A gay-owned Virgia rtrant is a dispute wh s neighbors - Washgton Post

Contents:

• GENEVA COLLEGE ALLEGEDLY FIR GAY SOCCER ACH AFTER INSTAGRAM POSTS ABOUT CLIVENS
• CHER OM CLUELS WAS DEFELY A LBIAN — HERE’S WHYALYSSA MILLS·FOLLOWPUBLISHED AN INJTICE!·10 M READ·JUN 9, 2021--2LISTENSHARECHER AND TAI CLUELS (1995)AS A QUEER WOMAN GROWG UP, I RARELY HAD POSIVE AND GENUE REPRENTATN ON SCREEN, BUT THAT DON’T MEAN I DIDN’T OFTEN SEE ASPECTS OF MYSELF AND MY SEXUALY THE FILMS I WATCHED. THE CLEART EXAMPLE OF THIS, MY MD, IS THE LEAD CHARACTER CHER OM THE CLASSIC 1995 TEEN ROM- CLUELS, PLAYED BY ALICIA SILVERSTONE. CHER IS THE EMBODIMENT OF SELF-ASSURED, OL FEMY, AND HER PORTRAYAL AS GIRLY, TELLIGENT, AND SOCIALLY SKILLED ALL AT ONCE WAS A BIG TURNG POT MY OFTEN TUMULTUO RELATNSHIP WH FEMY. CHER’S INIC L REALLY RONATED WH ME, AND REWATCHG THE MOVIE AFTER G TO TERMS WH MY OWN SEXUALY, IS PRETTY CLEAR TO ME THAT CHER IS LS A SE OF SHAKPEAREAN ROMANCE AND MORE A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY THAT IS LIKELY FAIAR TO EVERY QUEER WOMAN. OBVLY, THIS IS JT ONE TERPRETATN AND AN ADMTEDLY BIASED ONE AT THAT, BUT I THK THERE IS SOME PRETTY DAMNG EVINCE THE SOURCE MATERIAL.IN SE YOU’RE SHORT ON TIME, I’LL START WH THE MOST OBV EVINCE THE FORM OF A TLY INIC LE (ONE OF MANY CLUELS). AS TAI TELLS CHER —“YOU’RE A VIRG WHO N’T DRIVE.”NEED I NTUE? IN SE CHER’S TLY HORRENDO DRIVG DON’T NVCE YOU, I HAVE A FEW OTHER ARGUMENTS THAT MIGHT. THIS ARTICLE IS GOG TO VER CHER’S DISTERT DATG, THE MOTIVATNS BEHD HER ‘ATTRACTN’ TO THE THREE MEN SHE TERACTS WH A ROMANTIC NTEXT, AND HER RELATNSHIP WH A NEW GIRL TAI.DISTERT DATGTHE MOST NVCG EVINCE FOR A LBIAN CHER IS HER NSTANT DISTERT DATG, SPECIFILLY DATG HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. THE BOYS SHE MEETS ARE, AS SHE PUTS , “LIKE DOGS; THE NERVO CREATUR THAT JUMP AND SLOBBER ALL OVER YOU,” AND THAT “SEARCHG FOR A BOY HIGH SCHOOL IS AS ELS AS SEARCHG FOR MEANG A PLY SHORE MOVIE.” IT’S NOT THAT SHE’S NOT TERTED ROMANCE OR DATG, FACT, SHE SPENDS THE ENTIRE MOVIE SETTG UP ROMANC FOR HER IENDS AND EVEN TWO OF HER TEACHERS. SHE’S ALSO TERTED DATG SOMEONE FOR HERSELF BUT NTU TO PH THE ADLE UNTIL SHE FDS THE RIGHT GUY.ONE SCENE THAT REALLY LLED TO ME AS I WAS QUTNG MY SEXUALY WAS THE DER WH CHER, TAI, AND DNNE, WHEN THE FORMER WAS QUTNG CHER ABOUT HER VIRGY. CHER IS IMMEDIATELY FENSIVE, CLARIFYG THAT WHILE SHE HAS NO SHORTAGE OF OFFERS, SHE “ISN’T A P, [SHE’S] JT HIGHLY SELECTIVE.” SHE LIKENS HER STANDARDS WH MEN TO HER STANDARDS FOR ACCSORI — “YOU SEE HOW I CHOOSE MY SHO, AND THEY ONLY GO ON MY FEET!” THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ANYONE WHO CHOOS TO WA FOR THE ‘RIGHT PERSON’ IS GAY OR ACE, BUT A BIG DITOR FOR ME WAS NOT WANTG TO GET MARRIED AND LOSG TERT DATG AS SOON AS BEME A REALISTIC POSSIBILY, SOMETHG WE ALSO SEE CHER DO.CHER HAS A SOMEWHAT ROMANTIC PLOTLE WH THREE GUYS OVER THE FILM, ALL OF WHICH ARE GREAT EXAMPL OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY, OR P HET. COMP HET IS A PRODUCT OF A HETERONORMATIVE SOCIETY, WHERE QUEER PEOPLE (LBIANS PARTICULAR) FEEL PRSURED TO PERFORM STRAIGHTNS. COMMON EXPERIENC CLU ‘CHOOSG’ CSH, QUICKLY LOSG TERT, OR BEG EXCLIVELY ATTRACTED TO UNAVAILABLE MEN, LIKE GUYS WHO ARE GAY, OLR, OR TAKEN.RELATNSHIPS WH MENTHE FIRST GUY CHER GETS VOLVED WH IS ELTON (JEREMY SISTO), THE POPULAR ‘HOT’ GUY THAT CHER FIRST TRI TO SET UP WH TAI. TO CLARIFY, CHER IS NEVER SHOWN TO BE TO ELTON, BUT NEARLY EVERY OTHER GIRL THE MOVIE