J is gay on 'The Walkg Dead.' Here’s why that matters.

Contents:

• ‘THE WALKG DEAD’ ACTOR OUT AS GAY
• THE WALKG DEAD FANS ARE FUR ANOTHER GAY CHARACTER’S BEEN KILLED OFF
• THE WALKG DEAD’S FIRST GAY MAN: MEET AARON, A MYSTER NEW MEMBER OF ZOMBIEVILLEMAJOR TWISTAMC’S ZOMBIE DRAMA TRODUCED A MYSTER NEW CHARACTER ON SUNDAY. DO HIS ENTRANCE MEAN BAD TIM AHEAD FOR RICK’S FAY? [WARNG: TV AND IC SPOILERS AHEAD!]MELISSA LEONUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 2:59PM EDT / PUBLISHED FEB. 15, 2015 10:00PM EST AMCTWO BELOVED WALKG DEAD CHARACTERS MET VLENT ATHS TWO NSECUTIVE EPISOS THIS SEASON, WH BETH TAKG A BULLET TO THE BRA THE MIDSEASON FALE AND TYREE GETTG B THE SHOW’S MIDSEASON RETURN. SO FOR THE SAKE OF 15 LN-PL VIEWERS’ LLECTIVE BLOOD PRSURE, SUNDAY’S EPISO “THEM” DIALED THGS BACK. WAY, WAY BACK.THE GROUP SEARCH FOR FOOD AND WATER. DARYL EATS A WORM. MAGGIE FALLY GETS A DAMN MUTE TO MOURN HER AD SISTER ONSCREEN AND SASHA GO ON A RAGE-FUELED, WALKER-KILLG RAMPAGE. FATHER GABRIEL NTU SWEATG HIS GUILTY CHRISTIAN HEART OUT AND, AT ONE POT, THE GROUP FDS SELF TRAPPED A BARN UNR SIEGE BY WAV OF THE UNAD—THOUGH GOOD OL’ DIVE TERVENTN SOLV THAT PROBLEM WHEN A MONSTER STORM RIPS THROUGH EVERY ZOMBIE (AND HALF THE TRE NEARBY), MIRACULOLY MISSG THE BARN.IT’S ALL LOOKG PRETTY HUMDM WHEN, THE FAL MUTE OR TWO OF THE EPISO, A NEW FACE POPS UP: AARON, A CHARACTER STRAIGHT OUT OF ROBERT KIRKMAN’S WALKG DEAD ICS AND THE BT SIGN YET THAT THE ALEXANDRIA SAFE-ZONE, THE SHOW’S MOST ANTICIPATED STORY LOTN, IS ON THE IMMEDIATE HORIZON. REJOICE!AARON SHOWS UP THE AFTERMATH OF THE VASTATG STORM LIKE SOME KD OF WIZARD, LOOKG WELL-FED, DRY, AND EXPLIBLY CHIPPER. HE MUMBL SOMETHG ABOUT “STRANGER DANGER” BUT ASSUR MAGGIE AND SASHA—BOTH STANDG READY TO SHOOT HIS BRAS OUT—THAT HE AS A IEND WH “GOOD NEWS.” HE ASKS TO SPEAK TO RICK, WHOM HE (ALARMGLY!) KNOWS BY NAME. AND MAGGIE’S MIC BOX, WHICH HAD STOPPED WORKG AGA, STRIK UP A TUNE ONCE AARON STOPS TALKG. DPE THE CREEPY, ETHAN-OM-LOST-TYPE VIB, HOWEVER, AARON IS ACTUALLY A GOOD GUY—AT LEAST AS FAR AS KIRKMAN’S WALKG DEAD ICS GO. IN THE SHOW’S SOURCE MATERIAL, AARON AND HIS PARTNER ERIC (AS A FEW HAVE POTED OUT, AARON WOULD BE THE SHOW’S FIRST GAY MALE CHARACTER) WERE RECERS FOR THE ALEXANDRIA SAFE-ZONE, A WALLED-OFF MUNY THAT OUR SURVIVORS HAVE LLED HOME FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. HE SUTS POTENTIAL NEW GROUPS OF SURVIVORS, WATCH THEM FOR