Turns out, Barbieland isn't as gay as s queer fans had hoped

Contents:

• TURNS OUT, BARBIELAND ISN'T AS GAY AS S QUEER FANS HAD HOPED
• IS ‘STRANGER THGS’ LEADG UP TO A BIG GAY SURPRISE WH WILL BYERS?PRIDEFANS HAVE BEEN SPECULATG THAT NOAH SCHNAPP’S WILL BYERS IS GOG TO E OUT OF THE CLOSET THE SEND HALF OF SEASON 4. WE GATHERED ALL THE CLU—AND HAVE SOME THOUGHTS. TARIQ RAOUFPUBLISHED JUN. 21, 2022 3:27AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/NETFLIXIT’S BEEN A FEW WEEKS SCE STRANGER THGS 4: PART ONE WAS RELEASED AND ’S NOT LONG UNTIL THE FAL MD FLAYER-SIZED EPISOS OF PART TWO E OUT ON JULY 1. IN THE TIME SCE THE SEASON WAS RELEASED AND AFTER UNTLS ARTICL, TWEETS, FAN-FOM POSTS, AND ST TERVIEWS PARSG JT ABOUT EVERY SGLE TAIL OF THE EPISOS, THERE’S STILL ONE QUTN LGERG ON OUR MDS: IS WILL BYERS (NOAH SCHNAPP) GOG TO E OUT THIS YEAR?AFTER GOG DOWN A RABB HOLE OF THOSE AFOREMENTNED FAN THEORI AND TERVIEWS, WE’VE GATHERED THE FACTS AND PUT THE WHOLE THG TOGETHER SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO.IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWG THE MOR L, YOU’LL KNOW THERE’S A CERTA PLOT THAT HAS BEEN ON THE SHOW’S BACK BURNER FOR AT LEAST A SEASON: WILL BEYER’S SEXUALY. IT ALL STARTED SEASON 3, EPISO 3, WHEN WILL AND MIKE (FN WOLFHARD) GOT TO AN ARGUMENT AFTER MIKE STOPPED FOCG ON DUNGEONS & DRAGONS BEE HE STARTED DATG ELLE (MILLIE BOBBY BROWN). WILL IS SUPER UPSET THAT THEIR DYNAMIC HAS BEEN CHANGED AND MIKE SHOUTS, “IT’S NOT MY FLT YOU DON’T LIKE GIRLS!” IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE MASSIVE FANBASE BEGAN SPECULATG WHAT THIS SMALL MOMENT ULD MEAN FOR THE FUTURE, BUT THE SHOW HAS BEEN SLOW TO GIVE ANY OTHER VELOPMENT ON THIS STORY.THROUGH THIS YEAR’S ROUND OF PRS, HOWEVER, ’S BEE CLEAR—AS CLEAR AS ANYTHG N BE THE LI-AND-CE GAME OF CELEBRY PRS TOURS—THAT THERE’S FELY SOMETHG LED UP FOR WILL’S RELATNSHIP WH MIKE, AND ’S LOOKG PRETTY QUEER. IN AN TERVIEW WH TVLE, SHOW CREATORS MATT AND ROSS DUFFER EXPLA THAT WE’RE “SUPPOSED TO BE ASKG THOSE QUTNS.” MATT CLAIMS THAT “THIS IS WHERE GETS TRICKY SCE WE HAVEN’T RELEASED THE WHOLE SEASON YET,” AND NTU TO EXPRS NCERN FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE JUMPG THE GUN ON JUDGG EHER WAY. “I JT WANT PEOPLE TO WATCH THE FAL TWO EPISOS.” THE VAGUE RPONS E OM EVERYONE THE ST, ON MULTIPLE TERVIEWS THROUGH DIFFERENT OUTLETS. SHNAPP HIMSELF EXPLAED TO VARIETY, “I THK THAT’S THE BETY OF , THAT ’S JT UP TO THE DIENCE’S TERPRETATN, IF ’S WILL KD OF JT REFG TO GROW UP AND GROWG UP SLOWER THAN HIS IENDS, OR IF HE IS REALLY GAY.” IN THE SAME TERVIEW, BROWN CHIM TO SAY, “I THK WHAT’S REALLY NICE ABOUT WILL’S CHARACTER IS THAT HE’S JT A HUMAN BEG GOG THROUGH HIS OWN PERSONAL MONS AND ISSU. SO MANY KIDS OUT THERE DON’T KNOW, AND THAT’S OK. THAT’S OK TO NOT KNOW. AND THAT’S OK NOT TO LABEL THGS.”AND MOST OBV OF ALL, THERE’S A PROMOTNAL VIO OM NETFLIX MEXI WHERE WOLFHARD JOS ST MEMBERS WONA RYR, DAVID HARBOUR AND CALEB MCLGHL TO DISCS FAN THEORI FOR THE SEASON. WHEN THERE’S A THEORY MENTNED THAT WILL AND ELLE ARE A RELATNSHIP, HARBOUR IS QUICK TO SHOOT DOWN, SAYG, “IF YOU’VE BEEN WATCHG THE SHOW, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WILL IS NOT TERTED ELLE. HE’S TERTED SOMEONE ELSE THE GROUP.” I MEAN, N THEY MAKE ANY MORE OBV?IF HE IS GAY, AND HE’S JT HAVG A HARD TIME G TO TERMS WH TERNALLY, THEN THAT’S A NECSARY STORY TO SHARE A MEDIA LANDSPE THAT OFTEN NEGAT THE QUEER YOUTH EXPERIENCE. FOR VIEWERS WHO MAY BE GOG THROUGH THE SAME THGS