Why You Should Never Use Straight Models to Portray LGBTQ+ Couples in Styled Shoots
- Steff & Ells
- Oct 8
- 4 min read
Why You Shouldn’t Use Straight Models in LGBTQ+ Shoots
Representation matters - and in the wedding industry, it matters a lot.
Styled shoots are meant to be a celebration of creativity, inclusivity, and inspiration. They’re a chance for suppliers to show couples what’s possible; the vibe, the styling, the emotions, and the story. But when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation, there’s a crucial line that should never be crossed: using straight models in LGBTQ+ shoots.
At first glance, it might seem harmless - “we just wanted to show a same-sex pairing.” But the impact runs far deeper. Here’s why it’s not just problematic, but actively harmful.
1. It Erases Real Queer Representation
When straight models are used to act out queer love, it replaces genuine visibility with performance. Queer couples already struggle to see themselves authentically represented in wedding media. Substituting them with straight people continues that erasure and tells real LGBTQ+ couples that their love isn’t “marketable” enough.
True representation means real people, real stories, and real love.
2. It Turns Queerness into a Trend
Using straight models because they “look queer” or fit an aesthetic reduces identity to a vibe. That’s tokenism - using queerness as a design choice rather than a lived experience. It commodifies identity for social media engagement or brand perception instead of genuinely uplifting LGBTQ+ people.
3. It Takes Opportunities Away from LGBTQ+ Talent
Every styled shoot is an opportunity, for exposure, for collaboration, for paid work. When those roles go to straight models, queer people lose out on representation and income. It’s simple: if you’re creating queer content, queer people should be the ones at the heart of it.
4. It Misleads Queer Couples Looking for Inclusive Suppliers
Representation doesn’t just look nice, it’s how couples decide who they can trust.When straight models are posed as queer couples, it gives the impression that a supplier understands LGBTQ+ clients or has experience working with them - when they might not. That’s false advertising. For a community that already has to vet suppliers for safety and inclusivity, this can lead to deeply uncomfortable or even unsafe experiences.
5. It Reinforces Stereotypes and Fetishisation
Straight people playing queer often fall back on stereotypes such as forced chemistry, exaggerated PDA, or overly gendered dynamics. It can feel voyeuristic or fetishised, turning queer intimacy into a spectacle instead of an authentic connection.Real LGBTQ+ couples bring something that can’t be staged: the subtle body language, comfort, and chemistry that comes from lived experience.
6. It Undermines the Whole Point of “Inclusive” Shoots
If your intention is to showcase inclusivity, using straight models contradicts your entire message. It tells your audience that queerness is a checkbox, not a community.Inclusivity isn’t about ticking diversity boxes - it’s about reflecting real love stories and making space for those who’ve historically been excluded.
7. It’s Misleading Marketing
Portraying straight models as queer couples is, at its core, false representation.Authenticity builds trust - and today’s couples are quick to spot performative allyship. Using straight models damages that trust and harms your reputation far more than taking the time to cast LGBTQ+ people would.
8. It Invalidates Lived Queer Emotion
Queer love isn’t just who you kiss; it’s shaped by resilience, community, and self-discovery. Real queer couples bring that to their images. When straight people perform it, that depth is missing. The result? Photos that may look inclusive but feel emotionally flat.
9. It Shows a Lack of Education
If a team chooses straight models to represent queer love, it’s often because they don’t fully understand why this matters. It’s a sign that more inclusivity education is needed. Real allyship means doing the work, not just the aesthetics.
10. It Misses a Chance to Do Something Beautifully Authentic
Styled shoots have the power to make people feel seen, validated, and celebrated. Working with real LGBTQ+ couples or models turns your shoot into something meaningful - something that can inspire real change in the industry. It builds trust, community, and genuine representation.
11. It Centres Straight Comfort Over Queer Truth
Sometimes straight models are chosen because organisers worry about backlash for showing visibly queer love. But sanitising queerness for mainstream comfort just keeps heteronormativity in power. True inclusion will always ruffle a few feathers, and that’s okay.
12. Real Representation Changes Lives
For many queer people, seeing themselves in wedding imagery can be life-changing. It says, your love belongs here.That’s the kind of power styled shoots have and it’s too important to waste on false representation.
So, What Should You Do Instead?
Work with real LGBTQ+ couples or queer models.
Pay them fairly for their time.
Collaborate with queer creatives behind the scenes too - photographers, florists, stylists, planners.
Be transparent about your intentions and your casting.
Use your platform to uplift real love stories, not just aesthetics.
Styled shoots should be about creativity rooted in truth, not performance. When you choose authenticity, you’re not just creating pretty pictures. You’re helping rewrite the wedding industry’s narrative to be one where everyone can see themselves celebrated.
Because queer love isn’t a trend. It’s real, it’s beautiful, and it deserves to be represented by the people who live it every single day.
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