SOME TIME, THEN V THEM BACK TO ALEXANDRIA IF HE EMS THEM WORTHY. THIS IS EXCG ENOUGH SELF, BUT AARON’S ARRIVAL IS ALSO REMR OF A DARKER TURN THE STORY ULD TAKE, ONE WHICH THE SHOW HTED AT HEAVILY THE LAST EPISO. (WALKG DEAD IC BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD!) RICK AND THE GROUP’S ARRIVAL AT THE ALEXANDRIA SAFE-ZONE ULD MEAN THAT NEGAN, THE SADISTIC LEAR OF A VLENT GROUP OF SURVIVORS LLED THE SAVRS, IS NOT FAR BEHD. WH NEGAN HIS WEAPON OF CHOICE, A BASEBALL BAT WRAPPED BARBED WIRE AFFECTNATELY NICKNAMED “LUCILLE.” IN ONE PARTICULARLY TRMATIC SCENE, NEGAN LUCILLE TO BASH GLENN’S HEAD, KILLG HIM ONT OF MAGGIE AND HIS IENDS.IN LAST WEEK’S EPISO, “WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT’S GOG ON,” GLENN FOUND AND PICKED UP A BASEBALL BAT OUTSI A HOE NOAH’S OLD GATED MUNY, SHIREWILT ESTAT. WE UGHT BRIEF GLIMPS OF BLUE SPRAY-PATED SLOGANS THE BACKGROUND A FEW TIM, WHICH WARNED, “WOLV NOT FAR”—AN OMO SIGN NSIRG THE OBVLY HUMAN-ED VASTATN SHIREWILT, THE GAPG HOLE NOAH’S MOTHER’S HEAD, AND THE DISMEMBERED ZOMBI WH RVED “W”S ON THEIR FOREHEADS. OBSERVANT FANS ARE ALREADY WONRG: ARE THE “WOLV” THE TV SERI’ VERSN OF THE SAVRS? AND WHEN THEY EVABLY SHOW UP, IS GLENN DOOMED?OF URSE, THE HTS ULD ALL BE RED HERRGS SIGNED TO PIQUE IC REARS’ TERT. KIRKMAN HIMSELF TOSSED OUT “NEGAN KILLS GLENN” AS A “FAKE SPOILER” DURG A RECENT APPEARANCE ON COMEDY CENTRAL’S @MIDNIGHT, SO MAYBE GLENN IS SAFE AFTER ALL. (OR MAYBE KIRKMAN IS PLAYG OFF A TECHNILY, LIKE A NAME CHANGE FOR NEGAN, OR ANOTHER CHARACTER’S CRANIUM BEG CSHED GLENN’S PLACE.)IN OTHER NEWS, AARON’S ARRIVAL WAS THE SEND BIG MOMENT STRAIGHT OUT OF THE ICS “THEM.” EARLIER, RICK FALLY LIVERS THE INIC LE, “WE ARE THE WALKG AD,” AN EMOTNAL SPEECH ABOUT HIS GRANDFATHER, WHO FOUGHT AGAST THE GERMANS WORLD WAR II.“EVERY DAY HE WOKE UP, TOLD HIMSELF, ‘RT PEACE, NOW GET UP AND GO TO WAR,’” RICK EXPLAS TO HIS SOGGY, DOWNTRODN GROUP SI THE BARN. “THEN AFTER A FEW YEARS OF PRETENDG HE WAS AD, HE MA OUT ALIVE. THAT’S THE TRICK OF , I THK. WE DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND THEN WE GET TO LIVE. BUT NO MATTER WHAT WE FD D.C. I KNOW WE’LL BE OKAY. BEE THIS IS HOW WE SURVIVE. WE TELL OURSELV THAT WE ARE THE WALKG AD.”LET’S HOPE THAT DON’T TRANSLATE TO “AD MAN WALKG” FOR GLENN. MELISSA LEON
• J IS GAY ON 'THE WALKG DEAD.' HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS.
• FACT CHECK: IS ROSS MARQUAND GAY REAL LIFE?