IS. ELTON IS UNTERTED TAI AND IS OBVLY TRYG TO GET CHER’S ATTENTN STEAD. SHE ENDS UP GETTG A RI HOME OM ELTON (SOMETHG SHE DO NOT WANT TO DO), AND WHEN HE TRI TO KISS HER SHE STORMS OUT OF THE R WH NO PLAN TO GET HOME. SHE INTIFI ELTON AS A ‘SAFE’ GUY FOR TAI TO DATE, BUT DON’T EVEN NOTICE HIS TERT HER AND CLEARLY DO NOT RECIPROTE HIS FEELGS AT ALL, AND FACT, IS VISIBLY REPULSED BY HIS ATTEMPTS TO SCE HER.THE SEND GUY CHER MEETS IS SOMEONE SHE’S MORE TERTED , A NEW STUNT CHRISTIAN (JT WALKER). SHE TAK A LIKG TO CHRISTIAN BEE OF HIS PUT-TOGETHER STYLE AND HIS NONROMANTIC TERT TOWARDS HER, SO DIFFERENT OM THE DOG-LIKE BEHAVR OF OTHER HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. SHE IMMEDIATELY MAK THE NSC CISN TO MAKE HIM HER BOYIEND AND EMPLOYS ALL HER TTED TRICKS TO GET A GUY’S ATTENTN. TO THE VIEWER, ’S PRETTY CLEAR THAT CHRISTIAN IS MORE TERTED GETTG V TO PARTI THAN CHER, BUT SHE SEEMS TO MISS ALL THE SIGNS THAT HE’S GAY AND PERSISTS HER TERT ANYWAY. CHER CIS THAT CHRISTIAN IS THE GUY THAT SHE’LL FALLY LOSE HER VIRGY TO, WHICH GO PREDICTABLY, WH HIM BEG MORE TERTED WATCHG SOME LIKE IT HOT THAN SLEEPG WH HER. IT ISN’T UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WHEN DNNE’S BOYIEND MURRAY SPELLS HIS SEXUALY OUT FOR HER THAT SHE UNRSTANDS WHY HER NORMAL SCTN TECHNIQU FAILED. DPE THE FIZZLED ROMANTIC TERT, CHER AND CHRISTIAN REMA IENDS, BONDG OVER MON TERTS.THIS ATTRACTN MEETS EVERY METRIC OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY. CHRISTIAN HAS TRADNALLY FEME TERTS AND FEATUR AND IS UNAVAILABLE AS A GAY GUY. SHE ACTIVELY CHOOS TO BE ATTRACTED TO HIM AND SEEMS TO BE SEEKG HIS VALIDATN RATHER THAN HIS ROMANTIC TERT.CHER’S FAL ROMANTIC PLOTLE, AND THE HAPPY ENDG OF THE MOVIE, IS HER RELATNSHIP WH HER (EX?) STEP-BROTHER JOSH (PL RUDD). CHER SPENDS THE VAST MAJORY OF THE MOVIE UNTERTED AND ACTUALLY ACTIVELY AVOIDG JOSH, TREATG HIM LIKE HER ANNOYG OLR BROTHER. THEIR RELATNSHIP BE LS ANTAGONISTIC AFTER CHER HELPS JOSH WH HIS WORK FOR HER FATHER, BUT ISN’T UNTIL TAI TAK A LIKG TO HIM THAT SHE REALLY LOOKS AT HIM DIFFERENTLY. IN FACT, HER FEELGS SEEM TO TURN ON A DIME AFTER SEEG TAI FLIRTG WH JOSH, WHICH MAK HER JEALO FOR REASONS SHE N’T PLACE. AFTER A FEW MUT, HOWEVER, SHE HAS HER GRAND EPIPHANY —”OH MY GOD, I LOVE JOSH!”FROM BOTH AN -UNIVERSE CHARACTER PERSPECTIVE AND AN EXTERR WRG PERSPECTIVE, THIS REVELATN FEELS FORCED. JOSH SHOULD, BY ALL METRICS, BE UNAVAILABLE TO CHER — HE’S OLR, SEEMS TO DISLIKE HER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE’S HER STEPBROTHER! THE BUILD-UP TO THEIR RELATNSHIP FEELS DISGENUO AND CHER HAS NO TERT JOSH BEYOND HIS POTENTIAL RELATNSHIP WH TAI, WH WHO SHE HAS SPENT MOST OF THE MOVIE-OBSSED WH.CHER AND TAIAT THIS POT, WE HAVE A FAIRLY STRONG ARGUMENT THAT CHER IS UNTERTED MEN, BUT THAT ULD POT TOWARDS HER BEG ASEXUAL, AROMANTIC, OR TLY JT CREDIBLY PICKY. TO PLETE THE PICTURE OF CHER BEG A LBIAN-D CHARACTER, WE NEED TO FOC ON HER RELATNSHIP WH TAI.TAI FRASIER (BRTANY MURPHY) IS A NEW TRANSFER STUNT WH A UNIQUE STYLE AND PERSONALY PARED TO THE OTHER STUNTS AT THE UPPER-CLASS CALIFORNIA SCHOOL. SHE IMMEDIATELY DRAWS CHER’S ATTENTN, AND CHER CIS TO TAKE HER UNR HER WG TO MAKE HER ATTRACTIVE AND POPULAR (VERY WICKED). CHER AND TAI’S RELATNSHIP PROV CHER’S QUEERNS TWO WAYS.FIRST HAS MORE TO DO WH TAI HERSELF THAN CHER. TAI IS A CLEARLY QUEER-D CHARACTER (QUEER DG BEG THE SUBTEXTUAL E OF QUEER TRAS). SHE DON’T WEAR MAKP OR DO MUCH WH HER HAIR, SHE WEARS FLANNELS AND MORE MASCULE