LogFAQs > #956641416

CyricZ posted...

I'm still not sure what your complaint is here. Too gay? Not gay enough?

Not speaking on behalf of that poster, but it's possible to be both. (In context, I mean.)

She's from an older series and occupies a role traditionally held by the hero's love interest. Nobody in 1982 would have thought to ask, "Is Teela gay?" Fast-forward to the present and Teela is the "strong masculine lesbian" stereotype to a T. The only thing is the show won't commit to her being lesbian.

As such, her position doesn't really suit anyone. Heterosexual men aren't likely to find her attractive or easy to identify with. Lesbians who may find her attractive or identifiable are potentially slighted because the producers won't admit she's one of them. So who does she appeal to? A niche market of masculine heterosexual women? The asexual gladiatrix fanbase?

By all means, they should state that she's lesbian -- at least in this continuity. It's not going to rewrite history if He-Man and Teela kissed in a comic book. What matters is who she is to this continuity at this time. If she's gay, she's an iconic LGBTQ hero taking the lead. If she's presumed hetero, she's a character that women can't have and most men don't want.