‘THE WALKG DEAD’ ACTOR OUT AS GAY

The Walkg Dead is takg aim at homophobia, as well as a small, but vol segment of viewers rpond negatively to the cln of a gay uple the sp-off seri The Walkg Dead: World Beyond, the anchise rpond om s official Twter acunt.

”Jelani Allad and Ni Tortorella portray a gay uple 'The Walkg Dead: World Beyond' (Photo Cred: Mall Polay/AMC)Premierg last October, World Beyond was a teen-centric variatn on The Walkg Dead, followg four adolcents who are among the first generatn to grow up a world populated by bra-eatg monsters. Oh we n’t fd a character for you, screw you’re gay wh this guy. The Walkg Dead actor Daniel Newman has e out as gay.

THE WALKG DEAD FANS ARE FUR ANOTHER GAY CHARACTER’S BEEN KILLED OFF

When a young woman at the centre thanked him for supportg the LGBTQ muny, prumg the actor was heterosexual, Newman rrected her by sayg he is gay. Earlier this month, was nfirmed that one of The Walkg Dead‘s ma characters is gay.

THE WALKG DEAD’S FIRST GAY MAN: MEET AARON, A MYSTER NEW MEMBER OF ZOMBIEVILLEMAJOR TWISTAMC’S ZOMBIE DRAMA TRODUCED A MYSTER NEW CHARACTER ON SUNDAY. DO HIS ENTRANCE MEAN BAD TIM AHEAD FOR RICK’S FAY? [WARNG: TV AND IC SPOILERS AHEAD!]MELISSA LEONUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 2:59PM EDT / PUBLISHED FEB. 15, 2015 10:00PM EST AMCTWO BELOVED WALKG DEAD CHARACTERS MET VLENT ATHS TWO NSECUTIVE EPISOS THIS SEASON, WH BETH TAKG A BULLET TO THE BRA THE MIDSEASON FALE AND TYREE GETTG B THE SHOW’S MIDSEASON RETURN. SO FOR THE SAKE OF 15 LN-PL VIEWERS’ LLECTIVE BLOOD PRSURE, SUNDAY’S EPISO “THEM” DIALED THGS BACK. WAY, WAY BACK.THE GROUP SEARCH FOR FOOD AND WATER. DARYL EATS A WORM. MAGGIE FALLY GETS A DAMN MUTE TO MOURN HER AD SISTER ONSCREEN AND SASHA GO ON A RAGE-FUELED, WALKER-KILLG RAMPAGE. FATHER GABRIEL NTU SWEATG HIS GUILTY CHRISTIAN HEART OUT AND, AT ONE POT, THE GROUP FDS SELF TRAPPED A BARN UNR SIEGE BY WAV OF THE UNAD—THOUGH GOOD OL’ DIVE TERVENTN SOLV THAT PROBLEM WHEN A MONSTER STORM RIPS THROUGH EVERY ZOMBIE (AND HALF THE TRE NEARBY), MIRACULOLY MISSG THE BARN.IT’S ALL LOOKG PRETTY HUMDM WHEN, THE FAL MUTE OR TWO OF THE EPISO, A NEW FACE POPS UP: AARON, A CHARACTER STRAIGHT OUT OF ROBERT KIRKMAN’S WALKG DEAD ICS AND THE BT SIGN YET THAT THE ALEXANDRIA SAFE-ZONE, THE SHOW’S MOST ANTICIPATED STORY LOTN, IS ON THE IMMEDIATE HORIZON. REJOICE!AARON SHOWS UP THE AFTERMATH OF THE VASTATG STORM LIKE SOME KD OF WIZARD, LOOKG WELL-FED, DRY, AND EXPLIBLY CHIPPER. HE MUMBL SOMETHG ABOUT “STRANGER DANGER” BUT ASSUR MAGGIE AND SASHA—BOTH STANDG READY TO SHOOT HIS BRAS OUT—THAT HE AS A IEND WH “GOOD NEWS.” HE ASKS TO SPEAK TO RICK, WHOM HE (ALARMGLY!) KNOWS BY NAME. AND MAGGIE’S MIC BOX, WHICH HAD STOPPED WORKG AGA, STRIK UP A TUNE ONCE AARON STOPS TALKG. DPE