OR ECCENTRIC CLOTHG, AND SHE’S TRODUCED AS A CHARACTER WH MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE THAN THE OTHERS WH DGS, ALHOL, AND SEX. SHE EVEN SAYS TO CHER AND DNNE “I’VE NEVER HAD STRAIGHT IENDS BEFORE” (LIKELY REFERENCG DG E, BUT EASILY EXTEND TO SEXUALY). ALL SIGNS POT TO TAI BEG BI OR GAY, AND WE KNOW OM CHRISTIAN THAT CHER PROBABLY WOULD NOT NSCLY PICK UP ON THOSE SIGNALS.THE SEND ELEMENT OF THEIR RELATNSHIP THAT IS PERTENT IS HOW CHER REACTS TO TAI AND HER OTHER IENDSHIPS OR RELATNSHIPS. FROM THE BEGNG, CHER ATTEMPTS TO GET TAI A BOYIEND, WHICH SHE SE AS A STAT SYMBOL. IN FACT, HER CISN OF WHICH BOYS TAI SHOULD PURSUE HAS NOTHG TO DO WH TAI’S TERT THEM; RATHER, HER CISNS ARE BASED ON HOW DATG THEM WOULD AFFECT HER SOCIAL STAT (I.E. CHOOSG RICH KID ELTON OVER STONER TRAVIS). CHER’S REAL REACTNS E WHEN TAI IS GENUELY TERTED SOMEONE, PECIALLY IF THAT TERT MEANS TAI VALUG THEM OVER HER.CHER IS VISIBLY TRATED WHEN TAI EXPRS A SIRE TO DATE JOSH, AND THE NFLICT THAT ARIS OM THAT SUATN IS THE CX OF THE MOVIE’S PLOT. FROM A SCREENWRG PERSPECTIVE, CHER’S RELATNSHIP WH TAI IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN HER RELATNSHIP WH JOSH. HER CHARACTER VELOPMENT AND MOTIVATN WOULD BE UNCHANGED IF JOSH WERE WRTEN OUT OF THE STORY BUT WOULD BE ENTIRELY NONEXISTENT IF THE SAME WERE DONE TO TAI.A PIVOTAL SEQUENCE THE MOVIE THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE SHIFT CHER AND TAI’S IENDSHIP OCCURS AFTER TAI’S ‘NEAR-ATH EXPERIENCE’ AT THE MALL. WHILE IS EASILY FERRED THAT CHER IS IRRATED THAT TAI IS TAKG THE ATTENTN SHE UALLY GARNERS, THE TTH IS A B MORE LAYERED. FIRST OF ALL, CHER CLAIMS CRED FOR TAI’S POPULARY, SO WHEN TAI BEGS TO VELOP A SOCIAL LIFE SEPARATE OM HER, SHE FEELS ISOLATED OM HER NEW IEND/PROJECT. SENDLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE MOVIE THAT TAI IS NOT FOCG HER ATTENTN ON CHER. SHE’S FLIRTG WH THE GUYS AT THE MALL, WHICH CLEARLY ANNOYS CHER, AND AFTER SHE AND CHRISTIAN SH OVER TO STOP TAI OM FALLG, TAI DIRECTS ALL HER GRATU TO CHRISTIAN AND IGNOR CHER. THIS IS WHAT THE REAL NFLICT THEIR RELATNSHIP IS — FOR THE FIRST TIME SCE THEY’VE MET, CHER IS NOT THE CENTER OF TAI’S WORLD, AND CHER IS IMMEDIATELY JEALO.OBVLY, THIS ULD JT BE A SIGN OF IENDSHIP, PECIALLY IF CHER WAS SIMPLY A JEALO PERSON, BUT THIS IS REALLY NOT THE SE. IN FACT, HER LONG-TIME BT IEND DNNE HAS A BOYIEND WHO CHER DISAPPROV OF, BUT CHER IS NEVER JEALO WHEN DNNE SPENDS TIME WH HIM STEAD OF HER. EVEN AT THE PARTY THE HILLS, CHER IS MORE IRRATED WH MURRAY’S CHILDISH ANTICS THAN UPSET WH DNNE, AND EVEN HAPPILY CHOOS TO LEAVE THE PARTY WH TAI ALONE WHEN HER FATHER LLS WH A CURFEW ULTIMATUM. CLEARLY, CHER’S FEELGS FOR TAI ARE UNIQUE, EVEN WHEN PARED TO HER FEELGS FOR JOSH. CHER SPENDS A FULL R RI ALONE WH JOSH AND A GIRL HE IS ROMANTILLY VOLVED WH AND DISPLAYS NO HT OF JEALOY — FACT, HER ONLY FEELGS OF JEALOY REGARDG JOSH VOLVED A POTENTIAL RELATNSHIP WH TAI.WHEN THE WHOLE FILM IS ADD UP, SEEMS PRETTY OBV TO ME THAT CHER WAS FAR MORE TERTED DATG TAI THAN SHE EVER WAS JOSH. I’M SURE MANY PEOPLE WILL REMA UNNVCED, SO I WANT TO SPEND THE LAST SECTN OF THIS ARTICLE TALKG ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF QUEER TERPRETATN OF MEDIA AND THE NEED FOR GREATER NONIL QUEER REPRENTATN THE FUTURE.QUEER REPRENTATN THE MEDIA
• JAGUARS ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT
• HOW TO RENCILE YOUR CHRISTIAN FAH WH YOUR GAY LIFE
• A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

