“You’re the only ten-bi-see”: bisexual representation in 2010’s television
As part of a series of articles written for Pi across the course of LGBT History Month, Joanna Pruchniewska shares the best bisexual characters from the last decade of television.
Compared to the noughties, the 2010’s have treated us to some spectacular bisexual representation. Outright stating the word “bisexual” on TV? Check. Complex male and female characters? Check. Writing bisexual characters that don’t refer to themselves as disgusting because of their sexuality? The L Word could never. What else can I say but we love to see it – it being good bisexual representation in popular media. To celebrate the leaps and bounds of bi visibility in mass media, here’s a roundup of ten bi-cons that make us proud.
Rosa Diaz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Did I lose my mind when Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) came out as bi? Absolutely. Hearing her self-identify as bisexual and use the word — not once, or twice, but several times in the span of Season 5 — was music to my ears. Bisexuality in media is so often veiled by throw-away comments that finding anyone – literally anyone – who clearly identifies as bi takes a decent amount of detective work. B99 has been at the top of the representation game from its very first episode, and Rosa coming out as a bi-con (who is played by an actual, real life bi-con, too) is the cherry on top of the representative cake.
Petra Solano, Jane the Virgin
Petra’s (Yael Grobglas) character arc is what dreams are made of. From bitter ex-wife antihero to four-dimensional bisexual icon, the writers of Jane the Virgin manage to execute Petra’s complexity perfectly as she enters a queer relationship with J.R. But Petra is not the only bi-con around. As a bisexual man, Adam (Tyler Posey) is introduced as Jane’s first love – and yes, an entire episode titled Jane the Heteronormative is dedicated to dismissing bisexual stereotypes.
Darryl Whitefeather, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Darryl (Pete Gardner) literally comes out to his co-workers with an over-the-top banger called Getting Bi… I really don’t think there’s anything else that I have to say to confirm his bi-con status. Not to mention, mean girl gone party-planner Valencia Perez (Gabrielle Ruiz) joins the bisexual ranks later in the series. I couldn’t ask for more.
Eleanor Shellstrop, The Good Place
How bad can the Bad Place really be if your eternal companions are as hot as Tahani, Chidi, and Jason? It seems to me that Eleanor (Kristen Bell) lucks out in this one – and she ‘forking’ knows it.
Moose Mason and Toni Topaz, Riverdale
Riverdale and I got off on the wrong foot. It took all of 10 minutes and 16 seconds to make a “gay best friend” joke in the very first episode, only to follow it with a queer-baiting kiss between leading girls Betty and Veronica. So far, not so good – yet, I can’t stop watching.
But never fear, there’s always a recurring character that can swoop in and save the face of bisexuality – and thank god for Moose (Cody Kearsley), because he is a sweetheart. Though his screen time is brief, his storyline in Riverdale is a step forward for unproblematic bisexual visibility. Not to mention the blossoming romance of Toni (Vanessa Morgan) and Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) — hell, even Archie’s mum is bisexual. Maybe there’s hope for Riverdale’s bi representation yet – even if there sure isn’t any for its terribly written dialogue.
Annalise Keating, How to Get Away with Murder
Annalise (Viola Davis) is admittedly a little bit more problematic as a bisexual character. In all fairness, though, the web of lies and deceit that surrounds the death of her husband is exactly what it says on the proverbial tin of the show’s title, so I’m willing to forgive and forget. The steamy romance between Annalise and Eve Rotholo (Famke Janssen), though? Unforgettable.
Brittany Pierce, Glee
Glee is the definition of guilty pleasure, but the early 2010’s were a difficult time, and we appreciated any LGBTQ+ representation that we could get. Bi Brittany (Heather Morris) and Santana (Naya Rivera) gave me the WLW romance I needed at the time. Most importantly, they floored me with their performance of “Me Against the Music”.
Jackson Whittemore, Teen Wolf
Jackson (Colton Haynes) is the villain of the second season of Teen Wolf, which often doesn’t bode well as far as good bi representation goes. His character is redeemed at the end of the season, though, as he leaves the supernaturally charged crew of Beacon Hills to live a ghoul-free life in London. Until Season 6, that is, where he returns to his hometown with a boyfriend of one year – we love a glow up!
Lucifer, Lucifer
A bisexual devil and demon accomplice? Lucifer (Tom Ellis) plays a dashing devil who has a few non-heteronormative flings throughout the show. Some fans speculate that restricting the bi characters in the show to only those who emerge from hell seems problematic – but a main character being openly bisexual, in spite of his devilish ways, is progress to me.
Korra and Asami, Legend of Korra
Korra (voiced by Janet Karney) is the bisexual protagonist of the titular American animated show. The finale ends with a scene of Asami (voiced by Seychelle Gabriel) and Korra walking into a portal to the spirit world, prepared for a girl’s holiday. Fans speculated on the meaning of the scene: are Korra and Asami just gal pals or is there something more to their relationship? The writers secured another win for bi representation after the episode aired, confirming their romantic relationship, making it one of the first examples of bi visibility in children’s animation.
The last decade has seen the introduction of several complex and well-rounded bisexual characters, but the fight for bisexual visibility is far from over. Bisexuals constantly face erasure in media and real life alike due to negative myths attached to the label. Representation, however, is a good step towards destigmatising bisexuality, and we will hopefully continue to see thriving bi representation in the future. For now, though, the victory of saying the word “bisexual” out loud (and sometimes in the form of a song) on popular TV is a promising step in the right direction.
This series of articles was curated and edited by Jess Fairchild. Artwork for the series created by Vera Liu.