Audio dramas are a niche subsection of the greater podcast medium. Though these fictional shows are often produced by independent creators and have relatively small fanbases, they are replete with queer representation that rivals that of the major mainstream media outlets of television and film. I analyzed seven popular audio dramas under four thematic categories, as well as some online posts made by fans of three of the shows.

     The first theme was that of explicit mentions of queer identity — a character clearly stating a queer label for either themselves or another. Interestingly, these mentions centered around characters who are asexual, bisexual, and transgender, and were part of a passing discussion of the character’s identity. Not only are these identities difficult to fully portray in an audio-only medium without clear mention, but they also tend to be marginalized identities in society as well as the queer community. Therefore, the clear inclusion and non-stereotypical handling of these identities is a welcome deviation from the norm, whether that be inter-community and social discrimination or erasure altogether.

     Alongside this theme was the theme of implicit mentions of queerness, when it was implied that a character was queer, usually through the character being in a same-sex relationship or making comments about gender or pronouns. There were no clear or common reasons for why identities were never mentioned; however, two possible reasons were explored. The first, based on academic researcher Shoshana Rosenberg’s concept of “coming in,” is that coming out is not a singular and culminating moment of a person’s journey through their queerness, which is constantly in flux, so an explicit naming of identity to others is not always necessary, possible, or important to identity development. The second reason reflects the anxieties and dangers that come with disclosing one’s queerness publicly.

     The theme of queerness as a storyline was initially meant to focus on narratives in which a character’s identity was a central part of their existence in the show, such as in the “coming out” narrative which is evident in so many mainstream queer stories. However, I found no instance of that, and instead focused on three shows in which a queer relationship was at the root of the show’s plot. In all three storylines, the protagonist’s same-sex partner goes missing due to unseen or supernatural forces, and the protagonist’s love for them drives the protagonist on a search, thus driving forward the plot. Foregrounding the power of queer love and dedication between partners is a refreshing approach not often seen in television and film.

     The final thematic trend was that of general discussions of sexuality. The conversations were categorized under labels of positive, neutral, or negative based on the atmosphere of the conversation as well as the reception. While the vast majority of conversations were either positive or neutral and were all relatively short, there was one negative instance. This was from King Falls AM, in which the main character's sexuality is outed on the radio in a malicious manner. Though he is shown overwhelming support by his best friend immediately after, and by his friends and other community members in the following episodes, Sammy’s ability to disclose that side of himself was taken away from him, and he discusses at length the shame he feels about hiding his sexuality.

     Lastly, I looked at social media posts made by fans of Welcome to Night Vale, King Falls AM, and The Magnus Archives. The posts, collected from Tumblr and Twitter, showed how important visibly queer characters are to fans, especially seeing these characters written in such a positive and normalized light. When considering representation in film and television, many LGBTQ young adults “stated that these portrayals, however flawed, gave them a sense of possibility simply because they were seeing LGBTQ identities depicted” (McInroy and Craig, “Perspectives” 38). In depictions that are much less flawed and one-dimensional, the impact of queer characters is even greater. Some fans pointed out that these characters even helped them in their own queer identity development. The shows also gave fans a core around which they have centered queer communities that they struggle to find elsewhere. 

     Though audio dramas are a small part of a growing medium, they are immensely valuable, not only for academic purposes but for the people who listen to them. As one Tumblr user aptly and humorously puts it, “podcasts are gay culture.” Though blunt, this post points to how podcasts and audio dramas have become a part of “gay culture” for many younger queer people, due in large part to the variety of respectful queer representation they provide that is hard to find in other media forms. It speaks to how many young queer people tend to gravitate toward these shows because of their high amount of quality queer characters.

     Audio dramas and their significance to queer people are something to keep an eye on. With the rise of the podcast medium also comes the increase in both the number and popularity of independently-created audio dramas. The independent aspect of these audio dramas is what seems to set them apart from television and film; without overhead pressure to appeal to the masses in an outdated and heteronormative way, audio dramas are starting to disrupt hierarchies of power that keep queer people at the margins of fictional storytelling. Audio dramas are creating growing communities and setting an example for the healthy variety of queer representation that is possible. In the wake of the failures of traditional media, the most popular among these independent shows are setting a precedent of quality queer characters and narratives that will hopefully be maintained into the future and cause more significant change over time.