THE CREEPY, ETHAN-OM-LOST-TYPE VIB, HOWEVER, AARON IS ACTUALLY A GOOD GUY—AT LEAST AS FAR AS KIRKMAN’S WALKG DEAD ICS GO. IN THE SHOW’S SOURCE MATERIAL, AARON AND HIS PARTNER ERIC (AS A FEW HAVE POTED OUT, AARON WOULD BE THE SHOW’S FIRST GAY MALE CHARACTER) WERE RECERS FOR THE ALEXANDRIA SAFE-ZONE, A WALLED-OFF MUNY THAT OUR SURVIVORS HAVE LLED HOME FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. HE SUTS POTENTIAL NEW GROUPS OF SURVIVORS, WATCH THEM FOR SOME TIME, THEN V THEM BACK TO ALEXANDRIA IF HE EMS THEM WORTHY. THIS IS EXCG ENOUGH SELF, BUT AARON’S ARRIVAL IS ALSO REMR OF A DARKER TURN THE STORY ULD TAKE, ONE WHICH THE SHOW HTED AT HEAVILY THE LAST EPISO. (WALKG DEAD IC BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD!) RICK AND THE GROUP’S ARRIVAL AT THE ALEXANDRIA SAFE-ZONE ULD MEAN THAT NEGAN, THE SADISTIC LEAR OF A VLENT GROUP OF SURVIVORS LLED THE SAVRS, IS NOT FAR BEHD. WH NEGAN HIS WEAPON OF CHOICE, A BASEBALL BAT WRAPPED BARBED WIRE AFFECTNATELY NICKNAMED “LUCILLE.” IN ONE PARTICULARLY TRMATIC SCENE, NEGAN LUCILLE TO BASH GLENN’S HEAD, KILLG HIM ONT OF MAGGIE AND HIS IENDS.IN LAST WEEK’S EPISO, “WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT’S GOG ON,” GLENN FOUND AND PICKED UP A BASEBALL BAT OUTSI A HOE NOAH’S OLD GATED MUNY, SHIREWILT ESTAT. WE UGHT BRIEF GLIMPS OF BLUE SPRAY-PATED SLOGANS THE BACKGROUND A FEW TIM, WHICH WARNED, “WOLV NOT FAR”—AN OMO SIGN NSIRG THE OBVLY HUMAN-ED VASTATN SHIREWILT, THE GAPG HOLE NOAH’S MOTHER’S HEAD, AND THE DISMEMBERED ZOMBI WH RVED “W”S ON THEIR FOREHEADS. OBSERVANT FANS ARE ALREADY WONRG: ARE THE “WOLV” THE TV SERI’ VERSN OF THE SAVRS? AND WHEN THEY EVABLY SHOW UP, IS GLENN DOOMED?OF URSE, THE HTS ULD ALL BE RED HERRGS SIGNED TO PIQUE IC REARS’ TERT. KIRKMAN HIMSELF TOSSED OUT “NEGAN KILLS GLENN” AS A “FAKE SPOILER” DURG A RECENT APPEARANCE ON COMEDY CENTRAL’S @MIDNIGHT, SO MAYBE GLENN IS SAFE AFTER ALL. (OR MAYBE KIRKMAN IS PLAYG OFF A TECHNILY, LIKE A NAME CHANGE FOR NEGAN, OR ANOTHER CHARACTER’S CRANIUM BEG CSHED GLENN’S PLACE.)IN OTHER NEWS, AARON’S ARRIVAL WAS THE SEND BIG MOMENT STRAIGHT OUT OF THE ICS “THEM.” EARLIER, RICK FALLY LIVERS THE INIC LE, “WE ARE THE WALKG AD,” AN EMOTNAL SPEECH ABOUT HIS GRANDFATHER, WHO FOUGHT AGAST THE GERMANS WORLD WAR II.“EVERY DAY HE WOKE UP, TOLD HIMSELF, ‘RT PEACE, NOW GET UP AND GO TO WAR,’” RICK EXPLAS TO HIS SOGGY, DOWNTRODN GROUP SI THE BARN. “THEN AFTER A FEW YEARS OF PRETENDG HE WAS AD, HE MA OUT ALIVE. THAT’S THE TRICK OF , I THK. WE DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND THEN WE GET TO LIVE. BUT NO MATTER WHAT WE FD D.C. I KNOW WE’LL BE OKAY. BEE THIS IS HOW WE SURVIVE. WE TELL OURSELV THAT WE ARE THE WALKG AD.”LET’S HOPE THAT DON’T TRANSLATE TO “AD MAN WALKG” FOR GLENN. MELISSA LEON

