Bisexual lighting is the simultaneous use of pink, purple, and bluelighting and is used to representbisexual characters. It has been used instudio lighting for film and television, and has been observed in thecinematography of various films. While not all films, television shows, photographs, and music videos that use this lighting intend to portray bisexuality, manyqueer artists have deliberately used this color palette—which resembles that of thebisexual flag—in their work.
It is reminiscent ofneon lights and is also associated withretrowave.[1]
George Pierpoint ofBBC News writes that some social media users claim bisexual lighting has been used as an "empowering visual device" which counteracts perceived under-representation of bisexuality in the visual media. The colors may be a direct reference to thebisexual pride flag.[2][3] The trend gained traction in theLGBT community in 2017 particularly onsocial media sitesTwitter,Reddit, andPinterest.[4] Sasha Geffen wrote atVulture.com that it had become "solid in its meaning",[5] while Nicky Idika ofPopBuzz wrote that it has now "become an established part of bisexual storytelling in media".[6] And whileThe Daily Dot questioned whether "the aesthetic or the cultural significance [came] first", it too concluded that the idea "has stuck".[7]Pantone selected "Ultra Violet" as the color of 2018 in a move theBBC says reflected the growing use of the scheme.[2]
Amelia Perrin has criticized the trend of using such lighting when bisexual characters appear in television and music videos, arguing inCosmopolitan that this visual image "perpetuates bisexual stereotypes". Perrin argues that this kind of lighting is usually produced by neon lights, which suggest "clubs and dancefloors" to the viewer, and this implies that "bisexual hook-ups and relationships are merely 'experiments', and something that only happens when you're drunk on a night out."[8]
According to Jessica Mason ofThe Mary Sue, the colorpurple—being a combination of multiple pure,spectral colors—has historically been used to represent "royalty and the divine," as well as "magic, aliens and the unknown."[9] YouTuberKyle Kallgren notes that the blue, purple, and magenta colours do not appear in nature, and had become cinematic shorthand for the unnatural.[1] Film lecturer Lara Thompson saw the neon shades of pink and blue as part of a nostalgic trend for 1980s and 1990s aesthetics in media of the late 2010s.[2]
According toBOWIE Creators, the concept of bisexual lighting was invented in 2014 by aTumblr fan ofSherlock who believed that the lighting was being used to signal thatDr. Watson was bisexual and would eventually be in a romantic relationship withSherlock Holmes.[10] This brief suggestion of bisexual lighting had no direct impact on other shows, movies, or music videos containing it, but it did put the idea into the world that bisexual themes could be expressed via this color scheme.[10] Around 2017, left-wing YouTubers such asContraPoints (who identified as bisexual at the time) began to light their videos with pink, purple, and blue neon lights.[10] The use of bisexual lighting became a popular meme in 2018, with multiple Twitter threads showcasing instances of the lighting scheme going viral, as well as photographs of animals in bisexual lighting being shared widely on social media.[2][11]
Bisexual lighting appears across mediums, often in scenes featuring bisexual characters or referencing bisexuality. The filmsThe Neon Demon,Atomic Blonde, andBlack Panther all feature the use of blue, pink, and purple lighting. Similarly, the award-winningBlack Mirror episode "San Junipero", as well as episodes fromBlumhouse holiday horror anthologyInto the Dark, including "I'm Just F*cking with You", "Midnight Kiss", and "My Valentine" made use of the visual aesthetic.[12][13][1] Later, the television seriesRiverdale,Moonbeam City,The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,Voltron: Legendary Defender, andThe Owl House, as well as the 2020 filmBirds of Prey, were also stated to be using it.[14][15][16] The third episode ofLoki, "Lamentis", features this lighting in a scene where thetitle character discloses his bisexuality.[17][1] The video gameUltrakill features bisexual lighting across its representation of thesecond circle of hell.
Bisexual lighting also features in themusic videos ofJanelle Monáe's "Make Me Feel,"Demi Lovato's "Cool for the Summer,"[8] andAriana Grande's "7 Rings."[18] The term was used to describe the "electric blue and magenta pink lights" that flash during Harry Styles' song "Medicine" when he plays it on tour[19] and inLil Nas X's music video for "Panini".[20]Cosmopolitan noted that some ofTaylor Swift's fans cited the color palette's presence on her album cover forLover as evidence for their long-refuted fan theories that she is bisexual and at one point datedKarlie Kloss.[21]jimin fromBTS went viral in 2022 for his self-produced photofolio under this concept.
Lara Thompson, a lecturer of film atMiddlesex University, has argued that bisexual lighting is not well-known, stating: "I would have to see more examples before I see bisexual lighting as a wholly convincing phenomenon".[2] According to Lillian Hochwender writing inPolygon, "Bi lighting often feels ubiquitous, even when there isn't a hint of bisexuality in sight [...] These are the colors of magic in fantasy, alien landscapes in sci-fi, and the neon lighting ofcyberpunk settings and nightclubs. Thus, while Twitter users and media critics have noted bi lighting inJohn Wick 3,Blade Runner 2049,Color Out of Space,Orphan: First Kill,Bingo Hell,Men in Black: International,Bullet Train andSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, there's often a less gay logic for doing so."[1]
The use of bisexual lighting became a popular meme in 2018, with multiple Twitter threads showcasing instances of the lighting scheme going viral, as well as photographs of animals in bisexual lighting being shared widely on social media.[2][11] In 2022, bisexual lighting was noticed inNetflix'sHeartstopper[22][23] andHBO'sEmmy Award-winningEuphoria.[24] The 2022 bisexualleather film,Please Baby Please, employed bisexual lighting throughout the entire film.[25]