GENEVA COLLEGE ALLEGEDLY FIR GAY SOCCER ACH AFTER INSTAGRAM POSTS ABOUT CLIVENS

The next day, Murray pots out that they were never gog to have sex bee Christian is gay, so Cher cis to be shoppg buddi wh him stead. In a r ri wh her two iends Dnne (Stacey Dash) and Murray (Donald Faison), Cher learns why her urtship has been unsuccsful: Christian is gay – or as Murray puts , “a dis-dancg, Osr-Wil-readg, Streisand-ticket-holdg iend of Dorothy’s.

CHER OM CLUELS WAS DEFELY A LBIAN — HERE’S WHYALYSSA MILLS·FOLLOWPUBLISHED AN INJTICE!·10 M READ·JUN 9, 2021--2LISTENSHARECHER AND TAI CLUELS (1995)AS A QUEER WOMAN GROWG UP, I RARELY HAD POSIVE AND GENUE REPRENTATN ON SCREEN, BUT THAT DON’T MEAN I DIDN’T OFTEN SEE ASPECTS OF MYSELF AND MY SEXUALY THE FILMS I WATCHED. THE CLEART EXAMPLE OF THIS, MY MD, IS THE LEAD CHARACTER CHER OM THE CLASSIC 1995 TEEN ROM- CLUELS, PLAYED BY ALICIA SILVERSTONE. CHER IS THE EMBODIMENT OF SELF-ASSURED, OL FEMY, AND HER PORTRAYAL AS GIRLY, TELLIGENT, AND SOCIALLY SKILLED ALL AT ONCE WAS A BIG TURNG POT MY OFTEN TUMULTUO RELATNSHIP WH FEMY. CHER’S INIC L REALLY RONATED WH ME, AND REWATCHG THE MOVIE AFTER G TO TERMS WH MY OWN SEXUALY, IS PRETTY CLEAR TO ME THAT CHER IS LS A SE OF SHAKPEAREAN ROMANCE AND MORE A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY THAT IS LIKELY FAIAR TO EVERY QUEER WOMAN. OBVLY, THIS IS JT ONE TERPRETATN AND AN ADMTEDLY BIASED ONE AT THAT, BUT I THK THERE IS SOME PRETTY DAMNG EVINCE THE SOURCE MATERIAL.IN SE YOU’RE SHORT ON TIME, I’LL START WH THE MOST OBV EVINCE THE FORM OF A TLY INIC LE (ONE OF MANY CLUELS). AS TAI TELLS CHER —“YOU’RE A VIRG WHO N’T DRIVE.”NEED I NTUE? IN SE CHER’S TLY HORRENDO DRIVG DON’T NVCE YOU, I HAVE A FEW OTHER ARGUMENTS THAT MIGHT. THIS ARTICLE IS GOG TO VER CHER’S DISTERT DATG, THE MOTIVATNS BEHD HER ‘ATTRACTN’ TO THE THREE MEN SHE TERACTS WH A ROMANTIC NTEXT, AND HER RELATNSHIP WH A NEW GIRL TAI.DISTERT DATGTHE MOST NVCG EVINCE FOR A LBIAN CHER IS HER NSTANT DISTERT DATG, SPECIFILLY DATG HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. THE BOYS SHE MEETS ARE, AS SHE PUTS , “LIKE DOGS; THE NERVO CREATUR THAT JUMP AND SLOBBER ALL OVER YOU,” AND THAT “SEARCHG FOR A BOY HIGH SCHOOL IS AS ELS AS SEARCHG FOR MEANG A PLY SHORE MOVIE.” IT’S NOT THAT SHE’S NOT TERTED ROMANCE OR DATG, FACT, SHE SPENDS THE ENTIRE MOVIE SETTG UP ROMANC FOR HER IENDS AND EVEN TWO OF HER TEACHERS. SHE’S ALSO TERTED DATG SOMEONE FOR HERSELF BUT NTU TO PH THE ADLE UNTIL SHE FDS THE RIGHT GUY.ONE SCENE THAT REALLY LLED TO ME AS I WAS QUTNG MY SEXUALY WAS THE DER WH CHER, TAI, AND DNNE, WHEN THE FORMER WAS QUTNG CHER ABOUT HER VIRGY. CHER IS