'Love, Victor' star: Gay role sparked ath threats - Los Angel Tim

Contents:

• ‘LOVE, VICTOR’ STAR SAYS GAY ROLE SPARKED HOMOPHOBIA OM HIS FAY, ATH THREATS
• 'LOVE, VICTOR': HULU'S GAY TEEN ROM- WAS DUMPED BY DISNEY+: WHY THAT SENDS THE WRONG MSAGE
• CAN ‘LOVE VICTOR’ FY THE STEREOTYP ABOUT GROWG UP GAY?
• HULU’S LOVE, VICTOR IS UGHT UP THE MYTHOLOGY OF WHE GAYNS
• ‘THERE’S NO WRONG WAY TO BE GAY’: BEHD THE SCEN OF LOVE, VICTOR
• IS VICTOR LOVE GAY?
• 'PASSAG' DIRECTOR NOUNC 'DANGERO' NC-17 RATG ON A FILM PICTG A GAY LOVE STORY
• LOVE, VICTOR REP: THE PERFECT LEVEL OF GAY
• WHY ‘LOVE, VICTOR’ STAR MICHAEL CIMO TOOK A GAY ROLE AGAST INDTRY ADVICE
• IS GEE SEAR GAY? WHO IS HE DATG?
• ‘LOVE, VICTOR’: THE CHARMG GAY TEEN ROM-COM DISNEY SAID WASN’T KID-FRIENDLYPRI?DISNEY FFLED FEATHERS WHEN LED S ‘LOVE, SIMON’ SEQUEL SERI, ‘LOVE, VICTOR,’ NOT FAY APPROPRIATE. NOW THAT WE’VE SEEN THE ADORABLE GAY ROMANCE, WE LL BULLSH.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUN. 11, 2020 5:00AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 10, 2020 4:28AM EDT HULUIT WAS A TONE S THE MAKG. THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF FILM THE MAKG, REALLY. LOVE, SIMON WAS THE FIRST GAY TEEN ROMANCE EVER RELEASED BY A MAJOR STUD. IT HAD THE BUDGET OF A MAJOR STUD, THE MARKETG ARM OF A MAJOR STUD, AND EVERYONE WAS MEANT TO SEE AND SWOON OVER , NOT JT THE GAY MUNY. THAT WAS HUGE.IT HAD AN APPEALG PROTAGONIST, A FIZZY ST OF SUPPORTG CHARACTERS, THRILLG EMOTNAL HIGHS, AND AN ENARG, EASY-TO-ROOT-FOR LOVE STORY THAT CULMATED ONE OF THOSE BIG, SPECTACULAR, ONLY--THE-MOVI GRAND ROMANTIC GTUR: A FIREWORKS-SRED KISS AT THE TOP OF A FERRIS WHEEL, TO THE CHEERS OF EVERYONE WATCHG BELOW. THIS ONE, FOR THE FIRST TIME A MOVIE LIKE THIS, WAS BETWEEN TWO BOYS. NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY BUT TOOK SO MUCH TIME TO GET THE TOP OF THAT FERRIS WHEEL, AND THE CROWD THAT HAD GATHERED TO OBSERVE THAT KISS WAS SO LARGE AND SO SCTO, THAT THE TONE’S JOURNEY BACK DOWN TO EARTH WAS EVABLY THROUGH A GNTLET OF BATE.  FOR ALL THE AFFECTN THE FILM AND S SUCCS EARNED, THERE WERE NCERNS ABOUT WHO SIMON—A WHE, PRIVILEGED, STRAIGHT-PASSG TEEN—REALLY REPRENTS. THERE WAS EXHSTN OVER ANOTHER LGBT+ FILM BEG CENTERED AROUND THE STGGLE TO E OUT, AND QUTNS OVER WHAT PROMIS HAD TO BE MA FOR A STUD TO GREENLIGHT AND FUND . BUT AT LEAST OM A BS STANDPOT, THGS SHOOK OUT OPTIMISTILLY. IT WAS A MERCIAL H WH A PASSNATE FANBASE, PROVG THE MASTREAM VIABILY OF A LGBT+ STORY TO THE CCIAL YOUTH DIENCE. THOSE THGS MATTER TO A STUD’S BOTTOM LE, AND WOULD OSTENSIBLY ENURAGE MORE FILMS LIKE , SO THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER NSIRED RISKS OR TON BUT JT PART OF THE PANTHEON OF TEEN MOVI. THAT’S WHY WAS SO HEARTENG WHEN A TV SEQUEL SET THE LOVE, SIMON UNIVERSE LLED LOVE, VICTOR WAS ANNOUNCED. WHAT’S A MORE POWERFUL SIGN OF NORMALIZED HOLLYWOOD SUCCS THAN ANCHISG? THE SERI WAS VELOPED FOR AND TEND TO LNCH ON THE DISNEY+ STREAMG SERVICE. THEN THE SHOCKG NEWS BROKE THAT THE SERI WAS STEAD BEG SHIFTED TO HULU, WHICH DISNEY OWNS, AS WAS REPORTEDLY EMED NOT APPROPRIATE FOR DISNEY+’S FAY DIENCE.LOVE, VICTOR, WHICH