Even with more queer representation on screen, characters from film, TV, and even video games are still assumed straight until proven otherwise — so oftentimes it’s still a surprise still when a character reveals same-sex attraction. With this phenomenon in mind, one Redditor recently asked for the best examples of the “unexpected gay” in media.
“My personal example is from the movie Songcatcher, where the protagonist’s sister turns out to be a lesbian,” the user wrote. “I was mostly surprised because it was a period piece and I didn’t think they were going to tackle this issue then.”
Related: Netflix shoots down criticism it features too many gay characters
A commenter on the post mentioned the video game Life Is Strange 2 and its pansexual character Finn. “Really didn’t expect it,” that user wrote. “I just love how it felt natural for him and Sean to kiss, even though it was a choice and you could decide to go with Cassidy instead.”
Another user, meanwhile, mentioned TV show Supernatural and alluded to the same-sex “Destiel” ship that never really sailed. “In the series Supernatural, there is a minor character that hits on one of the main characters,” that user wrote. “This was especially surprising because the series is heavily queerbaiting, trying to appeal to the queer community by hinting at queer relationships with no intention of actually confirming those. … So seeing a male character genuinely hit on another male character was unexpected.”
And in a much shorter comment, another Redditor brought up the title character from the British comedy Fleabag: “It’s very casually revealed that she’s bi.”
Related: Why ‘Days of Our Lives’ axing its gay characters was the worst decision ever
There are far more examples, of course. Stranger Things fans who were rooting for Robin and Steve to get together in Season 3 got thrown for a loop when Robin revealed she was less interested in him and more interested in how he picks up chicks.
Then there’s Dave in Glee, the teen whose homophobia belied his closeted homosexuality until the show’s second season.
And lately, movies, TV shows, and games have been asserting their characters’ placement on the Kinsey scale much more casually. The TV show Titans, for example, revealed Mercy’s queerness by showing her in a car with her wife and kids. Similarly, the pilot Tracer is revealed to have a girlfriend back home in the game Overwatch. And Disney recently made headlines by giving LeFou an “exclusively gay moment” at the end of the movie Beauty and the Beast.
Which “unexpected gay” from film, TV, and gaming surprised you, dear Queerty reader? Let us know in the comments below.
Chipster
A substitute CBS news anchor this morning (CBS News: CBS This Morning on Weds, Dec 30, 2020) revealed that his new year’s goal is to spend more “real” (face2face) time with his partner – who lives on the other coast – and made it clear as well that his partner was a HE!
Also, many Star Trek series “supporting” characters are seen (lately) in non-hetero-normal relationships. Star Trek (as a franchise) has pushed (actually – more accurately displayed) societal gender and race boundaries since the first kiss between Uhura and Kirk in 1968! Even ST Enterprise (ca 2001/2002) had crewmen positing about male/male flirtation (with no judgement) on Risa (the vacation planet) in their first season!
woodroad34
Not to mention Sulu in the re-booted Star Trek having a husband and child.
GLynn11028
Three come to mind for me:
Paranorman – Where the big jock D-Bag older brother was revealed to be gay at the end by telling the hero’s sister, when she tried to ask him out, You’d like my boyfriend he loves romantic movies.”
Bully- The RockStar game about taking over a preppy private school by beating your way to the control of each clique…includes the ability for the main character to kiss, not only the girls, but also one boy of each clique (bullies, jocks, nerds, greasers, preppies) each with their own seduction responses and an acheivement called “Over the Rainbow” when you kiss 50 boys. Add to that, kiss a girl after you kiss one of the boys and they start bitch slapping each other.
Lone Star 911 – It was done quickly, but the reveal that TK Strand was proposing to another man. Plus it lead to Tarlos which is still super hot.
dustashed
Hades— the game by supergiant
JED08
I thought that scene from Stranger Things was a good one when I first saw it, still like it very much.
rikard_pearson
as a boomer i would say every “gay” character is unexpected, at least everyone that is not pathetic, scorned, derided, unredeemable, or evil to the core. i admit to being melodramatic, but our representations were essentially insulting or coded like Brick, Mame and Paul Varjack (all deserving a cinematic remake btw). the fact this conversation is even happening is as momentous as marriage equality.
Morg
in supernatural exactly who hit on a main character? internet isn’t helping with this so have to ask in the comments section.
lessthan
They might be referring to Castiel? The internet grumbled at a scene in the last season when he confessed his love for Dean. I personally feel that the screen writers were going for platonic love, but in this day and age, who even remembers what that is?