IMMEDIATELY FENSIVE, CLARIFYG THAT WHILE SHE HAS NO SHORTAGE OF OFFERS, SHE “ISN’T A P, [SHE’S] JT HIGHLY SELECTIVE.” SHE LIKENS HER STANDARDS WH MEN TO HER STANDARDS FOR ACCSORI — “YOU SEE HOW I CHOOSE MY SHO, AND THEY ONLY GO ON MY FEET!” THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ANYONE WHO CHOOS TO WA FOR THE ‘RIGHT PERSON’ IS GAY OR ACE, BUT A BIG DITOR FOR ME WAS NOT WANTG TO GET MARRIED AND LOSG TERT DATG AS SOON AS BEME A REALISTIC POSSIBILY, SOMETHG WE ALSO SEE CHER DO.CHER HAS A SOMEWHAT ROMANTIC PLOTLE WH THREE GUYS OVER THE FILM, ALL OF WHICH ARE GREAT EXAMPL OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY, OR P HET. COMP HET IS A PRODUCT OF A HETERONORMATIVE SOCIETY, WHERE QUEER PEOPLE (LBIANS PARTICULAR) FEEL PRSURED TO PERFORM STRAIGHTNS. COMMON EXPERIENC CLU ‘CHOOSG’ CSH, QUICKLY LOSG TERT, OR BEG EXCLIVELY ATTRACTED TO UNAVAILABLE MEN, LIKE GUYS WHO ARE GAY, OLR, OR TAKEN.RELATNSHIPS WH MENTHE FIRST GUY CHER GETS VOLVED WH IS ELTON (JEREMY SISTO), THE POPULAR ‘HOT’ GUY THAT CHER FIRST TRI TO SET UP WH TAI. TO CLARIFY, CHER IS NEVER SHOWN TO BE TO ELTON, BUT NEARLY EVERY OTHER GIRL THE MOVIE IS. ELTON IS UNTERTED TAI AND IS OBVLY TRYG TO GET CHER’S ATTENTN STEAD. SHE ENDS UP GETTG A RI HOME OM ELTON (SOMETHG SHE DO NOT WANT TO DO), AND WHEN HE TRI TO KISS HER SHE STORMS OUT OF THE R WH NO PLAN TO GET HOME. SHE INTIFI ELTON AS A ‘SAFE’ GUY FOR TAI TO DATE, BUT DON’T EVEN NOTICE HIS TERT HER AND CLEARLY DO NOT RECIPROTE HIS FEELGS AT ALL, AND FACT, IS VISIBLY REPULSED BY HIS ATTEMPTS TO SCE HER.THE SEND GUY CHER MEETS IS SOMEONE SHE’S MORE TERTED , A NEW STUNT CHRISTIAN (JT WALKER). SHE TAK A LIKG TO CHRISTIAN BEE OF HIS PUT-TOGETHER STYLE AND HIS NONROMANTIC TERT TOWARDS HER, SO DIFFERENT OM THE DOG-LIKE BEHAVR OF OTHER HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. SHE IMMEDIATELY MAK THE NSC CISN TO MAKE HIM HER BOYIEND AND EMPLOYS ALL HER TTED TRICKS TO GET A GUY’S ATTENTN. TO THE VIEWER, ’S PRETTY CLEAR THAT CHRISTIAN IS MORE TERTED GETTG V TO PARTI THAN CHER, BUT SHE SEEMS TO MISS ALL THE SIGNS THAT HE’S GAY AND PERSISTS HER TERT ANYWAY. CHER CIS THAT CHRISTIAN IS THE GUY THAT SHE’LL FALLY LOSE HER VIRGY TO, WHICH GO PREDICTABLY, WH HIM BEG MORE TERTED WATCHG SOME LIKE IT HOT THAN SLEEPG WH HER. IT ISN’T UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WHEN DNNE’S BOYIEND MURRAY SPELLS HIS SEXUALY OUT FOR HER THAT SHE UNRSTANDS WHY HER NORMAL SCTN TECHNIQU FAILED. DPE THE FIZZLED ROMANTIC TERT, CHER AND CHRISTIAN REMA IENDS, BONDG OVER MON TERTS.THIS ATTRACTN MEETS EVERY METRIC OF PULSORY HETEROSEXUALY. CHRISTIAN HAS TRADNALLY FEME TERTS AND FEATUR AND