PREMIER THE MIDST OF PRI MONTH NEXT WEEK ON HULU, IS WONRFUL. IT IS CHARMG AND ENARG ALL THE WAYS LOVE, SIMON WAS, PLAYG JT THE RIGHT KD OF MELODY ON YOUR HEART STRGS TO KEEP YOU VTED A 10-EPISO N. IT URSE RRECTS FOR SOME OF THE MORE OBTE INTY POLICS OF THE FILM—VICTOR (MICHAEL CIMO) IS LATO, OM A WORKG-CLASS AND LS-TOLERANT RELIG FAY, AND MORE CUR ABOUT SEXUALY ON A SPECTM—WHILE, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, MIMICKG THE BEATS OF LOVE, SIMON’S G-OUT NARRATIVE.  IT IS A SERI THAT, ALONGSI THE IMPRSIVE HIGH SCHOOL MIL: THE MIL: THE SERI, DISNEY+ SHOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE AND IS RICHER FOR HAVG. THE PANY LE, AS REPORTED BY VARIETY, WAS THAT THE SHOW’S PICTN OF ALHOL AND S NVERSATNS ABOUT SEX DID NOT F WH THE DISNEY+ FAY BRAND—AN NGO AND ARGUABLY HYPOCRIL POSN GIVEN THAT THE SERVICE HOSTS A SLEW OF PG-13 TL, A MATURE SLATE OF MARVEL FILMS, THE ADULT-SKEWG THE MANDALORIAN, SEX-ADJACENT FILMS LIKE SPLASH, AND, OF ALL THGS, THE FULL LIBRARY OF THE SIMPSONS. THE OPTICS OF DISNEY’S CISN, THEN, ARE TERRIBLE. ITS ARBRARY AND NSISTENT LGS ABOUT NTENT TELEGRAPH THE MSAGE THAT EXECUTIV EMED A GAY LOVE STORY APPROPRIATE FOR FAI. WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S THE TTH, THAT IS THE LOUD, UNIGNORABLE MSAGE SENT, PECIALLY NOW THAT WE’VE VIEWED THE ENTIRE SERI AND FOUND NOTHG MORE OBJECTNABLE THAN ANY OF THE PROPERTI MENTNED ABOVE. IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT SEE THE JTIFITN OF “ALHOL E” AS A FLIMSY SHIELD FOR WHAT THE SERVICE IS REALLY SAYG ABOUT WHAT ISN’T FAY-IENDLY ABOUT LOVE, VICTOR. THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME A SERI THAT WAS TEND FOR DISNEY+ WAS MOVED OVER TO HULU FOR THEMATIC REASONS, FOLLOWG HIGH FILY FEBARY. THE DIFFERENCE IS HOW CHASTE LOVE, VICTOR IS BY PARISON—AND BY PARISON TO SO MUCH OTHER NTENT ON DISNEY+. CONFN OVER WHAT DISNEY-OWNED NTENT MOV TO HULU AND WHAT GETS THE MOE SEAL OF APPROVAL ON DISNEY+ HAS BEEN A NSTANT REA SCE THE SERVICE’S LNCH, AS HAS A RELEVANT NCERN. WHEN ’S NOT STG OFF SERI ENTIRELY—OR SPENDG PRODUCTN, AS DID WH THE REBOOT OF LIZZIE MAGUIRE—THE MASSIVE, MONOLHIC STUTN HAS BEEN SNIPPG AND CUTTG CERTA PROJECTS ORR TO EHER MAKE THEM MORE KID-IENDLY OR TO RETROF THEM TO S OWN, ARBRARY MORAL STANDARD, PENDG ON HOW YOU LOOK AT .  SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE ARE TWO THGS: A GAY TEEN ROM- SERI THAT HAS BEEN NSTED AS NOT FAY IENDLY BASED ON PROGRAMMG CISNS—SOMETHG TLY ANGERG—AND A GAY TEEN ROM- SERI THAT IS GENUELY WORTH WATCHG, WHICH IS SOMETHG TO BE CELEBRATED.FROM MOMENT ONE, THE SERI FDS A CLEVER HOOK TO THE FILM’S LETTER-WRG FORMULA, WHICH SIMON BE PEN PALS WH ANOTHER CLOSETED GAY STUNT. HERE, VICTOR IS A NEW STUNT AT THE SAME SCHOOL SIMON ATTEND AND WHERE HE IS NOW A LEGEND BEE OF THE EPIC ROMANTIC JOURNEY HE WENT ON. VICTOR IS QUTNG HIS SEXUALY AND WONRS IF THIS NEW START IS AN OPPORTUNY TO LIVE HONTLY ABOUT . INSTEAD HE REALIZ THAT, BEE OF HIS CIRCUMSTANC, HE N’T—NOT RIGHT NOW, NO MATTER THE PATH THAT SIMON BLAZED FOR HIM. SO VICTOR REACH OUT, MSAGG SIMON OVER INSTAGRAM TO TELL HIM HOW HE FEELS: “I JT