The people behind the new Walking Dead spinoff The Walking Dead: World Beyond have issued an epic clap back at viewers who have criticized the show for the inclusion of a queer couple.
In the series, security guard Felix Carlucci (Nico Tortorella) and his boyfriend Will Campbell (Jelani Alladin) have their love tested–not to mention their lives–as they try to survive a zombie apocalypse. Predictably, homophobes have taken to social media to blast the show over pushing a queer “agenda.” The Walking Dead‘s Twitter account issued a sharp rebuke to the haters on January 25.
Related: Walking Dead’s Nico Tortorella: “There’s nothing more masculine than bottoming”
“Hi, hello. If LGBTQ+ characters on television (or anywhere) make you uncomfortable or angry, please unfollow us,” the account wrote. “While we also encourage you to look within and be more accepting, know that there is no place in our fandom for hateful discrimination or willful ignorance. Thank you.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Hi, hello. If LGBTQ+ characters on television (or anywhere) make you uncomfortable or angry, please unfollow us. While we also encourage you to look within and be more accepting, know that there is no place in our fandom for hateful discrimination or willful ignorance. Thank you.
— The Walking Dead (@TheWalkingDead) January 26, 2021
Predictably, homophobes continued to troll The Walking Dead Twitter account following the tweet.
“Being uncomfortable with something a person does doesn’t make you a hateful person,” wrote user @CoreyHobbsEcho.
Being uncomfortable with something a person does doesn't make you a hateful person.
— Corey Hobbs (@CoreyHobbsEcho) January 26, 2021
“Series was worth watching while the story was the most important aspect of it… now is identity politics and belittling fans,” tweeted user @frankrafael1. “No wonder viewership [sic] is low, keep using the same formula and go broke.”
Series was worth watching while the story was the most important aspect of it… now is identity politics and belittling fans
No wonder viwership is low, keep using the same formula and go broke— FrankRafael ???? (@frankrafael1) January 27, 2021
The Walking Dead: World Beyond debuted in October 2020 to mixed reviews. Despite network AMC marketing the show as a limited series, the network has announced a second season set to debut sometime this year.
Donston
I haven’t watched the series. And there doesn’t seem to be much buzz around it. I mean, it is the third spin-off of an already worn-out franchise. You can only do so much with zombie apocalypse scenarios. So, why watch? I also have some issue supporting anything Nico Tortorella is in.
Nico was definitely problematic when they first “came out”. They said a lot of dumb and insecure and indirectly hateful things (which the media has conviently overlooked). You can’t constantly use your “queerdom” as a marketing device and a way to get attention but still come off incredibly ignorant and problematic. There wasn’t much focus on educating and understanding but a lot of focus on distancing from “gay” and being only critical of “gays”. It seemed as if Nico got caught up in trying to construct a persona, build up their ego, and was dealing with some addiction issues, mental health issues, gender/sexual fluidity issues and contractions as far as the romantic, sexual, affection, emotional investment, commitment spectrum. And didn’t know how to express any of that publicly. I’m willing to let the past be the past, but because Nico still hasn’t confronted all that problematic shit it’s hard to see them as reasonable “representation” or as someone I’d support. Even in a recent interview, Nico indulged some toxic masculinity while discussing topping and bottoming. This is from someone who refers to themselves as “non-binary”. There’s still clearly a lot of issues there and a lot Nico still doesn’t “get” as far as what to say and how things are perceived.
As far as the homophobia, because a lot of its demo appeal is towards basic teenage boys looking for violent zombies, the homophobia isn’t all that surprising. It’s still unfortunate though.
Monkey1
I agree Donston. I’d go one step further and say out-right that I think everything he’s doing is just for attention. I am for trans people and using the pronouns they want, but I cannot get behind someone like him (yes him) because he presents ultra-masculine and then wants to be called “them.” It feels like he’s playing us and I don’t want to be played.
Catholicslutbox
Um… watch rupaul celeb drag. Nico is everything but masc. everything but.
Monkey1
I did an image search of him and he looks masculine, even if he may be somewhat fem in mannerisms. To me that’s still masculine. Being a man who’s just fem is fine, but to me, I don’t think he has that struggle of “am i a man… am i a woman?” I know, I don’t know him, i’m just going on how he presents. I looked up the drag race pics, and mostly dressed masculine, again I didn’t watch it though. The non-binary thing is a little tough for me to grasp at this point, but I’m still learning, I see older people coming out as trans, so you can see a history there. I don’t see older people coming out as non-binary, though, only millennials (not bashing them) so I’m still inclined to think that it’s something different.
Cam
@Monkey1
Well Well Well, the right wing troll account (New screename for Roy Ajax) is trying to be more clever and subtle. This time it’s presenting as if it agrees but then, as it always does, it will ALWAYS attack whatever LGBTQ person we’re talking about.
The sad thing is, even when you’re trying to be clever, you’re still pathetically bad at the trolling game. Just give it up.
Monkey1
Cam, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Please stop replying if you’re just here to bash and cause trouble.
Donston
Indulging toxic masculinity has nothing to do with whether someone is actually masculine or not. When I said indulging toxic masculinity I was speaking on a specific quote, a quote in which Nico claimed “real men” liking to bottom. It was a very odd thing for someone who hypes up their feminine instincts and being “non-binary” to say. Maybe over a decade ago something like that would be progressive. But no one cares about defending guys’ insecurities and their fragile masculinity any longer.
