Groundbreaking Kiss Shatters Bisexual Barriers

I first recognized “The Boys” as something special when it explored Queen Maeve’s (Dominique McElligott) sexuality in Season 2. After the Season 4 finale this week, it’s clear that despite some viewers’ reluctance, this show is making significant strides in depicting bisexuality on mainstream TV—a challenge many series still face.

Maeve’s storyline in Season 2 dealt with a woman who is comfortable with her sexuality but uneasy about it being exploited for corporate PR. When Homelander (Antony Starr) outs Maeve on live TV, her concern shifts to her ex-girlfriend Elena (Nicola Correia-Damude), who might now face public scrutiny and Homelander’s wrath.

One of the story’s sharpest moments occurs when Elena and Maeve are pitched a press angle by Vought VP Ashley (Colby Minifie), showcasing Maeve as a “proud lesbian” embracing her true self. Elena quickly points out, “You know Maeve is bi, right?” For many bisexual viewers, this scene was cathartic because it acknowledged Maeve’s bisexuality directly. It would have been simpler for the writers to label Maeve as a lesbian, especially given her only other romance was with the coercive Homelander. However, they chose to clearly articulate her bisexuality, refusing to erase her past relationship’s complexities.

This is relatively rare in mainstream TV. “Orange is the New Black” may have featured a bisexual protagonist, Piper (Taylor Schilling), but it took seven seasons before she was explicitly called bi. Before that, Piper’s relationships often portrayed her as a repressed lesbian rediscovering her true self rather than as a bisexual.

Before Piper, there was Alyson Hannigan’s Willow in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” who came out as a lesbian in Season 4. While Willow and Tara were one of TV’s great couples, Willow’s romance with Oz (Seth Green) from previous seasons was undermined. There was an easy solution: make her bisexual. However, the show presented Tara as Willow’s first “real” romance, disregarding her past with Oz.

“Buffy” showrunner Joss Whedon later clarified that if he were making the series today, Willow would be bi. At the time, bisexuality was seen as complicating the “born this way” narrative of the gay rights movement. Bisexuality was perceived as teaching that being gay could be a phase, which conflicted with how sexuality was presented to garner straight allies’ support.

In other words, bisexuality was considered too nuanced for early 2000s audiences. As Ashley in “The Boys” would say 20 years later, “I just feel like ‘lesbian’ is an easier sell. A bit more cut-and-dry.”

Thus began a running joke in Seasons 2 and 3 of “The Boys,” where Maeve is too exhausted to correct people who call her a “proud lesbian.” The show mocked how bisexuality seems to confuse people and how one’s current sexual partners don’t necessarily define their entire sexual orientation. Maeve rebounding with men was baffling to Ashley because it wasn’t “on brand.” Vought Corporation, like many others, found Maeve more manageable if she were either straight or gay, not in a liminal, “complicated” state. This reflects how bisexuality is often ignored or misunderstood, even by well-meaning allies.

This makes it frustrating when fans display the same close-mindedness toward Frenchie (Tomer Capone) in Season 4, who enters a romantic relationship with Colin (Elliot Knight). The internet erupted with questions about Frenchie being “turned gay” and concerns over his potential romance with Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara).

However, Frenchie has always been portrayed as bisexual. In Season 2, he was implied to have been in a throuple with Jay and Cherie and refers to Jay as his “Dorothy,” an old queem euphemism. Even without previous gay relationships, the assumption that Frenchie was “turned gay” is unwarranted. Bisexuality means that a relationship with one gender does not negate love for another.

The show’s exploration of bisexuality reached a crescendo when Frenchie and Kimiko finally kiss in the Season 4 finale, highlighting that Frenchie can be bi and in a relationship with Kimiko. This serves as a lesson against bi-erasure for the fans.

“The Boys” has always been direct with its political themes and has often been criticized for liberal preachiness. Yet, its commitment to educating viewers about bisexuality, particularly through male characters like Frenchie, has had genuine impact. Frenchie serves as many viewers’ first serious encounter with a bisexual male character.

“The Boys” consistently takes bisexuality seriously, sometimes even more so than its fans, setting it apart from many other mainstream superhero series.

Source: The Daily Beast