Tricia Miller - A Buried Gay

Character: Tricia Miller

TV Show: Orange Is The New Black

Cause of Death: Drug overdose

Tricia was the first lesbian death I encountered. As a young seventh grader discovering her sexuality, watching the death of a teenage girl trying to right the wrongs she committed after becoming an addict had a significant impact on me.

Her death was supposed to serve as an important part of the plot, to show that Officer Mendez was a bad person who would risk the life of an inmate for his business. However, he had already shown this with his treatment of all the inmates and refusal to let Tricia quit using drugs because of her debt to him.

When Mendez was fired, it's wasn't for causing the death of a 19-year-old girl through abuse of power and prisoner neglect. He's fired for a sexual assault he was framed for, allowing him to gain a somewhat sympathetic angle. Not only does this mean there is never justice for Tricia, but her killer is allowed to return to work a few months later when it's discovered that the sexual assault claims were false. 

I don't hold a grudge against Orange Is The New Black, as it's a well written show and featured several lesbian relationships prominently throughout the seasons. However, it serves as a reminder that no show is exempt from this trope and very few shows have good enough representation to justify doing it.