In an effort to build a space for queer people like myself, every Tuesday I’ll be posting interviews, opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx/WOC community since I am Latinx.) Welcome to Queerly Not Straight! Enjoy and leave a comment below if you have a suggestion for what I should cover next.
I tried to watch The L Word and couldn’t make it past the pilot. Correction, I couldn’t make it past the first fifteen minutes. Personally, it’s a record for me since I devour anything and everything queer. And I’m here to break down what worked for me and what stopped me right in my tracks as I was discovering this queer icon of a show.
First off, what I liked about the show. Back in 2004 I was a quiet little queer who didn’t even know what being LGBTQ meant. I just knew I loved Rachel Weisz in The Mummy when I “should’ve” been JUST swooning over Brendan Fraser. A show like this would’ve helped me discover who I am and would’ve helped normalize my queer feelings.
Also, in the first fifteen minutes you had a couple who was doing things that’s only relegated to straight people on TV. You had queer people trying to make a baby, going to therapy, meeting up with their other queer friends, and just living their regular ol’ lives. And that felt real to me and like something I could watch 6 seasons of.
That’s not to say I didn’t have doubts about this show. Even in it’s first 15 minutes it was painfully white. Seriously, not one person of color besides the doctor? Where are the queer people of color? Does LA have none? Do they congregate at another queer coffee shop? Please let me know because I doubt that LGBTQ POC were just hiding instead of living their best queer life.
But even then, I thought, “Maybe LGBT POC come in later on in the story.” So I waited, waited, and waited. Then 13:46 hit and stopped me right in my tracks with it’s biphobic garbage. I don’t have their names down so please forgive me for that one. But this judgmental brunette (who I later found out was called (Dana) looked over at her friend Alice in disgust for being bisexual.
“Christ, Alice. When are you going to make up your mind between dick and pussy. And spare us the gory bisexual details.”
Excuse me?
Seriously, excuse me, you judgmental asshole. Being bisexual isn’t gory. Being bisexual doesn’t mean that you haven’t made up your mind. And being bisexual isn’t an other that can be brushed aside as if we weren’t real. We are a real part of the LGBTQ community and watching this show when I was a young queer, this scene would’ve devastated me and made me feel like a bad queer who couldn’t make up her mind.
And it’s bullshit of the highest order.
I’m glad I never gave your biphobic garbage a chance back when you were airing. And that’s on periodt.
Queerly Not Straight posts every Tuesday with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx community since I am Latinx.)
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