One of The Walkg Dead's biggt mysteri is one that hasn't actually ever been addrsed on the AMC h seri: is Daryl Dixon (Norman Res) gay? "I do have to clear somethg up, though: the letter lumn of the ic book that I do, I mentned that there was a possibily early on about makg Daryl Dixon's character gay. Kirkman did reveal that a "very proment gay character om the ics" will be troduced the send half of the fifth of the character have often "shipped" him wh Carol (Melissa McBri), whom he stck up a iendship wh season one, and then Beth (Ey Kney), who got closer to the guard Daryl season four.

He's gay. "He said, 'Well, he's prison gay—like, you'll tch him lookg at a member of the same sex, but if you mentn to him, he'll jt stab you and be like what the f--k? However, Tara’s ath also got a lot of people riled as spelled the send removal of a rare gay character on the show this same season.

You’re probably aware that this is a troublg trope not jt  TWD but across the televisn landspe, wh the tratg trend so popular ’s often known as the “buryg your gays” trope. I LITERALLY DO NOT CARE ABOUT ANYONE WHO DIED EXCEPT ENID AND TARA WHY DID THE SMARTEST DOCTOR AND ANOTHER HILLTOP LEADER DIE (also @ the walkg ad stop killg the gays off) #TheWalkgDead — khalil (@khvl1l) March 25, 2019 THEY KILLED TARA, ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS AND ANOTHER GAY CHARACTER FUCK OFF #TheWalkgDead — jordan (@jensmish) March 26, 2019 You jt had to kill Tara, didn't you?? #TheWalkgDead #BuryYourGays — Krystle??

J IS GAY ON 'THE WALKG DEAD.' HERE’S WHY THAT MATTERS.

It's weird they were too sred to do that but were fe to kill off all but one of their queer characters — Moe: Sparkledog edn (@EnbyDal) March 25, 2019 Are we surprised #walkgad did the bury your gays trope more than once? How e they always gotta kill off the gays?

@WalkgDead_AMC @AMCTalkgDead On the topic of killg off tara, why as soon as you troduce new gay characters you kill off an old one? — Syd (@squidr14) March 25, 2019 Alongsi Magna and Yumiko, Aaron (Ross Marquand) is the only other proment gay character left alive on the seri. In the show’s source material, Aaron and his partner Eric (as a few have poted out, Aaron would be the show’s first gay male character) were recers for the Alexandria Safe-Zone, a walled-off muny that our survivors have lled home for several years now.

FACT CHECK: IS ROSS MARQUAND GAY REAL LIFE?

In The Walkg Dead ics, he's gay. He's a badass, and he happens to be gay. "While he isn't the first gay character to be featured on the AMC seri, J beg gay is still a big al for televisn 2017.

Progrs has been ma, but gay characters still acunt for a small percentage of total TV rol, acrdg to the latt numbers om GLAAD's 2016 "Where We Are on TV" report. The "bury your gays" trope beme a hot topic last year after The 100 ntroversially killed off a character named Lexa, shortly after her relatnship wh another female character was nsummated. The Walkg Dead has also stggled to portray s only current gay relatnship between Alexandrians Aaron and Eric.

He is a role mol, spiratn, and a mentor to other characters and a perfect example that prov to all the anti-LGBTQIA+ people that beg gay don’t mean you are a bad says:I would say whout doubt ’s Strand Fear.