I’m not about to turn this into a them/they dispute. Whatever someone wants to call themselves makes no difference to me. And gender and gender expression can be as convoluted as sexuality, orientation and overall psychology. I don’t even care that much about someone using their “queerdom” for attention and constant validation.
My issues with Nico are specific: Claiming they can’t be “gay” because most of their friends are female (huh?). Claiming white guys don’t have a sense of gender or sexuality but then claiming black/Latino guys are either “straight” or “gay”. Claiming everyone experiences fluidity. Constantly targeting “white gays” instead of actually tackling overall ignorance and divisions. Constantly hyping up being “polygamous” but also saying they was only interested in a one person commitment. (That’s not poly. That’s having an open relationship or having side pieces). Saying they wanted to be recognized as “queer” and fully supported by the “queer community” but also that they’re not really “queer” or a part of the “lgbtq ‘community” (in the same interview). The awkward and semi problematic quote on bottoming.
These types of insecurities, broad-stroking and hopping on every “queer trend” is a part of the problem. They don’t make anything better. Shit can get complicated and people go through a lot of things. However, Nico could have been focused on trying to teach people about traumas and mental health issues, the realities of gender/sexual fluidity, the many different aspects of someone’s “sexuality”, the romantic, sexual, emotional, commitment spectrum. Instead, Nico just used “queerdom” as a marketing tool and to express they’s not “gay” while often promoting some unfortunate stuff.
Cam
@Monkey1
Translation: The right wing troll account came on here to attack an out LGBTQ storyline, then when it got called out it cried that it, the bully who always defends anti-LGBTQ hate and bigotry, was the victim.
How embarrassing for you. Roy Ajax, Opeminded, Monkey1 or whatever screename you’ll use tomorrow.
Openminded
@Cam, You are the troll on this site. Everyone else pretty much gets along or agrees to disagree. That is how debating an issue works. You are too stupid to debate, you just accuse everyone of being a troll using different screen names. As I’ve stated too many times, I only have one screenname on this site. You are a LIAR if you claim otherwise. FYI, not everyone agrees with your POV on issues, hence multiple people posting their opinions. Nobody here wants to hear your claims of “deflection”, “same old troll using a different screenname”, etc. Please learn to be an adult or go away until you can.
Cam
@Openminded
As I’ve told you multiple times, if you don’t like constantly getting exposed as a right wing troll account, it’s probably a bad idea to come on and defend your other troll screenames out of the blue.
But it’s cute you keep blowing that so obviously.
skeldare
Don’t worry, one of them will die at some point.
Brian
Existence isn’t an agenda.
Lancealot
I wonder if those people who complained this time, ever complained about other same sex couples on The Walking Dead. All of The Walking Dead TV shows have had same sex couples. I’m not sure if this is the first interracial couple. Hmmm???
Kangol2
I wonder if that’s it because yes, there were other gay couples. I think the intersection of sexuality and race (and class too though that’s not an issue here) really sends some racist homophobes spinning. But it’s on them, not the writers of the show. Hell, it’s not they’re showing anything that radical in 2021, and they could do anything they want on a cable channel.
jayceecook
Yes they did complain and just as loudly. It’s probably one of the reasons they killed off a prominent gay character and made another one a sex less tokin. When the actor who portrays Daryl thought his character should be gay I’m surprised the world didn’t split in two from the outrage.
I think why this one is getting slightly more attention is that they are main characters and their relationship is physically shown not just implied. Plus they are dudes. Lesbians would probably get a pass as usual.
Cam
Yeah, the original show had a character that was gay in the books but they really minimized him, another LGBTQ character was only not straight “In Theory” .
So my guess is they succumbed to pressure. The CW appeals to younger audiences and have been pretty aggressively pro-LGBTQ including featuring scenes in some of their shows where people went to movies like “Love Simon”.
Catholicslutbox
This and overall series is complete garbage.
It should have ended after season one.
Alex_S
It’s already canceled. The second season will the last.
Cam
This is the true agenda of “Conservatives”. They want to wipe any evidence of LGBTQ people existing away. The idea that a TV show would have any characters on there that aren’t straight enrages them. And if they get their way and we’re gone, next it’s women with jobs, interracial marriages, etc. These people are insane.
Joshua333
Good thing about this spin off is that you don’t have to wait several seasons through meaningless hetero drama just to see a few seconds of representation.
jayceecook
Queerty do your research. This was always going to be a 2 season show before it even went into production.
jayson2909
All the death, blood, guts, and gore is not an issue but the LGBT story makes you uncomfortable. Go figure.
Josh447
Not impressed with the bad cross gender pix of Nico on Google search. He isn’t my cup of tea tho he’ll probably do just fine with the anything goes crowd. I haven’t seen him act however and that could possibly change my mind about him tho he’ll always be a he regardless.
RickHeathen
What really gets me is the people who feel the discomfort with the LGBT community, regardless of context, somehow (almost invariably) think that not only should they express it, as is their right of course, but that their discomfort should be the catalyst for its elimination. As if their wants and desires are some kind of default position, and ours mean nothing.