WANT TO SAY: SCREW YOU. SCREW YOU FOR HAVG THE WORLD’S MOST PERFECT, ACCEPTG PARENTS, THE WORLD’S MOST SUPPORTIVE IENDS. BEE FOR SOME OF , ’S NOT THAT EASY.” IN SOME WAYS, ’S HOW THE SERI IMMEDIATELY RENCIL SOME OF THE CRICISM LEVIED AT THE FILM FOR THE IDYLLIC SUPPORT SIMON RECEIVED AFTER G OUT, NOT TO MENTN HIS CLASS AND RACE PRIVILEGE. IT ALSO NEATLY THREADS THE UNIVERSE OF THE MOVIE TO THIS NEW SHOW, WH DASH OF “IT GETS BETTER” POSIVY. VICTOR AND SIMON BEE IENDS OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, WH SIMON ACHG VICTOR THROUGH SETBACKS AND TRATNS ON HIS JOURNEY TO FEELG FORTABLE WH WHO HE IS, REASSURG HIM THAT THERE IS HAPPS WAG FOR HIM ON THE OTHER SI.  “DISNEY’S ARBRARY AND NSISTENT LGS ABOUT NTENT TELEGRAPH THE MSAGE THAT EXECUTIV EMED A GAY LOVE STORY APPROPRIATE FOR FAI.” THAT SO MUCH OF THE STORY FOLLOWS THE SAME TRAJECTORY AS LOVE, SIMON WILL IRK THOSE WHO TOOK ISSUE WH THE FACT THAT, FOR A LGBT+ ROMANCE, THE FILM SPENT SO LTLE TIME WH THE SAME-SEX UPLE ACTUALLY TOGETHER AND HAPPY. AND, WH THE EXCEPTN OF A STANDOUT EPISO SET NEW YORK, THERE IS NOT EXACTLY A BROAD REPRENTATN OF GAY INTY HERE. THERE WILL BE THOSE WHO WISH THAT G OUT WASN’T PICTED THE SHOW AS SO OFTEN IS POP CULTURE, RIFE WH NEGATIVY AND TERNAL TORTURE. AND THERE WILL ALSO BE THOSE WHO SFF AT HOW SEEMGLY LOW THE STAK SEEM TO BE FOR VICTOR, PARISON TO WHAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE THE LGBT+ MUNY GO THROUGH. BUT LOVE, VICTOR MAK THE SAME IMPORTANT POT THAT LOVE, SIMON DID, WHICH IS WHY SO MANY RALLIED SO PASSNATELY AROUND THE FILM. IN THE GRAND TRADN OF JOHN HUGH TEEN MOVI, REVEALED THAT PEOPLE FEEL THE WEIGHT OF BEG AN OUTSIR EVEN IF, SUPERFICIALLY, MIGHT LOOK TO A STRANGER LIKE THEY HAVE EVERYTHG GOG FOR THEM. HOW WE RRY THE BURN OF SECRETS, OF SHAME, OF UNCERTA INTI IS A FORMATIVE PART OF OUR GS-OF-AGE. IT’S AN EXPERIENCE THAT’S BOTH SPECIFIC AND UNIVERSAL.THAT’S WHAT’S SO AGGRAVATG ABOUT THIS DISNEY+, FAY-IENDLY NTROVERSY. LOVE, VICTOR IS NOT EDGY. PEOPLE WILL HATE THAT ABOUT . IT PH HARDLY ANY BOUNDARI WHEN TO REVEALG QUTNG TEENS’ EXPERIENC WH SEX OR THE DARKER ELEMENTS OF G OUT. WHILE SOME WILL CRICIZE VICTOR’S STORY FOR HOW IS SANIZED TO THE POT OF BEG PLEASANTLY UNIVERSAL, WE APPRECIATE THAT ABOUT . THERE’S VALUE THAT FOR A CERTA DIENCE— FACT, THE VERY DIENCE THAT DISNEY+ IS SUPPOSED TO BE SERVICG, AND MAYBE EVEN THE DIENCE THAT WANTS SOMETHG LIKE THIS FOR FAI TO WATCH AND LEARN OM.IT N SEEM LIKE THIS IS A GDGE WE’RE OBSSG OVER. LOVE, VICTOR IS AIRG FOR ALL TO SEE ON HULU, SO WHO R? IT WASN’T NCELED OR BURIED. IF ANYTHG, ’S MORE SUPPORT FOR THE ARGUMENT THAT HULU HAS RISEN AS THE STREAMG SERVICE WH THE BT ACROSS-THE-BOARD ORIGAL SERI. (RAMY, PEN15, THE HANDMAID’S TALE, CASUAL, THE ACT, SHRILL, NORMAL PEOPLE, CATCH-22, THE GREAT, TO NAME A FEW.)BUT THE MORE THAT POSIVE NOT ABOUT PROJECTS LIKE THIS ARE DROWNED OUT BY NTROVERSI LIKE THE “FAY-IENDLY” BATE, THE MORE THAT FERRIS WHEEL IS GOG TO KEEP GOG ’ROUND WH NOTHG TO SHOW FOR —A SPECTACULAR MONUMENT TO PROGRS SPNG S WHEELS.  KEV FALLON
• HOW ‘LOVE, VICTOR’ CAPTUR ONE PARENT’S STGGLE TO ACCEPT HER GAY SON (EXCLUSIVE)

