field of entertainment journalism. In his free time, Christopher loves to write, rewatch old seasons of RHONY, and work on his death drop.

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