IS UNAVAILABLE AS A GAY GUY. SHE ACTIVELY CHOOS TO BE ATTRACTED TO HIM AND SEEMS TO BE SEEKG HIS VALIDATN RATHER THAN HIS ROMANTIC TERT.CHER’S FAL ROMANTIC PLOTLE, AND THE HAPPY ENDG OF THE MOVIE, IS HER RELATNSHIP WH HER (EX?) STEP-BROTHER JOSH (PL RUDD). CHER SPENDS THE VAST MAJORY OF THE MOVIE UNTERTED AND ACTUALLY ACTIVELY AVOIDG JOSH, TREATG HIM LIKE HER ANNOYG OLR BROTHER. THEIR RELATNSHIP BE LS ANTAGONISTIC AFTER CHER HELPS JOSH WH HIS WORK FOR HER FATHER, BUT ISN’T UNTIL TAI TAK A LIKG TO HIM THAT SHE REALLY LOOKS AT HIM DIFFERENTLY. IN FACT, HER FEELGS SEEM TO TURN ON A DIME AFTER SEEG TAI FLIRTG WH JOSH, WHICH MAK HER JEALO FOR REASONS SHE N’T PLACE. AFTER A FEW MUT, HOWEVER, SHE HAS HER GRAND EPIPHANY —”OH MY GOD, I LOVE JOSH!”FROM BOTH AN -UNIVERSE CHARACTER PERSPECTIVE AND AN EXTERR WRG PERSPECTIVE, THIS REVELATN FEELS FORCED. JOSH SHOULD, BY ALL METRICS, BE UNAVAILABLE TO CHER — HE’S OLR, SEEMS TO DISLIKE HER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE’S HER STEPBROTHER! THE BUILD-UP TO THEIR RELATNSHIP FEELS DISGENUO AND CHER HAS NO TERT JOSH BEYOND HIS POTENTIAL RELATNSHIP WH TAI, WH WHO SHE HAS SPENT MOST OF THE MOVIE-OBSSED WH.CHER AND TAIAT THIS POT, WE HAVE A FAIRLY STRONG ARGUMENT THAT CHER IS UNTERTED MEN, BUT THAT ULD POT TOWARDS HER BEG ASEXUAL, AROMANTIC, OR TLY JT CREDIBLY PICKY. TO PLETE THE PICTURE OF CHER BEG A LBIAN-D CHARACTER, WE NEED TO FOC ON HER RELATNSHIP WH TAI.TAI FRASIER (BRTANY MURPHY) IS A NEW TRANSFER STUNT WH A UNIQUE STYLE AND PERSONALY PARED TO THE OTHER STUNTS AT THE UPPER-CLASS CALIFORNIA SCHOOL. SHE IMMEDIATELY DRAWS CHER’S ATTENTN, AND CHER CIS TO TAKE HER UNR HER WG TO MAKE HER ATTRACTIVE AND POPULAR (VERY WICKED). CHER AND TAI’S RELATNSHIP PROV CHER’S QUEERNS TWO WAYS.FIRST HAS MORE TO DO WH TAI HERSELF THAN CHER. TAI IS A CLEARLY QUEER-D CHARACTER (QUEER DG BEG THE SUBTEXTUAL E OF QUEER TRAS). SHE DON’T WEAR MAKP OR DO MUCH WH HER HAIR, SHE WEARS FLANNELS AND MORE MASCULE OR ECCENTRIC CLOTHG, AND SHE’S TRODUCED AS A CHARACTER WH MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE THAN THE OTHERS WH DGS, ALHOL, AND SEX. SHE EVEN SAYS TO CHER AND DNNE “I’VE NEVER HAD STRAIGHT IENDS BEFORE” (LIKELY REFERENCG DG E, BUT EASILY EXTEND TO SEXUALY). ALL SIGNS POT TO TAI BEG BI OR GAY, AND WE KNOW OM CHRISTIAN THAT CHER PROBABLY WOULD NOT NSCLY PICK UP ON THOSE SIGNALS.THE SEND ELEMENT OF THEIR RELATNSHIP THAT IS PERTENT IS HOW CHER REACTS TO TAI AND HER OTHER IENDSHIPS OR RELATNSHIPS. FROM THE BEGNG, CHER ATTEMPTS TO GET TAI A BOYIEND, WHICH SHE SE AS A STAT SYMBOL. IN FACT, HER CISN OF WHICH BOYS TAI SHOULD PURSUE HAS NOTHG TO DO WH TAI’S TERT