‘LOVE, VICTOR’ STAR SAYS GAY ROLE SPARKED HOMOPHOBIA OM HIS FAY, ATH THREATS

Specifilly, Victor's journey to disver his sexualy sets Love, Victor apart om Love, Simon a big the first few mut of Love, Simon, viewers learned the ma character, Simon, is gay, when the narratn allus to a csh he has on a garner.

Victor's story, however, begs when he's a sophomore, and unlike Simon, he don't yet know what is sexualy is.

'LOVE, VICTOR': HULU'S GAY TEEN ROM- WAS DUMPED BY DISNEY+: WHY THAT SENDS THE WRONG MSAGE

Unlike Simon, whose journey the movie was centered on his g-out, Victor's Season 1 story was about a cliffhanger of a Season 1 fale — Victor's parents tellg him they're separatg and him tellg them he's gay return — fans are hopeful this is jt the start of Victor's story, and that a Season 2 will follow up wh his next, Victor Season 1 is streamg now on Hulu.

Michael Cimo, the straight star of Hulu’s gay-themed g-of-age seri “Love, Victor, ” says he has been attacked by some the LGBTQ muny and even some of his own fay members. In a new terview wh Attu, Cimo — who plays the tular Victor — says: “I got some homophobic ments — I kd of expected that to happen.

”He add, “Some of them reached out, sayg, ‘You ed to be so ol; now you’re so gay.

CAN ‘LOVE VICTOR’ FY THE STEREOTYP ABOUT GROWG UP GAY?

“It’s weird … [the Latx muny] is liberal when to thgs about Latos, but when to gay rights, ’s like, eh, qutn mark, ” Cimo said the terview. ”In the Attu terview, Cimo said, “There’s nothg wrong wh beg gay. ’”Cimo has said multiple terviews that he has been warned agast takg gay rol for fear of typestg.

Meanwhile, the young actor has also faced fierce blowback for takg a role that an out gay actor might have played. “But there are some straight actors who play gay characters, who are all about supportg LGBT rights while they’re promotg their project, but once they’re done, a year later, ’s kd of fotten. ”Straight actors playg gay rol has been the subject of bate for some time, often hgg on Hollywood’s history of forcg gay actors to the closet real life and offerg only limed chanc to explore the humany of gay characters on-screen.

Grant, who received an Osr nomatn for playg a gay character “Can You Ever Five Me?, ” said: “I’ve always had that ncern... The transgenr movement and the #MeToo movement means, how n you jtify heterosexual actors playg gay characters?

HULU’S LOVE, VICTOR IS UGHT UP THE MYTHOLOGY OF WHE GAYNS

Criss, who has famoly played queer characters cludg Andrew Cunanan “The Assassatn of Gianni Versace: Amerin Crime Story” and Hedwig “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” onstage, said he wouldn’t take gay rol anymore, bee “I want to make sure I won’t be another straight boy takg a gay man’s role.

While Hollywood has broken new ground wh rerd LGBTQ reprentatn and nuanced gay storytellg, Walt Disney Co.

‘THERE’S NO WRONG WAY TO BE GAY’: BEHD THE SCEN OF LOVE, VICTOR

That much-hyped "exclively gay moment" Disney's live-actn "Bety and the Beast? Marvel's first openly gay character "Avengers: Endgame?

" So I was disappoted, but not at all surprised, when Disney+ revealed Febary that "Love, Victor" – a seri spoff of groundbreakg 2018 gay movie "Love, Simon" – would no longer premiere on the fay-iendly service due to s "adult them. More:Watch the LGBTQ-iendly TV shows, films to honor Pri MonthHavg watched the 10-episo first season of "Love, Victor, " 's hard not to see Disney+'s choice to dump the g-of-age edy as wardly and homophobic; an easy way of passg off the show to sister service Hulu, whout any of the potential backlash om tolerant, pearl-clutchg "Love, Simon, " " Victor" centers on a wsome high-school boy stgglg to e to terms wh his sexualy.

But he quickly velops a secret csh on Benji (Gee Sear), an openly gay, almost illy dreamy barista at the ffee shop where Victor works part-time. In fact, tak Victor almost the entire season to even say the word "gay. One uld argue that "Love, Victor" is on Hulu, rather than Disney+, bee of subject matter that has nothg to do wh s ma character beg gay.

