An Unlikely Role Model

Growing up in the 90s and early 00s as a closeted Gay guy there weren't many positive Gay role models on television in the UK.  Gay people tended to be stock characters provided for comedic effect.  They often epitomised flamboyance or were overly camp.  As for closeted Gay characters there were none for me to relate to.

There was one TV show that turned out to be a source of strength for me however, one that didn't have any Gay characters at all.  As a young Gay man coming to terms with his sexuality yet keeping it a secret that I couldn't tell anyone, or at least felt I couldn't tell anyone, I found a lot of comfort in a show called Sabrina The Teenage Witch.  This show unintentionally paralleled the life of a closeted Gay man.  Sabrina discovers she is a witch just as she turns 16, but quickly learns that it is something that she has to keep secret.  While I was quite a bit younger when I discovered my sexuality, I learned very quickly it was something I was best to hide.

Throughout the series Sabrina learns more about her magic, the other realm - the whole other world of magic, the portal to which is inside a closet - as well as the difficulties in her relationship and friendships that are caused by her keeping a secret she can't share.  In one episode she actually says "I wanna come out of the linen closet" - and still the allegory was unintentional.   There are a lot more elements to this but I think I have proved my point for now.

What I'm trying to demonstrate with all this is that although we have come a long way, we still have a media which lacks relatable Gay characters that aren't walking talking stereotypes.  Most young Gay men looking for positive role models look to the Internet to find them.  The trouble with that is the problem with the Internet in general - a lot of things get exaggerated and blown out of proportion for the sake of grabbing attention.  There is a degree of control exerted over traditional media in terms of selecting what is portrayed, couple that with the fact that a number of prominent people in the media are actually Gay, you are left asking yourself why are Gay characters still comic relief or stereotypical?  As much as I hate the word, where are the "normal" Gay guys?