AsLokishowed, there’s something to be said for telling more proud and open LGBTQ+ stories. It seems as though the majority of mainstream offerings in that regard tend to be relegated to passing references or easily missable scenes. That certainly feels a little unbalanced given how those same projects often include a number of prolonged sequences and stories featuring straight and cis couples.
One such point of debate comes from Marvel Studios' Disney Plus seriesLoki, which confirmed via a single line that its titular trickster god is canonically bisexual. On one hand,many celebrated theLokimoment. Bisexual people, particularly men, tend to see far less representation in mainstream media than a number of other groups in the LGBTQ+ community. But on the flip side, a not-insignificant amount of viewers thought the show didn’t go far enough, and one such outspoken fan turned out to be a pretty prominent figure.
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Doctor Whowriter and showrunner Russell T. Davies, who will return to the show next year following many years away, had some choice words last year regarding the scene. According to him, the folks working onLokihardly did the bare minimum in furthering representation for the bisexual (and pansexual) community. “Lokimakes one reference to being bisexual once, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, it’s like a pansexual show.’ It’s like one word,” Davies critiqued. “He said the word ‘prince,’ and we’re meant to go, ‘Thank you, Disney! Aren’t you marvelous?’ It’s pathetic. It’s a ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture towards the vital politics and the stories that should be told.”
Now,Lokidirector Kate Herron, who unfortunately opted out of returning for season 2, has a response for Davies, but it’s not as confrontational as some might expect. While speaking with Variety, Herron was finally able to address theDoctor Whowriter’s comments while defending her stance and pointing outhow important it was to address Loki’s sexuality, even in this small way. “I don’t disagree that there should be bigger stories being told, but — and I think he has a right to his opinion — I’m very proud of what we did in the show,” she commented. “Russell is a hero of mine, but like I’ve said, I hope that we did at least open the door and that more stories will come.”
Herron’s viewpoint does have some merit. In a world where bigotry against queer people almost seems to be ramping up, it can be difficult to incorporate proper representation into mainstream media without risking some particularly violent backlash. But on the other hand, holding back like that can almost seem like acquiescing to the narrow-minded viewpoints of those who want to keep marginalized communities in the shadows. Until movies and shows start openly and unambiguouslyfeaturing LGBTQ+ main characterswithout downplaying their identities, then things will continue to stagnate, with studios like Disney continually claiming that every tiny morsel of almost-representation is somehow “the first gay character in a Disney movie” again.
It’s nice that Herron didn’t lash out at Davies for his comments, particularly since this issue hits pretty close to home for her as a proud queer woman. But hopefully, she’s right andLoki’s small yet important scene actually did open the door for more overt examples of representation going forward. Audiences see straight people all the time in media and it’s never called “heterosexual propaganda,” so why should more queer stories be any different?
