In 2021, many creators are making greater efforts toward incorporating a diverse cast of characters in their storytelling. This includes more diverse representations of age, size, race, gender, sexuality, and ability. This paper examines queer narratives in film through the lens of speech act theory, feminist theory, queer theory, and the narrative paradigm with the goal of understanding the ways in which the straight and/or male gaze influence representations of coming out and queer women to cater to mainstream audiences. This paper seeks to use that understanding to re-imagine the future of queer narratives in a more robust, complex, and joyful way