Lesbian Reality Show ‘Tampa Baes’ Has Viewers Divided

When it was first announced that a lesbian reality show would be hitting Amazon Prime this year, the woman-loving-woman community rejoiced! Finally, a departure from the hetero-saturated world of reality television! But then the cast pictures were released … and let’s just say they left us with something to be desired.

Tampa Baes, the eight-episode, unscripted series will debut on the streaming platform this fall, starring a “young lesbian ‘it-crowd’ navigating and celebrating life in Tampa Bay—Florida’s LGBTQ+ hub and the place to see and be seen.” The group of friends (who are sometimes more than friends, wink-wink) say they are “always ready for an adventure or a good party.” The show won’t be entirely lesbians-gone-wild-esque beach parties though—it also promises more serious conversations around the ladies’ identities as queer women, and the stereotypes they face.

the way I’m excited for tampa baes , gimme the gay corny drama

— anissa (@AnissaLoAvalos) July 21, 2021

“Working on this show has been an incredible experience, and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m thrilled this type of series can exist in the premium streaming space,” says the series show runner, Melissa Bidwell, in a statement. “The cast is truly dynamic, refreshing, and unlike any I’ve worked with—they certainly won’t disappoint! Viewers everywhere will be able to relate to them in one way or another.”

Well … it’s clear that many people do not share Bidwell’s sentiments.

While the show is undoubtedly groundbreaking, being the first of its kind, there’s growing disappointment over the series lack of gender, body, and color diversity. People quickly pointed out the startling absence of any dark-skinned people from the class, accusing the casting team of employing the “paper bag test”—a colorist discriminatory practice that compares people’s skin tones to that of a brown paper bag.

TikToker @unikue posted a video criticizing the dark skin erasure, saying “For you to say Tampa … if it was Boston Baes and the cast was looking like that, alright I can see it. Vermont Baes? I can see it. Tampa? You’re telling me you couldn’t find one Black or Brown person in TAMPA, FLORIDA?”

This is exactly how I feel about the “Tampa Baes” show…this is extremely disappointing but not surprising pic.twitter.com/Vc1CMlndCH

— Nah Knee (@nanimill21) July 22, 2021

He also noted the overwhelming support for the show by white members of the LGBTQ community—very few of whom have spoken out about the lack of representation. “When Black and Brown queer people say white queer people go to extreme lengths to erase Black and Brown queer people from media, we get gaslit,” he explains.

@MaryEmilyOHara on Twitter seconded Unikue’s thoughts, writing: “The stark difference on my timeline between white queers saying they’re excited to watch Tampa Baes and black queers saying excuse me what TF is this.”

Fed up Twitter user @CampbellX also chimed in, “This is what pandering to the cishet patriarchal capitalist gaze looks like when representing queer women.”

This is what pandering to the cishet patriarchal capitalist gaze looks like when representing queer women. Everyone gotta pass the paper bag test, no masc women, no big women, no disabled women, no dark-skinned women, no trans women, no GNC women. 🙄

— Campbell X (@CampbellX) July 23, 2021

The cast of predominantly femme-presenting, cisgender women includes Ali Myers, Nelly Ramirez, Shiva Pishdad, Jordan Whitley, Marissa Gialousis, Summer Mitchell, Cuppie Bragg, Brianna Murphy, Haley Grable, Melanie Posner, Olivia Mullins, and Mack McKenzie.

Following the official announcement of Tampa Baes, many of the cast members celebrated the show online. “Secrets out! So incredibly excited to be apart of this opportunity and cast! Coming this fall 😉 #tampabaes,” Ramirez captioned her post, while Myers wrote, “Ayeeee!!! So pumped to be a part of the new @amazonprimevideo series releasing this fall! Let’s gooooooo ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥.”

So far, none of the cast mates or show staff have responded to the criticism.

When I said I wanted a wlw themed reality show, Tampa Baes WAS NOT what I had in mind 🥴

— Victoria Hughes' #1 fan (she/her) (@fuqtheocrain) July 22, 2021

Any other time I’d be happy we get to be able to have a lesbian reality show but like… yall just literally don’t like trans and dark skin gays.

— chy (@chynadeveroux) July 27, 2021

Prime Video tried to give us a lesbian reality show and thought we wouldn't notice the lack of dark-skinned women? Wow.

With streaming apps, I've long referred to Prime Video as the white one. Their catalog is almost entirely shows with all-white casts.https://t.co/FTp6LEdFd0

— Ari #BlackTransLivesMatter 🇵🇷 (@Edanry) July 22, 2021