Article contributed by Erin Fagan
In the history of television, LGBTQIA characters have been few and far between, and the ones that did make it onto our screens for years were either reduced to stereotypes or punchlines. We’ve come a long way but bisexuality still sometimes gets watered down as an “in between phase” between gay and straight and often gets misunderstood or used to cause drama between characters. It is often hypersexualised or attached to cheating, and those who might be considered bisexual never claim the identity, leaving it up to interpretation and thus possible erasure.
For those who don’t feel like they are just attracted to one gender, to see a character on the screen that they can identify with is extremely powerful. It helps us see that our experiences are real and that we are not alone. Television allows you to spend quite a bit of time with a character and get to know their entire experience. In recent years, more and more characters have been open about their sexuality and have been exploring the many different experiences bisexual people can have, which helps people feel seen, and helps people understand what bisexuality really is. We still have a long way to go, but every step helps bisexual people of all ages come to understand their sexuality and feel valid. Everyone deserves to see themselves on television and these characters are just a few of canonically bisexual characters that are incredible and deserve to be celebrated.
Rosa Diaz
Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn Nine-Nine is an extremely private person and although she doesn’t come out on the show until Season 5 Episode 10, she has known that she is bisexual since she was 7. When she finally does come out to her friends and family, the plot is handled with extreme care and respect. Her coming out arc with her parents shows a more bittersweet, authentic experience where her parents do not understand it at first and their relationship becomes more complicated. The actress, Stephanie Beatriz, is also a bisexual icon, just adding more authenticity and clear representation to this world. In an interview in 2018, she said, “I never had anything like that representation when I was growing up, I didn’t know how to name myself for a really long time”. Her sexuality is not treated as a tragic storyline, or a problem to overcome, it is an important part of her identity that is named and not pushed to the margins. Rosa’s bisexuality is not her entire identity as well, which is an important step to normalising all types of experience and validating so many people!
Sara Lance
Sara Lance, the bisexual former assassin and current captain of a time ship on Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, was one of the first openly queer characters in the cinematic DC universe. She is very open about her sexuality and has very deep relationships with both men and women, including Oliver Queen, Nyssa Ra Gul, and now Ava Sharpe, her “co-captain for life”. Sara and Ava’s relationship is beautiful and healthy, with many plotlines dedicated to them working out problems together, communicating and building a life together through all the chaos of their time traveling jobs. Throughout her travels, she has quite a few flings with characters throughout history, and helps some women find freedom in their sexuality, no matter what time period they are from. Sara is never reduced to just her sexuality, but it is a celebrated part of her that no one questions, a trend that is so inspirational and important.
Petra Solano
Petra is another character that has a sexual revelation in the middle of the series. Introduced on Jane the Virgin as a villain, she has incredible character development as she becomes a better person and learns to be more open with others and herself. She figures out that she is not straight later in life, after having children and relationships with a few male characters. Her feelings for her lawyer JR are unexpected and take her out of her confident comfort zone as she begins to overanalyse text messages, get jealous and make romantic gestures to win her over. Their relationship progression is adorable and accepted quickly by everyone in Petra’s life. Her family is the driving factor for Petra’s development, but her relationship with JR definitely pushes her to be more vulnerable and honest, while still allowing her to stay true to her ambitions and tough exterior. Petra is another character that also says the word bisexual, providing more explicit representation that people can look up to.
Avatar Korra
Avatar Korra is one of the original animated bisexual icons. After a love triangle with her friends Mako and Asami at the start of Legends of Korra, she ends up having relationships with both of them by the end of the series. Her and Asami’s relationship was groundbreaking for television and their relationship is a beautiful progression that takes the subtext between the two and leans into it. Their relationship is natural and builds upon incredible chemistry, and instead of just ignoring it and letting fans read into it forever, the show makes it canon. Although the two women don’t progress more than holding hands at the end of the series (though that’s enough in my book to demonstrate a relationship), the comics that follow delve deeper into their relationship.
Darryl Whitefeather
Darryl’s arc on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend proves that it is never too late to figure out your sexuality. He is a middle-age divorced man that realises that he is bisexual and explores his sexuality after being attracted to another man. Not only does he say that he is bisexual on the show, but he also sings it! During a meeting at his law firm, he comes out to everyone in the song “Getting Bi” which has quickly become a bisexual anthem! He sums up the bisexual experience really well, celebrating his identity while calling out biphobia and stereotypes such as bisexuality being a “phase” or that he is just being indecisive. It’s an incredibly fun jam, and extremely refreshing that when he performs this song, people are more annoyed that he is taking up time in the meeting to sing, rather than reacting negatively to his bisexuality. He provides some of the most explicitly bi representation on television and validates bisexual people no matter how old.
Toni Topaz
Toni has a very casual coming out on Riverdale, normalising bisexuality further, when she comes out to Jughead after they spend a night together. She is bisexual in the comics and though Riverdale is not always a show to stay close to the comics, they continue to explore her sexuality and relationships with Jughead and Cheryl. She is very confident and engaging already as a character, and she helps Cheryl come to terms with her own sexuality. Admittedly she really does deserve better, as she is often reduced to a sidekick or love interest and hasn’t had much character development since she was introduced. Sometimes it feels like Toni is just a way to boost Cheryl’s character up more but she has so much potential and should be treated as the independent queen that she is.
Eleanor Shellstrop
The protagonist of The Good Place, Eleanor has never defined her sexuality on the show. However she has many flirtatious moments with Tahani, and they were even soulmates for a split second while they ran through all the different simulations. Eleanor has never been shy about her feelings and admits at one point that she might actually might be into Tahani, though never pursues it. William Jackson Harper, the actor that plays Eleanor’s main love interest, Chidi, confirms her identity in an interview with Metro in 2018, saying “There’s a million different possibilities and one of the things I think the show does well, and [which I’m] really kind of into, is the fact that Eleanor is super bisexual and it’s not something that we just focus on. It’s not the reason for the show and it’s not a thing that is harped on, it’s just who she is”. All the characters accept each others’ sexualities without question and although it would have been great to dive deeper into her sexuality, it wasn’t the direction of the show.
Luz Noceda
Perhaps the newest (and youngest) character on this list, Luz Noceda is the protagonist of the new Disney show Owl House. She is an incredibly imaginative young human thrown into a magical world, and is unapologetically herself. Throughout the first season, she has already shown hints of being attracted to male and female characters, and the creator, Dana Terrence has officially confirmed that she is bisexual. This is an incredible feat, especially considering Disney’s track record with representation. Terrence herself is bisexual and especially pushed back against Disney officials’ initial hesitation because she knew how important it would be for the community and the character. If I had seen a character like Luz when I was young, it would have saved years of confusion and uncertainty. It will be very exciting to see Luz grow and come into her sexuality in the coming seasons!
