# Queerbaiting Was Woke 1.0, Leave It Behind

> Queerbaiting, a term from Woke 1.0, has passed its sell-by date and should be left behind for bigger issues.
- Title: Queerbaiting Was Woke 1.0, Leave It Behind · Vanity Fair
- Summary: Queerbaiting, a term from Woke 1.0, has passed its sell-by date and should be left behind for bigger issues. Queerbaiting, once a Woke 1.0 issue, is outdated…
- Keywords: queerbaiting, woke 1.0, harry styles, zoe kravitz, jack innanen, adults, queer identity, lgbtq+ community, trans military ban, rode v wade, gender affirming care, us passports
- Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/queer-baiting-woke-essay
- Author: Chris Murphy
- Published: 2026-10-12T19:55:49.362+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: queerbaiting, woke 1.0, harry styles, zoe kravitz, jack innanen, adults, queer identity, lgbtq+ community, trans military ban, rode v wade, gender affirming care, us passports
## Harry Styles in Queer Art Exhibit
A nude photo of Harry Styles is currently on display in a queer art exhibit at London’s National Portrait Gallery.
## Queerbaiting Definition
Queerbaiting describes teasing queer activity without making it manifest, now used for anything upsetting the LGBTQ+ community.
## Jack Innanen's Role
Jack Innanen plays Paul Baker on Adults, a character who dates female and male roommates but identifies as heterosexual.
## Innanen on Queerbaiting
Innanen said queerbaiting involves falsely portraying oneself as queer, but Paul Baker’s fluidity makes queerbaiting unlikely.
## Queerbaiting in Media
The term resurfaces with New York magazine’s sauna spread, King Princess’s comments, and Hannah Einbinder’s Instagram post.
## Queerbaiting's Origins
Queerbaiting emerged in the 2010s as Woke 1.0 focused on redressing historical inequalities.
## Trump's Impact
Trump’s executive orders banned transgender military service, restricted gender-affirming care, and added binary gender markers to passports.
## Current Threats
LGBTQ+ communities face greater threats than queerbaiting, with many losing healthcare due to job insecurity.
## Sexuality Spectrum
Sexuality is a spectrum, not binary, making queerbaiting accusations about actors misleading.
## Who Bears Responsibility
Producers and casting directors, not actors, should be held accountable for queer representation opportunities.
## Action Over Complaint
Queer communities should support trans rights, attend Drag Story Hours, and uplift allies instead of arguing about queerbaiting.
## Queerbaiting's End
Queerbaiting, a Woke 1.0 term, has passed its sell-by date and should be left behind for bigger issues.
## Key takeaway

Queerbaiting, once a Woke 1.0 issue, is outdated as LGBTQ+ communities face greater threats.