AS WILL—NOT READY TO SHARE WHAT’S GOG ON TERNALLY BEE THERE’S A LOT OF NFN AND FEAR—’S IMPORTANT THEY KNOW IS OKAY TO NOT REALLY UNRSTAND WHAT’S GOG ON, AS BROWN POTED OUT. AND SOME SENSE THERE’S NOTHG PARTICULARLY WRONG WH ST MEMBERS NOT ANSWERG THE QUTN AND WANTG TO LEAVE FOR VIEWERS TO SEE FOR THEMSELV, IF WHAT THEY’RE PLANNG IS TLY WORTH .WHAT’S NCERNG IS THAT WILL’S CHARACTER VELOPMENT HAS BEEN GOG AT A SNAIL’S PACE OVER THE LAST TWO SEASONS. IT’S ALMOST AS IF THE BIGGT PART OF HIS PERSONALY RIGHT NOW IS JT HIS CSH ON MIKE, OR HIS BEG THE CLOSET. HE WAS TEGRAL TO BOTH SEASON 1 AND SEASON 2 OF STRANGER THGS AS THE BOY WHO WENT MISSG, AND THEN BEME THE NNECTN TO THE UPSI DOWN. BUT SCE SEASON 3, HIS ROLE HAS BEEN MIMAL PARED TO HIS -STARS. GRANTED, THERE ARE OVER 16 CHARACTERS THE SERI TO FOC ON AND ’S HONTLY IMPRSIVE TO PULL OFF ANY CHARACTER GROWTH WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY. BUT WHY SHOULD WILL’S ONLY FOC BE HIS SEXUALY, OR THE QUTNG OF ? AND EVEN IF THE CREATORS WANT TO EXPLORE THAT BETIFUL SPACE OF FIGURG OUT YOUR INTY AND STGGLG TO TELL YOUR IEND YOU’RE GAY AND YOU HAVE A CSH ON THEM, WHY KEEP THE DIENCE OUT OF THAT JOURNEY?SURE, WILL MAY NOT BE READY TO SHARE THAT WH HIS IENDS, AND THAT’S PERFECTLY UNRSTANDABLE. BUT THE CURRENT AMG OF WILL’S CHARACTER IMPLI THAT THERE’S A EP SHAME NEEDG TIME OR SPACE TO FIGURE OUT YOUR STUFF. IT WOULD’VE BEEN AWOME TO SEE THE PATGS THAT WILL HAS (PROBABLY DITED TO MIKE) SOONER, OR HAVE GOTTEN MORE SHOTS OF HIM GLANCG AT MIKE LOVGLY WHILE NO ONE ELSE NOTIC. ANYTHG TO GET THE DIENCE ON THE SECRET, SO THAT DON’T FEEL LIKE SOME BIG TO-DO.WHEN ROB (MAYA HAWKE) WAS TRODUCED TO THE ST LAST SEASON, OUR QUEER LTLE HEARTS EXPLOD. THE DUFFER BROTHERS PROVED THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO BRG A LBIAN CHARACTER WH GRACE, AND SHE QUICKLY BEME A FAN FAVORE.HER RELATNSHIP GROWTH WH NANCY (NATALIA DYER) THIS SEASON? HANDS DOWN, ONE OF THE BT OF THE SERI. BUT WHY DO ROB GET SUCH BALANCED, BETIFUL CHARACTER WORK WHILE WILL GETS THE SHORT END OF THE STICK? SURE, SHE’S OLR THAN WILL AND IS PROBABLY A DIFFERENT MENTAL SPACE REGARDG HER SEXUALY. BUT WILL HAS BEEN THE SERI SCE THE BEGNG, AND HIS QUEERNS DIDN’T REALLY START TO E OUT UNTIL RECENTLY, AND NOW THERE’S A MASSIVE EXPECTATN SET FOR HOW THEY’RE GOG TO HANDLE NEXT. THE BETY OF ROB’S CHARACTER WAS HOW LTLE OF A AL TURNED OUT TO BE THAT SHE WAS A LBIAN, THAT HER AND STEVE (JOE KEERY) IMMEDIATELY WENT OM MAYBE CSH TO PLATONIC BTI. THERE’S A UNIVERSAL TTH THAT NO TWO QUEER EXPERIENC ARE EVER THE SAME, AND ’S OBV THAT WILL AND ROB’S JOURNEYS TO DISVERG THEMSELV ARE PLETELY DIFFERENT, BUT WE GOT TO SEE ROB’S A WAY THAT FEELS LIKE IS BEG ROBBED OM WILL.THE SEASONS HE WAS BARELY VOLVED THE UPSI DOWN ULD HAVE GIVEN WILL MORE TROSPECTIVE, MORE WAYS TO LET THE DIENCE KNOW HIS SECRET SO THAT WE ULD BE ROOTG FOR HIM AS HE FALLY GATHERS THE STRENGTH TO TELL MIKE ABOUT HIS FEELGS.OBVLY, WE’LL HOLD OUR BREATH AND WA TO ST FULL JUDGMENT ON THIS PLOT UNTIL WE SEE THOSE LAST TWO EPISOS THIS SUMMER. BUT EVEN IF ’S AS BETIFUL AS THE DUFFER BROTHERS ARE IMPLYG IS, THERE’S SOMETHG UNSAVORY WE N’T SHAKE ABOUT THE APPROACH TO THIS PLOT. HERE’S HOPG WILL FDS SOME HAPPS, BEE THE KID SERV AFTER ALL THE STUFF HE AND HIS IENDS HAVE BEEN GOG THROUGH ALL THE YEARS. TARIQ RAOUF
• WILL BYERS ON "STRANGER THGS" WAS ALWAYS GOG TO BE GAY
• STRANGER THGS: WILL BYERS ACTOR NOAH SCHNAPP COM OUT AS GAY
• IS WILL BYERS GAY? STRANGER THGS CERTALY WANTS YOU TO THK SO

