Netflix has developed an impressively deep catalog of original queer content, from Sense8 to Alex Strangelove. Now the streaming giant has gayed up an old classic as well.
Season two of Anne with an E, which is based on Lucy Maude Montgomery’s 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables, cleverly reworks the story to feature five LGBTQ characters.
That includes portraying one of the main roles, Great Aunt Josephine Barry, as a lesbian.
Series creator Moira Walley-Beckett is responsible for the changes and told IndieWire:
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“Upon reading [the novel] again as an adult, I was wondering about Aunt Jo. In the book, she’s a spinster and she’s just a bit of a curmudgeon, and that’s kind of it. So, I’m like, ‘Well, she coming to the Barrys for a month and she’s grieving’ – that’s why I decided to justify why she’s there: Who is she grieving?”
IndieWire’s Hanh Nguyen delved deeper:
“That answer came in Season 1, when the wealthy Aunt Jo revealed that she was mourning the loss of the person whom young Diana Barry (Dalila Bela) thought of as Aunt Gertrude – Josephine’s partner. Although the term didn’t exist at the time, their relationship was a ‘Boston marriage’ – the cohabitation of two women independent of financial support from a man. While the Barrys merely saw this as a friendship, Josephine and Gertrude were in truth a lesbian couple.”
Walley-Beckett jumped at the opportunity to explore the so-called “Boston marriage”:
“It seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to dive into the reality of a Boston marriage that was secret – as it would have been at that time. And so, we touch on that in Season 1, and in Season 2, we get to expand upon it in a way that allows her to provide a forum of acceptance and safe haven for Cole and the other people in her community.”
And as CBN News reports, Aunt Barry is just the first of many queer roles to be written into the series — Anne’s friend Cole, for instance, has been reimagined as gay.
“It would only make sense that there would be somebody in the class who was struggling with identity,” Walley-Beckett said. “It was just unimaginably difficult to do so, especially during that timeframe where it was illegal to be a homosexual, punishable by imprisonment and a death sentence – and punishable in Canada until [1969]. I was very keen to include a storyline like that.”
Anne’s teacher, Mr. Phillips, will also be portrayed as a closeted gay man.
“Also, in my mind, their teacher, Mr. Phillips, has always been an unidentified closeted homosexual. He just has no idea that he was. I thought it would be fascinating to use Cole as a mirror for discovery on his part and see the two different journeys of those characters.”
Season 2 of Anne with an E is available to stream now on Netflix.
justyouandi
I tried to watch this series, but the girl who plays Anne is the most obnoxious performer. Every line is done the same way, which is over-the-top. All the other actors are quite good, and there are some very interesting characters in the story. After several episodes, though, I just couldn’t take that girl anymore.
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rogkristen
I have to agree with you. I love the story and was anxious for the series but I just couldn’t take the Anne character any more and unfortunately had to stop watching it.
AJBray
I always felt that the story of Anne of Green Gables was wonderfully full of gayness. I was surprised the writers made Matthew straight – in all my years reading the books, I always read his character as gay. Marilla was the one with the grand, unrequited love, but Matthew was the kinder one, the one who was a “kindred spirit” to Anne. And there was no mention whatsoever of a woman in his past. Even Anne and Diana had a very…romantic…relationship. The full breadth of their love and dedication isn’t really shown in the show, but it’s quite intense. Then, in later books, when Anne goes off to college and University, there are several characters whom I’d vote as obviously gay/lesbian/bi.
Luvstoread
I’ve read all the books. I don’t ever recall even remotely thinking there were characters who were gay or lesbian. Did we read the same books?
JudasGoat
It’s not that I’m intolerant but I am a gay male and I could not care less about artsy-fartsy lesbian drama.
When I think of gay, I think of males. I will nt mince words and be a pretencious twat when I say, “Bring on the Guys” and stop cramming lesbians in distress distress down our throats
geb1966
1) Anytime someone prefaces a statement with “I’m not intolerant, but…” it’s a pretty good sign that they are about to say something extremely intolerant. Thanks for being predictable.
2) Did you read the article??? It mentions two MALE characters that are being re-imagined as gay.
3) As a fellow gay male, i find your homophobic attitude toward lesbians disgusting. They are just as much a part of the community and deserve the same type of representation as gay men. Contrary to what you and many other gay men think, the world does not revolve around penis.
TheBigOne
@getb1966:
Oh yes, cue the instantly-offended-gay-male-syndrome sufferer.
Lesbians can be the meanest people in the world. Lots of men that I have known have literally been tossed out of lesbian bars because they had balls instead of a vagina.
And lesbians can take care of themselves.
Robothedestroyer
You do realize that there are other letters in “LGBT+” (and even a handy plus sign). Lesbians, as well as Bi-Sexuals and those in the trans community deserve as much representation as you do. By the way, “gay” when in reference to sexuality means same sex attraction and is not gendered. The intercommunity hate, be it sexist (you), agist, or body shaming is really getting old. /RANT
wolfmelech
Suprised Cole wasn’t mentioned in this article
geb1966
Helps if you read the WHOLE article. This is a DIRECT QUOTE from the article.
“And as CBN News reports, Aunt Barry is just the first of many queer roles to be written into the series — Anne’s friend Cole, for instance, has been reimagined as gay.”
bbbbmer
CEO Reid Hastings is a closet case to beat the band…. But though he has considerable queer sensibilities, HE’S EVERY BIT THE NEOFASCIST THAT TRUMP HAS PROVED TO BE, including supporting Trump Sec of EDUCATION’s plan to GUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, favoring CHARTERS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT BAR QUEER KIDS…..
HE’S AN ASSHOLE, NO MATTER HOW HE PANDERS TO THE QUEER COMMUNITY — DON’T TAKE THE BAIT FROM A CORPORATIST/NEOFASCIST/TYRANNIST LIKE REID HASTINGS…..HE IS NOT A QUEER SUPPORTER, EXCEPT THAT IT BUTTERS HIS NEOFASCIST BREAD….
Terrycloth
I used to subscribe to Here tv all gay movie channel..most of what they had was old and most of them I had seen yet I stayed with it hoping old titles would be replaced with newer titles. Months went by nothing changed so I unsubscribed.. Netflix had a free month deal. I looked at their LGBTQ movies and kept it after the free month ended..now months later except for 2 or 3 new titles nothing changed there either. I order movies from tlagay..and each month get their catalog. Seems there are new movies every month..c’mon Netflix. Catch up..you’ll be losing customers…
Robothedestroyer
I find Netflix lgbt content tends to cycle yearly with the coming and going of the film festivals.
surreal33
As paid subscriber I agree Netflix has sparse selection LGBTQ movies hardly impressive as this article/thinly veiled ad suggests. While it is better than nothing it is vast room for improvement. Also if Netflix was solely LGBTQ content I would cancel my subscription because most the LGBTQ content is old.
Curtispsf
Did anyone, besides me, think that the “Gertrude” character was actually “Gertrude Stein”? It mentioned “Gertie” as being a big supporter of “The Arts” which Gertrude Stein was. Or am I just tilting at windmills?
brianlange
I have an issue about minority representation in p public or in fiction works. For Scandinavia are only 23% of the population, yet some feel that with just two races for the most part it should be about 50%. So, 10% of the population is LGBT but why would it looks more like 30% by the authors of the project.