IS VICTOR LOVE GAY?

While he's fortable wh who he is, he's anx to tell his Mulism fay that he's gay and go through great lengths to hi om his to the role, Keyvan spoke wh his real-life fay about the state of Mlim LGBTQ+ folks. "Rahim also starts a discsn about femmephobia the gay muny. It's certaly a problem the gay muny, where masculy is a prized tra to many.

'PASSAG' DIRECTOR NOUNC 'DANGERO' NC-17 RATG ON A FILM PICTG A GAY LOVE STORY

Victor and Benji are on a break at this pot and the two get to var hijks on their skip day, even htg up a gay bar and sgg Jt Bieber karaoke. I thk 's for whatever reason, the studs thk helps the viewer feel more fortable wh the ia of this person beg gay bee they're whe, whatever that is. One major issue I have wh “Love, Victor, ” and many other shows reprentg members the LGBTQ+ muny, is that Cimo himself is not gay, yet reprents a gay character.

LOVE, VICTOR REP: THE PERFECT LEVEL OF GAY

Acrdg to an terview wh People magaze, Cimo nsulted not only a gay relative but iends the LGBTQ+ muny to effectively perform the role, but this is only a ncsn of such an oversight. Michael Cimo as Victor Salazar ‘Love, Victor’ on Hulu (photo: Hulu) gay g of age stori clu certa standard elements: a teen boy (few lbian stori make mastream) regniz he is “not like other boys. ” He is your average suburban whe teenage boy, “except [he’s] gay.

” The show’s openg le distguish Simon om more mon characterizatns of flamboyant gay mal.

WHY ‘LOVE, VICTOR’ STAR MICHAEL CIMO TOOK A GAY ROLE AGAST INDTRY ADVICE

Victor, siarly, isn’t the stereotypil effemate, showtun-obssed gay teen, unlike his unterparts shows like “Ugly Betty” or “Glee. Victor reach out to Simon on Instagram hop of receivg advice on how to navigate beg gay at Creekwood High. A few mut later, both Armando and his abuelo requt that Victor ask his two openly gay iends to leave the party after they kiss ont of the show’s foc on what ’s like growg up gay a workg class, Lato, Catholic fay is both s ma draw and s greatt weakns.

IS GEE SEAR GAY? WHO IS HE DATG?

The show’s foc on what ’s like growg up gay a workg class, Lato, Catholic fay is both s ma draw and s greatt weakns. In realy, beg Lato nsists of more than beg homophobic, eatg tr lech ke and hangg up piñatas.

This simplistic treatment do ltle jtice to the rich nuanc that fe what ’s like to grow up Lato and Catholic a mostly whe, secular Catholic means more than beg nservative and repeatg kschy ’s possible that most gay young people growg up a secular bourgeois fay have easier.

