People Are Really Accusing Jonathan Bailey of ‘Straight-Baiting’ – But is it a Thing?

Jonathan Bailey, the Bridgerton actor and People's 2025 Sexiest Man Alive, has found himself at the center of a polarizing online debate—one that spotlights the lingering inability of many to comprehend openly gay male celebrities in lead romantic roles.

via: Pink News

Here’s one we didn’t have on our 2025 bingo card – people accusing Jonathan Bailey of ‘straight-baiting’. Someone’s even said he’s “the first ever straight-baiter”.

The question is, is it even a thing? The short answer is sort of, and this isn’t the first time it’s come up. It’s been discussed before on social media also becoming the subject of Reddit forums and magazine articles.

Essentially what it refers to is someone or something presenting as straight but in reality is not. It’s the exact opposite of ‘queer-baiting’, where someone or something presents as being queer without actually identifying as such.

In 2018, people said Brokeback Mountain was an example of ‘straight-baiting’ as its advertising used the film’s mixed-gendered couples in its marketing. This appeared to have lured numerous people in who probably wouldn’t have gone to a gay film had they known that was at the its core.

People highlight that the same tactic has also been used in marketing for Call Me By Your Name and Black Sails.

On X/Twitter on Wednesday (10 December) someone shared an image of Bailey from his recent shoot with Cynthia Erivo for Wonderland. “He’s the first ever straight-baiter,” the person wrote alongside the image.

That incited a range of responses with many people deeming the accusation “crazy.” Someone else said: “I fear we’re losing the ancient texts,” while another X/Twitter user added: “We are losing the plot.”

Others pointed to Ricky Martin being “the first ever straight-baiter”. And while the person behind the original post later said “it’s a JOKE”, it definitely started a conversation.

“Jonathan Bae Bailey isn’t straight-baiting us. He’s just being his beautiful, thoughtful, loving, handsome self. It’s not his fault he makes me want to **throws phone**,” wrote one person.

We can understand why, in the context of Bailey, the accusation of ‘straight-baiting’ could be levied against him.

The actor was already known to UK audiences before Bridgerton, but the Netflix series catapulted him to worldwide fame.

In it he plays Viscount Anthony Bridgerton and drove audiences mad with thirst from season one thanks to his frequent sex and bath scenes. His general moody demeanour also drew people in like moths to a flame.

Since then Bailey has taken on a number roles, gay and straight, such as Timothy ‘Skippy’ Laughlin in Fellow Travelers and Dr Henry Loomis in Jurassic World: Rebirth.

The former featured Bailey in a number of steamy and kinky gay sex scenes with Matt Bomer. Meanwhile, the Company star elevated his sex-symbol status with his “slutty little glasses” for the latter.

And then there’s his role as Prince Fiyero in the Wicked films, again appealing to both gays and straights.

But people even joking about ‘straight-baiting’ highlights why it’s problematic.

Just like ‘queerbaiting’ it seems predicated on anachronistic ideas of what a gay man looks and sounds like.

For ages, depictions of gay men in the media relied on stereotypes such as Jack in Will & Grace, Cam in Modern Family, and Kurt in Glee – gay men had to be flamboyant, snippy, often into musical theatre, and usually brightly dressed.

But things have progressed. Not only have gay roles become more varied and 3D, but a gay actor has become successful playing a multitude of roles, gay and straight.

Bailey is also someone who does not fit into people’s old fashioned ideas of a queer man. And he’s not the only one. There’s Andrew Scott, Bomer, Kit Connor, Colman Domingo, and more!

So, is ‘straight-baiting’ a thing? Arguably if we’re going to consider ‘queer-baiting’ a thing we should do the same with ‘straight-baiting’. Though, one is far more problematic than the other.