TURNS OUT, BARBIELAND ISN'T AS GAY AS S QUEER FANS HAD HOPED

She wore a red sequned drs and my head her hair was bigger than Dolly Parton’s, although is highly likely that uld be me leang to the gay fantasy. While eventually I would e to realise I am also a gay man, long before my gay shame me the shame of beg a boy whose bt iend was a Barbie. Most prompts for gay porn, meanwhile, explibly flt to people of ambiguoly LatX scent wh an unrcut hairstyle.

Is that ditive of the typ of gay porn the mols were traed on? A gay uple, as picted by Unstable Diffn.

IS ‘STRANGER THGS’ LEADG UP TO A BIG GAY SURPRISE WH WILL BYERS?PRIDEFANS HAVE BEEN SPECULATG THAT NOAH SCHNAPP’S WILL BYERS IS GOG TO E OUT OF THE CLOSET THE SEND HALF OF SEASON 4. WE GATHERED ALL THE CLU—AND HAVE SOME THOUGHTS. TARIQ RAOUFPUBLISHED JUN. 21, 2022 3:27AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/NETFLIXIT’S BEEN A FEW WEEKS SCE STRANGER THGS 4: PART ONE WAS RELEASED AND ’S NOT LONG UNTIL THE FAL MD FLAYER-SIZED EPISOS OF PART TWO E OUT ON JULY 1. IN THE TIME SCE THE SEASON WAS RELEASED AND AFTER UNTLS ARTICL, TWEETS, FAN-FOM POSTS, AND ST TERVIEWS PARSG JT ABOUT EVERY SGLE TAIL OF THE EPISOS, THERE’S STILL ONE QUTN LGERG ON OUR MDS: IS WILL BYERS (NOAH SCHNAPP) GOG TO E OUT THIS YEAR?AFTER GOG DOWN A RABB HOLE OF THOSE AFOREMENTNED FAN THEORI AND TERVIEWS, WE’VE GATHERED THE FACTS AND PUT THE WHOLE THG TOGETHER SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO.IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWG THE MOR L, YOU’LL KNOW THERE’S A CERTA PLOT THAT HAS BEEN ON THE SHOW’S BACK BURNER FOR AT LEAST A SEASON: WILL BEYER’S SEXUALY. IT ALL STARTED SEASON 3, EPISO 3, WHEN WILL AND MIKE (FN WOLFHARD) GOT TO AN ARGUMENT AFTER MIKE STOPPED FOCG ON DUNGEONS & DRAGONS BEE HE STARTED DATG ELLE (MILLIE BOBBY BROWN). WILL IS SUPER UPSET THAT THEIR DYNAMIC HAS BEEN CHANGED AND MIKE SHOUTS, “IT’S NOT MY FLT YOU DON’T LIKE GIRLS!” IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE MASSIVE FANBASE BEGAN SPECULATG WHAT THIS SMALL MOMENT ULD MEAN FOR THE FUTURE, BUT THE SHOW HAS BEEN SLOW TO GIVE ANY OTHER VELOPMENT ON THIS STORY.THROUGH THIS YEAR’S ROUND OF PRS, HOWEVER, ’S BEE CLEAR—AS CLEAR AS ANYTHG N BE THE LI-AND-CE GAME OF CELEBRY PRS TOURS—THAT THERE’S FELY SOMETHG LED UP FOR WILL’S RELATNSHIP WH MIKE, AND ’S LOOKG PRETTY QUEER. IN AN TERVIEW WH TVLE, SHOW CREATORS MATT AND ROSS DUFFER EXPLA