‘LOVE, VICTOR’: THE CHARMG GAY TEEN ROM-COM DISNEY SAID WASN’T KID-FRIENDLYPRI?DISNEY FFLED FEATHERS WHEN LED S ‘LOVE, SIMON’ SEQUEL SERI, ‘LOVE, VICTOR,’ NOT FAY APPROPRIATE. NOW THAT WE’VE SEEN THE ADORABLE GAY ROMANCE, WE LL BULLSH.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUN. 11, 2020 5:00AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 10, 2020 4:28AM EDT HULUIT WAS A TONE S THE MAKG. THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF FILM THE MAKG, REALLY. LOVE, SIMON WAS THE FIRST GAY TEEN ROMANCE EVER RELEASED BY A MAJOR STUD. IT HAD THE BUDGET OF A MAJOR STUD, THE MARKETG ARM OF A MAJOR STUD, AND EVERYONE WAS MEANT TO SEE AND SWOON OVER , NOT JT THE GAY MUNY. THAT WAS HUGE.IT HAD AN APPEALG PROTAGONIST, A FIZZY ST OF SUPPORTG CHARACTERS, THRILLG EMOTNAL HIGHS, AND AN ENARG, EASY-TO-ROOT-FOR LOVE STORY THAT CULMATED ONE OF THOSE BIG, SPECTACULAR, ONLY--THE-MOVI GRAND ROMANTIC GTUR: A FIREWORKS-SRED KISS AT THE TOP OF A FERRIS WHEEL, TO THE CHEERS OF EVERYONE WATCHG BELOW. THIS ONE, FOR THE FIRST TIME A MOVIE LIKE THIS, WAS BETWEEN TWO BOYS. NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY BUT TOOK SO MUCH TIME TO GET THE TOP OF THAT FERRIS WHEEL, AND THE CROWD THAT HAD GATHERED TO OBSERVE THAT KISS WAS SO LARGE AND SO SCTO, THAT THE TONE’S JOURNEY BACK DOWN TO EARTH WAS EVABLY THROUGH A GNTLET OF BATE.  FOR ALL THE AFFECTN THE FILM AND S SUCCS EARNED, THERE WERE NCERNS ABOUT WHO SIMON—A WHE, PRIVILEGED, STRAIGHT-PASSG TEEN—REALLY REPRENTS. THERE WAS EXHSTN OVER ANOTHER LGBT+ FILM BEG CENTERED AROUND THE STGGLE TO E OUT, AND QUTNS OVER WHAT PROMIS HAD TO BE MA FOR A STUD TO GREENLIGHT AND FUND . BUT AT LEAST OM A BS STANDPOT, THGS SHOOK OUT OPTIMISTILLY. IT WAS A MERCIAL H WH A PASSNATE FANBASE, PROVG THE MASTREAM VIABILY OF A LGBT+ STORY TO THE CCIAL YOUTH DIENCE. THOSE THGS MATTER TO A STUD’S BOTTOM LE, AND WOULD OSTENSIBLY ENURAGE MORE FILMS LIKE , SO THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER NSIRED RISKS OR TON BUT JT PART OF THE PANTHEON OF TEEN MOVI. THAT’S WHY WAS SO HEARTENG WHEN A TV SEQUEL SET THE LOVE, SIMON UNIVERSE LLED LOVE, VICTOR WAS ANNOUNCED. WHAT’S A MORE POWERFUL SIGN OF NORMALIZED HOLLYWOOD SUCCS THAN ANCHISG? THE SERI WAS VELOPED FOR AND TEND TO LNCH ON THE DISNEY+ STREAMG SERVICE. THEN THE SHOCKG NEWS BROKE THAT THE SERI WAS STEAD BEG SHIFTED TO HULU, WHICH DISNEY OWNS, AS WAS REPORTEDLY EMED NOT APPROPRIATE FOR DISNEY+’S FAY DIENCE.LOVE, VICTOR, WHICH PREMIER THE MIDST OF PRI MONTH NEXT WEEK ON HULU, IS WONRFUL. IT IS CHARMG AND ENARG ALL THE WAYS LOVE, SIMON WAS, PLAYG JT THE RIGHT KD OF MELODY ON YOUR HEART STRGS TO KEEP YOU VTED A 10-EPISO N. IT URSE RRECTS FOR SOME OF THE MORE OBTE INTY POLICS OF THE FILM—VICTOR (MICHAEL CIMO) IS LATO, OM A WORKG-CLASS AND LS-TOLERANT RELIG FAY, AND MORE CUR ABOUT SEXUALY ON A SPECTM—WHILE, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, MIMICKG THE BEATS OF LOVE, SIMON’S G-OUT NARRATIVE.  IT IS A SERI THAT, ALONGSI THE IMPRSIVE HIGH SCHOOL MIL: THE MIL: THE SERI, DISNEY+ SHOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE AND IS RICHER FOR HAVG. THE PANY LE, AS REPORTED BY VARIETY, WAS THAT THE SHOW’S PICTN OF ALHOL AND S NVERSATNS ABOUT SEX DID NOT F WH THE DISNEY+ FAY BRAND—AN NGO AND ARGUABLY HYPOCRIL POSN GIVEN THAT THE SERVICE HOSTS A SLEW OF PG-13 TL, A MATURE SLATE OF MARVEL FILMS, THE ADULT-SKEWG THE MANDALORIAN, SEX-ADJACENT FILMS LIKE SPLASH, AND, OF ALL THGS, THE FULL LIBRARY OF THE SIMPSONS. THE OPTICS OF DISNEY’S CISN, THEN, ARE TERRIBLE. ITS ARBRARY AND NSISTENT LGS ABOUT NTENT TELEGRAPH THE MSAGE THAT EXECUTIV EMED A GAY LOVE STORY APPROPRIATE FOR FAI. WHETHER OR NOT THAT’S THE TTH, THAT IS THE LOUD, UNIGNORABLE MSAGE SENT, PECIALLY NOW THAT WE’VE VIEWED THE ENTIRE SERI AND FOUND NOTHG MORE OBJECTNABLE THAN ANY OF THE PROPERTI MENTNED ABOVE. IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT SEE THE JTIFITN OF “ALHOL E” AS A FLIMSY SHIELD FOR WHAT THE SERVICE IS REALLY SAYG ABOUT WHAT ISN’T FAY-IENDLY ABOUT LOVE, VICTOR. THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME A SERI THAT WAS TEND FOR DISNEY+ WAS MOVED OVER TO HULU FOR THEMATIC REASONS, FOLLOWG HIGH FILY FEBARY. THE DIFFERENCE IS HOW CHASTE LOVE, VICTOR IS BY PARISON—AND BY PARISON TO SO MUCH OTHER NTENT ON DISNEY+. CONFN OVER WHAT DISNEY-OWNED NTENT MOV TO HULU AND WHAT GETS THE MOE SEAL OF APPROVAL ON DISNEY+ HAS BEEN A NSTANT REA SCE THE SERVICE’S LNCH, AS HAS A RELEVANT NCERN. WHEN ’S NOT STG OFF SERI ENTIRELY—OR SPENDG PRODUCTN, AS DID WH THE REBOOT OF LIZZIE MAGUIRE—THE MASSIVE, MONOLHIC STUTN HAS BEEN SNIPPG AND CUTTG CERTA PROJECTS ORR TO EHER MAKE THEM MORE KID-IENDLY OR TO RETROF THEM TO S OWN, ARBRARY MORAL STANDARD, PENDG ON HOW YOU LOOK AT .  SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE ARE TWO THGS: A GAY TEEN ROM- SERI THAT HAS BEEN NSTED AS NOT FAY IENDLY BASED ON PROGRAMMG CISNS—SOMETHG TLY ANGERG—AND A GAY TEEN ROM- SERI THAT IS GENUELY WORTH WATCHG, WHICH IS SOMETHG TO BE CELEBRATED.FROM MOMENT ONE, THE SERI FDS A CLEVER HOOK TO THE FILM’S LETTER-WRG FORMULA, WHICH SIMON BE PEN PALS WH ANOTHER CLOSETED GAY STUNT. HERE, VICTOR IS A NEW STUNT AT THE SAME SCHOOL SIMON ATTEND AND WHERE HE IS NOW A LEGEND BEE OF THE EPIC ROMANTIC JOURNEY HE WENT ON. VICTOR IS QUTNG HIS SEXUALY AND WONRS IF THIS NEW START IS AN OPPORTUNY TO LIVE HONTLY ABOUT . INSTEAD HE REALIZ THAT, BEE OF HIS CIRCUMSTANC, HE N’T—NOT RIGHT NOW, NO MATTER THE PATH THAT SIMON BLAZED FOR HIM. SO VICTOR REACH OUT, MSAGG SIMON OVER INSTAGRAM TO TELL HIM HOW HE FEELS: “I JT WANT TO SAY: SCREW YOU. SCREW YOU FOR HAVG THE WORLD’S MOST PERFECT, ACCEPTG PARENTS, THE WORLD’S MOST SUPPORTIVE IENDS. BEE FOR SOME OF , ’S NOT THAT EASY.” IN SOME WAYS, ’S HOW THE SERI IMMEDIATELY RENCIL SOME OF THE CRICISM LEVIED AT THE FILM FOR THE IDYLLIC SUPPORT SIMON RECEIVED AFTER G OUT, NOT TO MENTN HIS CLASS AND RACE PRIVILEGE. IT ALSO NEATLY THREADS THE UNIVERSE OF THE MOVIE TO THIS NEW SHOW, WH DASH OF “IT GETS BETTER” POSIVY. VICTOR AND SIMON BEE IENDS OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, WH SIMON ACHG VICTOR THROUGH SETBACKS AND TRATNS ON HIS JOURNEY TO FEELG FORTABLE WH WHO HE IS, REASSURG HIM THAT THERE IS HAPPS WAG FOR HIM ON THE OTHER SI.  “DISNEY’S ARBRARY AND NSISTENT LGS ABOUT NTENT TELEGRAPH THE MSAGE THAT EXECUTIV EMED A GAY LOVE STORY APPROPRIATE FOR FAI.” THAT SO MUCH OF THE STORY FOLLOWS THE SAME TRAJECTORY AS LOVE, SIMON WILL IRK THOSE WHO TOOK ISSUE WH THE FACT THAT, FOR A LGBT+ ROMANCE, THE FILM SPENT SO LTLE TIME WH THE SAME-SEX UPLE ACTUALLY TOGETHER AND HAPPY. AND, WH THE EXCEPTN OF A STANDOUT EPISO SET NEW YORK, THERE IS NOT EXACTLY A BROAD REPRENTATN OF GAY INTY HERE. THERE WILL BE THOSE WHO WISH THAT G OUT WASN’T PICTED THE SHOW AS SO OFTEN IS POP CULTURE, RIFE WH NEGATIVY AND TERNAL TORTURE. AND THERE WILL ALSO BE THOSE WHO SFF AT HOW SEEMGLY LOW THE STAK SEEM TO BE FOR VICTOR, PARISON TO WHAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE THE LGBT+ MUNY GO THROUGH. BUT LOVE, VICTOR MAK THE SAME IMPORTANT POT THAT LOVE, SIMON DID, WHICH IS WHY SO MANY RALLIED SO PASSNATELY AROUND THE FILM. IN THE GRAND TRADN OF JOHN HUGH TEEN MOVI, REVEALED THAT PEOPLE FEEL THE WEIGHT OF BEG AN OUTSIR EVEN IF, SUPERFICIALLY, MIGHT LOOK TO A STRANGER LIKE THEY HAVE EVERYTHG GOG FOR THEM. HOW WE RRY THE BURN OF SECRETS, OF SHAME, OF UNCERTA INTI IS A FORMATIVE PART OF OUR GS-OF-AGE. IT’S AN EXPERIENCE THAT’S BOTH SPECIFIC AND UNIVERSAL.THAT’S WHAT’S SO AGGRAVATG ABOUT THIS DISNEY+, FAY-IENDLY NTROVERSY. LOVE, VICTOR IS NOT EDGY. PEOPLE WILL HATE THAT ABOUT . IT PH HARDLY ANY BOUNDARI WHEN TO REVEALG QUTNG TEENS’ EXPERIENC WH SEX OR THE DARKER ELEMENTS OF G OUT. WHILE SOME WILL CRICIZE VICTOR’S STORY FOR HOW IS SANIZED TO THE POT OF BEG PLEASANTLY UNIVERSAL, WE APPRECIATE THAT ABOUT . THERE’S VALUE THAT FOR A CERTA DIENCE— FACT, THE VERY DIENCE THAT DISNEY+ IS SUPPOSED TO BE SERVICG, AND MAYBE EVEN THE DIENCE THAT WANTS SOMETHG LIKE THIS FOR FAI TO WATCH AND LEARN OM.IT N SEEM LIKE THIS IS A GDGE WE’RE OBSSG OVER. LOVE, VICTOR IS AIRG FOR ALL TO SEE ON HULU, SO WHO R? IT WASN’T NCELED OR BURIED. IF ANYTHG, ’S MORE SUPPORT FOR THE ARGUMENT THAT HULU HAS RISEN AS THE STREAMG SERVICE WH THE BT ACROSS-THE-BOARD ORIGAL SERI. (RAMY, PEN15, THE HANDMAID’S TALE, CASUAL, THE ACT, SHRILL, NORMAL PEOPLE, CATCH-22, THE GREAT, TO NAME A FEW.)BUT THE MORE THAT POSIVE NOT ABOUT PROJECTS LIKE THIS ARE DROWNED OUT BY NTROVERSI LIKE THE “FAY-IENDLY” BATE, THE MORE THAT FERRIS WHEEL IS GOG TO KEEP GOG ’ROUND WH NOTHG TO SHOW FOR —A SPECTACULAR MONUMENT TO PROGRS SPNG S WHEELS.  KEV FALLON

