There are no longer excuses to treat the LGTBIQ+ community like this in fantasy.
Spoilers for ‘The Witcher’ and ‘The Wheel of Time’
‘The Witcher’ makes you believe in a world where magic is possible. A world where monsters roam the earth and someone like Henry Cavill can really fit those thighs into such tight leather pants. But the one thing this series can’t convince us of is that queer people don’t exist.
In the real world, we are everywhere. Whether we’re your sons or your daughters or your non-binary loved ones, we’re pushing that gay agenda every chance we get. However, ‘The Witcher’ would have us believe that LGTBIQ+ people don’t exist at all, not even in a world where witches, dragons, and abs are the norm.
And no, before you say anything, Dandelion is not queer. Or at least, according to actor Joey Batey, and also ‘The Witcher’ showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. Yes, he surprised us as much as you.
Despite the overwhelming amount of subtext, which often threatens to become real during seasons one and two, the show’s writers still deny Jaskier’s queer potential.
“It’s really important to say that their relationship is completely platonic,” Batey told us when asked recently about Jaskier’s attachment to Geralt. Hissrich confirmed this, explaining later that day, “I don’t think there are any homoerotic undertones to those characters.”
‘The Witcher’ isn’t exactly alone in this. For the most part, the fantasy remains straighter than Geralt’s hair parting, but that doesn’t excuse The Witcher’s deliberately obtuse focus on even the very notion of the collective.
That’s particularly true now that fantasy series like ‘She-Ra’ and ‘Shadow and Bone’ have finally started to integrate LGBTIQ+ themes into their respective worlds. Fortunately, all of this recent progress has culminated in a rather extraordinary twist in Amazon’s ‘Wheel of Time’.
At various points in the source material, writer Robert Jordan hinted that there might be more to Moiraine’s friendship with Siuan Sanche. The 2004 prequel novel ‘New Spring’ even describes the pair as “pillow buddies” sharing the same bed, but not all fans were convinced (as Autostraddle noted recently).
Thankfully, “Wheel of Time” showrunner Rafe Judkins didn’t share those doubts, or if he did, he didn’t care, because episode six brings this queer relationship to life in the most beautiful and organic way.
Moiraine and Siuan keep their love a secret from the world, but it’s not off-limits in the way queer viewers may be used to. The stigma attached to their relationship is rooted in the power dynamics at play and not anything to do with their same-sex romance.
“The surprise should be that Moiraine is in a relationship with Amyrlin Seat, not that Moiraine is in a relationship with a woman,” Rosamund Pike told Out right after the episode aired. “Actually, I hadn’t realized how unusual it is if there’s actually no stigma,” she added. “It’s all accepted, right?”
How many other fantasy series can name that star as a queer lead character who is romantically involved with another queer person? It’s unprecedented, at least when it comes to mainstream fantasy narrative on screen. And that’s not the only way ‘The Wheel of Time’ has already proven so timely.
In an earlier episode, someone asks Rand and Mat if they are in a relationship together. Instead of rejecting that idea in disgust, they both chuckle and explain that they’re just friends. And the fact that they are so casually asked in the first place seems to confirm that LGTBIQ+ identities are also the norm in this world, as they should be here and everywhere else.
As a gay man, showrunner Rafe Judkins understands that queerness should be a part of any landscape, particularly one that isn’t even real. Omitting those experiences, especially in fantasy worlds like these, can suggest that queer people are less important, somehow unworthy of being included.
And sadly, that’s exactly what ‘The Witcher’ does by completely ignoring it. Does Geralt himself need to be queer? No, although that would be more than fine for us. But when you deliberately omit LGBTBIQ+ characters to the point where you refuse to admit that one could be coded as such, that’s when things get problematic.
Queer stereotypes can be extremely damaging, but it’s arguably even more insulting to suggest that you can’t even imagine a world in which we exist. Although it might be easier to avoid LGBTQ+ representation for fear of being wrong, that’s not the right way to go. And that’s especially true when you consider that there are actually queer characters in The Witcher’s source material.
Philippa, who has only appeared briefly on the series so far, is, in Hissrich’s words, “a queer icon for book readers.” And Ciri is definitely not straight in the books, though you wouldn’t know that just from watching the show.
To be fair, Lauren has told us directly that there are plans to incorporate queer people into ‘The Witcher’ in the future. Speaking of Philippa, Hissrich promises to “deepen into her character,” explaining that her queerness “isn’t something we shy away from.” And hints of Ciri’s orientation in the books will apparently be explored on screen as well.
All of that is great, but representation alone is not enough. Quality is just as important, if not more so, than its inclusion in the first place. And given The Witcher’s dubious track record to this point, it’s hard to say yet whether Philippa and Ciri’s identities will get the attention they deserve in season three.
Whatever happens, it’s vital that their respective sexualities are organically integrated into the story, much like Moiraine’s in ‘The Wheel of Time’. Because we got it. When you’re on a grand fantasy quest, there isn’t always a lot of time to explore the nuances of sexuality. And it’s not like fantasy series like ‘The Witcher’ need to emphasize LGTBIQ+ themes constantly, all the time. But that doesn’t entirely excuse his failure.
If we’re really expected to believe that Henry Cavill can stuff his thighs into those leather pants without some kind of witchcraft or wizardry, then it shouldn’t be too hard to imagine a fantasy world with real queer people in it.
‘The Witcher’ is available on Netflix. ‘The Wheel of Time’ can be found on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Fotogramas
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
