In recent years, representation in advertising of the LGBTQ+ community has increased, but there is still a long way to go until true inclusiveness is achieved. Common mistakes made by advertisers include pulling on heartstrings, using heteronormative ideals and oversexualisation.

Why it matters

Making LGBT relationships heteronormative seems to be one of the most common mistakes, where, for example, in an advert which calls for a family setting, a heterosexual couple are simply replaced with a gay or lesbian couple (and very rarely a trans person) and then it is deemed to be representative.

However, creating content that shows heteronormative...