But what the show fails to acknowledge is that beyond the generally homophobic attus of many Lato Catholic workg class fai, there is a lot more at stake for them than there is for someone growg up Simon’s environment. How n they accept their gay children while still affirmg their cultural and relig valu?

Lato taboos agast homosexualy n often rult abe and vlence. And is not surprisg that so many claim that their homophobia is jtified by church church n tervene here wh a “both/and” logic, affirmg the digny of gay persons and acpanyg them along the enrichg and excg journey of livg their liv acrdg to Christ’s love. Victor is gog through a siar crisis of personal and sexual inty: Though movg to a new town suggts he will be ee to explore his attractn to men, the sual homophobia he experienc at school, at home wh his fay reelg om the move, and by his awkward only iend Felix (Anthony Turpel); the nontatns wh the popular bully on the basketball team Andrew (Mason Goodg), and the social prsure (mixed wh ternalized homophobia) to date a popular girl, Mia (Rachel Naomi Hilson), all make his g of queerns slightly msier than many on screen reprentatns.

HOW ‘LOVE, VICTOR’ CAPTUR ONE PARENT’S STGGLE TO ACCEPT HER GAY SON (EXCLUSIVE)

But over the season, Victor and Simon velop a rrponnce over Instagram DM, turng the character om the first movie to a gay mentor for the trated, sred, and nfed Victor. Curly, by dog so, Love, Victor plit s own tentns regardg reprentatn, creatg and ntributg to a mythology of whe gayns. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, ma: to simply state that was the first g out movie, or the first gay teen movie, or the first gay movie whout a tragic endg would be an erasure of the queer media that me before, like The Edge of Seventeen, But I’m a Cheerlear, and The Wise Kids.

It was the first major, stud-released gay teen movie, and one that was, for all s mers, subject to thoughtful and valid cricism regardg the sulary of s queer perspectiv: s wealthy, whe, mascule prentg lead (played by a straight actor) whose primary goal was to assure the (possibly straight) dience that he was jt like them. Ls “homo sapiens agenda”, and more “homonormative agenda”. As he dol out advice on gettg ed to high school a new place, negotiatg nservative parents, and figurg out feelgs for a guy at school (Benji, also whe), Simon be one of the primary reference pots for Victor’s ia of gayns.

Such a bar begs to alce to a potentially poisono polil project of homonormativy, an ial of queerns that still subscrib to systems and stutns that privilege whe, cisgenr, middle class, heterosexual prentg queer people at the expense of queer and trans people who are not afford the same liberti due to stutnal and systemic jtic (ed by scholar Lisa Duggan). Whe gays, whatever their ocsnal efulns, have long been cled to throw others unr the b.