THEM; RATHER, HER CISNS ARE BASED ON HOW DATG THEM WOULD AFFECT HER SOCIAL STAT (I.E. CHOOSG RICH KID ELTON OVER STONER TRAVIS). CHER’S REAL REACTNS E WHEN TAI IS GENUELY TERTED SOMEONE, PECIALLY IF THAT TERT MEANS TAI VALUG THEM OVER HER.CHER IS VISIBLY TRATED WHEN TAI EXPRS A SIRE TO DATE JOSH, AND THE NFLICT THAT ARIS OM THAT SUATN IS THE CX OF THE MOVIE’S PLOT. FROM A SCREENWRG PERSPECTIVE, CHER’S RELATNSHIP WH TAI IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN HER RELATNSHIP WH JOSH. HER CHARACTER VELOPMENT AND MOTIVATN WOULD BE UNCHANGED IF JOSH WERE WRTEN OUT OF THE STORY BUT WOULD BE ENTIRELY NONEXISTENT IF THE SAME WERE DONE TO TAI.A PIVOTAL SEQUENCE THE MOVIE THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE SHIFT CHER AND TAI’S IENDSHIP OCCURS AFTER TAI’S ‘NEAR-ATH EXPERIENCE’ AT THE MALL. WHILE IS EASILY FERRED THAT CHER IS IRRATED THAT TAI IS TAKG THE ATTENTN SHE UALLY GARNERS, THE TTH IS A B MORE LAYERED. FIRST OF ALL, CHER CLAIMS CRED FOR TAI’S POPULARY, SO WHEN TAI BEGS TO VELOP A SOCIAL LIFE SEPARATE OM HER, SHE FEELS ISOLATED OM HER NEW IEND/PROJECT. SENDLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE MOVIE THAT TAI IS NOT FOCG HER ATTENTN ON CHER. SHE’S FLIRTG WH THE GUYS AT THE MALL, WHICH CLEARLY ANNOYS CHER, AND AFTER SHE AND CHRISTIAN SH OVER TO STOP TAI OM FALLG, TAI DIRECTS ALL HER GRATU TO CHRISTIAN AND IGNOR CHER. THIS IS WHAT THE REAL NFLICT THEIR RELATNSHIP IS — FOR THE FIRST TIME SCE THEY’VE MET, CHER IS NOT THE CENTER OF TAI’S WORLD, AND CHER IS IMMEDIATELY JEALO.OBVLY, THIS ULD JT BE A SIGN OF IENDSHIP, PECIALLY IF CHER WAS SIMPLY A JEALO PERSON, BUT THIS IS REALLY NOT THE SE. IN FACT, HER LONG-TIME BT IEND DNNE HAS A BOYIEND WHO CHER DISAPPROV OF, BUT CHER IS NEVER JEALO WHEN DNNE SPENDS TIME WH HIM STEAD OF HER. EVEN AT THE PARTY THE HILLS, CHER IS MORE IRRATED WH MURRAY’S CHILDISH ANTICS THAN UPSET WH DNNE, AND EVEN HAPPILY CHOOS TO LEAVE THE PARTY WH TAI ALONE WHEN HER FATHER LLS WH A CURFEW ULTIMATUM. CLEARLY, CHER’S FEELGS FOR TAI ARE UNIQUE, EVEN WHEN PARED TO HER FEELGS FOR JOSH. CHER SPENDS A FULL R RI ALONE WH JOSH AND A GIRL HE IS ROMANTILLY VOLVED WH AND DISPLAYS NO HT OF JEALOY — FACT, HER ONLY FEELGS OF JEALOY REGARDG JOSH VOLVED A POTENTIAL RELATNSHIP WH TAI.WHEN THE WHOLE FILM IS ADD UP, SEEMS PRETTY OBV TO ME THAT CHER WAS FAR MORE TERTED DATG TAI THAN SHE EVER WAS JOSH. I’M SURE MANY PEOPLE WILL REMA UNNVCED, SO I WANT TO SPEND THE LAST SECTN OF THIS ARTICLE TALKG ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF QUEER TERPRETATN OF MEDIA AND THE NEED FOR GREATER NONIL QUEER REPRENTATN THE FUTURE.QUEER REPRENTATN THE MEDIA