THAT WE’RE “SUPPOSED TO BE ASKG THOSE QUTNS.” MATT CLAIMS THAT “THIS IS WHERE GETS TRICKY SCE WE HAVEN’T RELEASED THE WHOLE SEASON YET,” AND NTU TO EXPRS NCERN FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE JUMPG THE GUN ON JUDGG EHER WAY. “I JT WANT PEOPLE TO WATCH THE FAL TWO EPISOS.” THE VAGUE RPONS E OM EVERYONE THE ST, ON MULTIPLE TERVIEWS THROUGH DIFFERENT OUTLETS. SHNAPP HIMSELF EXPLAED TO VARIETY, “I THK THAT’S THE BETY OF , THAT ’S JT UP TO THE DIENCE’S TERPRETATN, IF ’S WILL KD OF JT REFG TO GROW UP AND GROWG UP SLOWER THAN HIS IENDS, OR IF HE IS REALLY GAY.” IN THE SAME TERVIEW, BROWN CHIM TO SAY, “I THK WHAT’S REALLY NICE ABOUT WILL’S CHARACTER IS THAT HE’S JT A HUMAN BEG GOG THROUGH HIS OWN PERSONAL MONS AND ISSU. SO MANY KIDS OUT THERE DON’T KNOW, AND THAT’S OK. THAT’S OK TO NOT KNOW. AND THAT’S OK NOT TO LABEL THGS.”AND MOST OBV OF ALL, THERE’S A PROMOTNAL VIO OM NETFLIX MEXI WHERE WOLFHARD JOS ST MEMBERS WONA RYR, DAVID HARBOUR AND CALEB MCLGHL TO DISCS FAN THEORI FOR THE SEASON. WHEN THERE’S A THEORY MENTNED THAT WILL AND ELLE ARE A RELATNSHIP, HARBOUR IS QUICK TO SHOOT DOWN, SAYG, “IF YOU’VE BEEN WATCHG THE SHOW, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WILL IS NOT TERTED ELLE. HE’S TERTED SOMEONE ELSE THE GROUP.” I MEAN, N THEY MAKE ANY MORE OBV?IF HE IS GAY, AND HE’S JT HAVG A HARD TIME G TO TERMS WH TERNALLY, THEN THAT’S A NECSARY STORY TO SHARE A MEDIA LANDSPE THAT OFTEN NEGAT THE QUEER YOUTH EXPERIENCE. FOR VIEWERS WHO MAY BE GOG THROUGH THE SAME THGS AS WILL—NOT READY TO SHARE WHAT’S GOG ON TERNALLY BEE THERE’S A LOT OF NFN AND FEAR—’S IMPORTANT THEY KNOW IS OKAY TO NOT REALLY UNRSTAND WHAT’S GOG ON, AS BROWN POTED OUT. AND SOME SENSE THERE’S NOTHG PARTICULARLY WRONG WH ST MEMBERS NOT ANSWERG THE QUTN AND WANTG TO LEAVE FOR VIEWERS TO SEE FOR THEMSELV, IF WHAT THEY’RE PLANNG IS TLY WORTH .WHAT’S NCERNG IS THAT WILL’S CHARACTER VELOPMENT HAS BEEN GOG AT A SNAIL’S PACE OVER THE LAST TWO SEASONS. IT’S ALMOST AS IF THE BIGGT PART OF HIS PERSONALY RIGHT NOW IS JT HIS CSH ON MIKE, OR HIS BEG THE CLOSET. HE WAS TEGRAL TO BOTH SEASON 1 AND SEASON 2 OF STRANGER THGS AS THE BOY WHO WENT MISSG, AND THEN BEME THE NNECTN TO THE UPSI DOWN. BUT SCE SEASON 3, HIS ROLE HAS BEEN MIMAL PARED TO HIS -STARS. GRANTED, THERE ARE OVER 16 CHARACTERS THE SERI TO FOC ON AND ’S HONTLY IMPRSIVE TO PULL OFF ANY CHARACTER GROWTH WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY. BUT