Note: I wrote this a while ago for an article on another website, so Leo from Earth X is not mentioned. I'll ask that you ignore this fact, as we're talking more about the main characters rather than the side characters anyway. Also, ignore that it's in italics. I'm too lazy to fix it. 

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The CW's arrowverse has become a rather popular franchise over the years. All around the world viewers enjoy the shows connecting the large universe - Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow. However, there are a few issues regarding the representation of the LGBT + characters.

Now, I believe the actors bring out their characters well, and the characters are great representations in themselves…. But it's not enough to simply have them there. They need to have happy, healthy relationships the way the straight characters do. They need to overcome the challenges that life throws at them.

All the LGBT + characters seem to be suffering more than necessary. Sara Lance from Legends of Tomorrow is only able to have affairs with other women and men. (Now, there is nothing wrong with that. If she is happy doing that then why should she not be able to have sex with whoever she wants? My problem with this is that I'm not sure she is very happy doing this. She deserves so much more.)

Curtis Holt from Arrow was in a happy relationship with his husband Paul before he made the crude decision to divorce Curtis. If you have seen any of the recent episodes of Arrow, then you would have noticed how torn up Curtis was about the whole thing. He gives a very depressing speech at Oliver and Felicity’s wedding reception. He goes home drunk with Rene. Curtis is a loveable dork, who deserves someone to love and support him, even as he is put in dangerous situations being Mr. Terrific.

Alex Danvers from Supergirl was so ready to marry her girlfriend Maggie before they were forced to break up over a difference of opinions on having children. After the breakup, Alex was very distressed.

Yet, all the straight characters on the show, while they do have their fair share of issues, are able to live happily with their loved ones. Barry marries Iris. Oliver marries Felicity. Cisco is in a fairly decent relationship with Gypsy. Sure, there are single straight characters, such as Caitlin and Wally. But the issue lies in the fact that none of the LGBT + characters have any sort of relationship at the moment. Admittedly, I don't know if CW plans to give these characters relationships in the future, but as of right now it is my opinion that this sends a very bad message to the LGBT + community. While it may not be intentional, it is saying that anyone who is gay or Bisexual is not good enough for a proper relationship. It is saying that we in the LGBT + community are merely good for sex. Nothing else.

Which is not the case. LGBT + people have the right to know this. They have to right to have a representation of what a good, healthy relationship might look like for them on tv.

Another issue is that there aren't any characters that fall under the transgender umbrella. At all.

One of my friends made the argument that the reason for this was simply because the comic books had next to no LGBT + characters in them.

In the comic books, Wally and Iris West are depicted as white characters, yet in the cw, they are portrayed by black actors. By this logic, black actors should not be allowed to play these characters...which fortunately is not the case. Cw has no issues with casting Candice Patton and Keiyan Lonsdale as Wally and Iris.

Anyone who has seen Arrow would know that the CW does not strictly follow the comic books anyway. So, if they can change the race of a character, why should they not be able to change the sexuality or gender identity of a character as well?

(I for one would love to see transgender Caitlin.)

If nothing else, CW could make original characters of their own to represent the LGBT + community.

Having a character representing you and everything you stand for can be a very powerful thing. Before Maggie and Alex broke up I had hope that one day I myself would be able to find true love, work through every problem life throws our way. However, when the two broke up my dreams were crushed. I began to question whether or not true love was even real. And if it was, would I be able to have kids, even if my spouse didn't want to? Would I have to break up with her? I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who's spirited were deeply crushed by this breakup.

I first began questioning CW's opinions towards the LGBT + community, when Curtis and Paul got divorced. Now, of course, both straight and gay couples have breakups all the time, but this was the start of some very questionable actions for CW. I began noticing just how unhappy all the LGBT + characters were compared to the straight characters on the show, how none of them were in a decent relationship that lasted for more than a season or two. Again, both gay and straight couples break up all the time, but this goes back to the representation thing I was talking about. The people of the LGBT + community need to have hope. They need to know it's okay to be who they are, and they need something to make them believe they can have marriage, kids, happiness, etc, should they wish to seek it out.

As tv is one of the most influential things in today's society, the best way to show them this is through television programs, such as the Arrowverse. In having such poor representation of the LGBT +community, this can be mistaken as very homophobic/transphobic and discriminative.

For example, Sara is portrayed as a bimbo, constantly bouncing around from guy to girl. She sleeps or flirts with just about every girl she sees on Legends of Tomorrow. When she was on Arrow, Sara was running around, kissing Oliver, when she was supposed to be with Nyssa. Nyssa Al Ghul is also an LGBT + character with bad representation. She is portrayed as a psychopathic stalker with homicidal tendencies, as she kidnaps Sara's family and follows the other woman around like a lost puppy. She tries to force Sara to come back to Nanda Parbat, even when she clearly stated she didn't want to go. This makes both the characters appear as though they are horrible people, and - by extension - that all LGBT + people are horrible people.

I do not believe that CW is doing this on purpose. I don't think they have intentionally made any homophobic/transphobic gestures. I am simply implying that they aren't paying enough attention to the messages they are sending out to the LGBT + community. I think they should slow down with the drama and add just a few more happy endings for their LGBT + characters.