“[Durg the 1960s and 1970s, ] gay characters were often reprented as beg dangero, vlent, predatory or suicidal such as the films ‘The Children’s Hour’ (1961), ‘The Boys the Band’ (1970), ‘Midnight Exprs’ (1978) and ‘Vanishg Pot’ (1971), ” Media Smarts, a digal and media leracy nonprof wrote an article. In my se, I beme the gay guy om ‘Cluels.

“Wh Hollywood films signed to appeal to as large an dience as possible, producers fear that focg on gay and lbian them may risk offendg a signifint portn of the dience, not to mentn potential vtors, ” Media Smarts wrote. " when he breaks the (obv) news that Christian is gay. Cluels was released 1995, a full two years before Ellen Degener me out of the closet — that shows how much more taboo beg gay was then pared to today.

And while Cluels was relatively progrsive that there was a fully veloped gay character (Christian), there are some glarg gay stereotyp the film. Then there's the issue of Christian, one of the major characters, who is the stereotypil gay man — thk Queer Eye for the Straight Guy — wh his fashn sensibily, appreciatn of Ben-Hur, dancg skills, art leracy, and good physique. Shout out to whoever on set had Christian readg a py of Junky by William Burroughs, a gay lerary in, class.

JAGUARS ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT

That is until she realized he was gay.

HOW TO RENCILE YOUR CHRISTIAN FAH WH YOUR GAY LIFE

”Clearly, there is still room to grow, but we have e a long way om the cliche socially isolated gay characters. (And fact, for most of the 20th century, homosexualy and genr dysmorphia were nsired ndns to be listed the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn’s Diagnostic and Statistil Manual of Mental Disorrs. Cluels: First Steps to LGBTQ+ AwarensOne of the first and most inic films to portray a gay character a posive light was Cluels.

A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

Cluels chronicl the misadventur of a teenage self-proclaimed matchmaker, Cher, who liv Beverly Hills wh her daddy wh all the luxuri anyone uld wish film is known for many of s popular tchphras and lnchg leadg actrs Alicia Silverstone to full-fledged stardom; also troduced the gay character of Christian, portrayed by Jt Walker. Cluels did have a few of the ual clich; Cher and her bt iend Dnne (Stacey Dash) assume Christian is gay bee “he knows how to drs.

Unfortunately, wasn’t all sunshe and rabows after this Girls: “Too Gay to Functn”The early 2000s wnsed a plethora of teenage films and shows which negatively portrayed queer characters clu the csantly-quoted Mean Girls. The film, directed by Mark Waters and wrten by Ta Fey, revolv around Cady (Ldsay Lohan), who has been home-schooled her entire life Ai; her fay mov to a town Illois and Cady fally attends public school and receiv a crash urse the btal, unspoken laws of populary om her new iends Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franze) is the only openly gay character the film and is a plete stereotype who prefers to pass his time shoppg, idoliz brands and even one scene attempts to blend wh a group of girls. Janis teas him throughout the film by sayg he is “too gay to functn.