WHY SHOULD WILL’S ONLY FOC BE HIS SEXUALY, OR THE QUTNG OF ? AND EVEN IF THE CREATORS WANT TO EXPLORE THAT BETIFUL SPACE OF FIGURG OUT YOUR INTY AND STGGLG TO TELL YOUR IEND YOU’RE GAY AND YOU HAVE A CSH ON THEM, WHY KEEP THE DIENCE OUT OF THAT JOURNEY?SURE, WILL MAY NOT BE READY TO SHARE THAT WH HIS IENDS, AND THAT’S PERFECTLY UNRSTANDABLE. BUT THE CURRENT AMG OF WILL’S CHARACTER IMPLI THAT THERE’S A EP SHAME NEEDG TIME OR SPACE TO FIGURE OUT YOUR STUFF. IT WOULD’VE BEEN AWOME TO SEE THE PATGS THAT WILL HAS (PROBABLY DITED TO MIKE) SOONER, OR HAVE GOTTEN MORE SHOTS OF HIM GLANCG AT MIKE LOVGLY WHILE NO ONE ELSE NOTIC. ANYTHG TO GET THE DIENCE ON THE SECRET, SO THAT DON’T FEEL LIKE SOME BIG TO-DO.WHEN ROB (MAYA HAWKE) WAS TRODUCED TO THE ST LAST SEASON, OUR QUEER LTLE HEARTS EXPLOD. THE DUFFER BROTHERS PROVED THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO BRG A LBIAN CHARACTER WH GRACE, AND SHE QUICKLY BEME A FAN FAVORE.HER RELATNSHIP GROWTH WH NANCY (NATALIA DYER) THIS SEASON? HANDS DOWN, ONE OF THE BT OF THE SERI. BUT WHY DO ROB GET SUCH BALANCED, BETIFUL CHARACTER WORK WHILE WILL GETS THE SHORT END OF THE STICK? SURE, SHE’S OLR THAN WILL AND IS PROBABLY A DIFFERENT MENTAL SPACE REGARDG HER SEXUALY. BUT WILL HAS BEEN THE SERI SCE THE BEGNG, AND HIS QUEERNS DIDN’T REALLY START TO E OUT UNTIL RECENTLY, AND NOW THERE’S A MASSIVE EXPECTATN SET FOR HOW THEY’RE GOG TO HANDLE NEXT. THE BETY OF ROB’S CHARACTER WAS HOW LTLE OF A AL TURNED OUT TO BE THAT SHE WAS A LBIAN, THAT HER AND STEVE (JOE KEERY) IMMEDIATELY WENT OM MAYBE CSH TO PLATONIC BTI. THERE’S A UNIVERSAL TTH THAT NO TWO QUEER EXPERIENC ARE EVER THE SAME, AND ’S OBV THAT WILL AND ROB’S JOURNEYS TO DISVERG THEMSELV ARE PLETELY DIFFERENT, BUT WE GOT TO SEE ROB’S A WAY THAT FEELS LIKE IS BEG ROBBED OM WILL.THE SEASONS HE WAS BARELY VOLVED THE UPSI DOWN ULD HAVE GIVEN WILL MORE TROSPECTIVE, MORE WAYS TO LET THE DIENCE KNOW HIS SECRET SO THAT WE ULD BE ROOTG FOR HIM AS HE FALLY GATHERS THE STRENGTH TO TELL MIKE ABOUT HIS FEELGS.OBVLY, WE’LL HOLD OUR BREATH AND WA TO ST FULL JUDGMENT ON THIS PLOT UNTIL WE SEE THOSE LAST TWO EPISOS THIS SUMMER. BUT EVEN IF ’S AS BETIFUL AS THE DUFFER BROTHERS ARE IMPLYG IS, THERE’S SOMETHG UNSAVORY WE N’T SHAKE ABOUT THE APPROACH TO THIS PLOT. HERE’S HOPG WILL FDS SOME HAPPS, BEE THE KID SERV AFTER ALL THE STUFF HE AND HIS IENDS HAVE BEEN GOG THROUGH ALL THE YEARS. TARIQ RAOUF

“First of all, I’m gay, ” he said, “and this movie is gog to be gay non. "Alex AvilaAnd Gay Tim, a Brish LGBTQ news se, celebrated Friday, the day of the film’s official release, as “Barbie day“ and lled the world-renowned doll a “queer cultural phenomenon.

PicturIn an terview wh Fandango, actor Kate McKnon, who is openly gay and plays “Weird Barbie” the film, said Barbie is about “imagatn. Many also flagged the teased scene which Barbie, now the real world, exchang a longg look wh Ameri Ferrera’s Gloria character; though, the relatnship between the two turns out to be a tribute to motherhood and the tradnal, nuclear before the film’s release, Robbie all but squashed the mors that some or any of the Barbi and Kens would be gay, tellg the Brish LGBTQ magaze Attu: The dolls don’t “actually have sexual orientatns.

There are brief appearanc by Earrg Magic Ken and Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken, both of which Mattel has always nied were tentnally gay-d. ”As far as the queer-d trailers and promotnal clips for the new “Barbie” film, Rand poted to a phenomenon known as “gay wdow advertisg, ” or the practice of advertisers gturg to queer dienc a way that will go over the heads of those who would disapprove.

WILL BYERS ON "STRANGER THGS" WAS ALWAYS GOG TO BE GAY

Shnapp himself explaed to Variety, “I thk that’s the bety of , that ’s jt up to the dience’s terpretatn, if ’s Will kd of jt refg to grow up and growg up slower than his iends, or if he is really gay.

STRANGER THGS: WILL BYERS ACTOR NOAH SCHNAPP COM OUT AS GAY

If he is gay, and he’s jt havg a hard time g to terms wh ternally, then that’s a necsary story to share a media landspe that often negat the queer youth experience. And even if the creators want to explore that betiful space of figurg out your inty and stgglg to tell your iend you’re gay and you have a csh on them, why keep the dience out of that journey?

Fans who pleted Volume 2 of "Stranger Thgs" Season 4 will know Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has fally, a roundabout way, e out as gay. The show don't actually say he's gay outright. Beyond the hts subtle or big, fans of the horror genre might have known Will Byers was always gog to be gay.

It mak sense at a time when the AIDS crisis helped spur greater pictns of gay men and trans characters as monsters film. In fact, many cultural and film crics suggt that Anne Rice drew om the real-life horrors of the AIDS crisis (imaged as the "gay man's ncer" ially by doctors) when craftg her groundbreakg gay characters "Interview wh the Vampire, " as she had always supported the LGBTQ muny and wanted to addrs the 's rhetoric that poed gay people as monsters.

IS WILL BYERS GAY? STRANGER THGS CERTALY WANTS YOU TO THK SO

In 1984, real-life Indiana born and raised Ryan Whe, although not himself gay, was diagnosed wh AIDS after ntractg the disease om a blood transfn. Like Freddy Keger (who has a gay fandom of his own), he is also a monster pable of slippg to the mds of his victims.

Namely, Will seems like he’s gay and stgglg to e imprsn has only grown stronger Season 4. In the first episo, Will and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) have to give a prentatn their new California high school on a hero they look up to; Will choos Alan Turg, the gay mathematician who was prosecuted the 1950s for his sexualy and forced to unrgo chemil stratn.

“I thk that’s the bety of , that ’s jt up to the dience’s terpretatn, if ’s Will kd of jt refg to grow up and growg up slower than his iends, or if he is really gay.