Characters Who Confused/Delighted/Saved Me

Seemingly because I’m on a roll and want to catch up on all the ‘responding to monthly challenges’ fun I’ve been missing out on due to my lack of internet activity this last while, I’m participating in this month’s Bear Blog Carnival.

It’s like the IndieWeb Carnival, but hosted by people who use the wonderful Bear Blog service (run by Herman), or folks affiliated with people who do. Hopefully they won’t mind me participating? Perhaps it’ll count if I admit I’ve started a Bear Blog? More on that soon, elsewhere.

Anyway! This month’s edition is hosted by Juni, who chose the topic of ‘Lavender Egg-Crack Characters,’ or fictional characters who were formative for you in figuring out, or thinking about, your identity.

Here’s my entry!

I’ll admit I don’t really have a singular ‘origin story’ to divulge, as my flavor of queerness is a little…ambiguous. Nevertheless! I’m sure I can offer a few examples if I think about it as a list. Here goes!

George From ‘The Famous Five’ By Enid Blyton

While there was no indication she was queer, nor do I make assumptions, I guess I appreciated seeing a girl in a time and genre where boys (unfortunately) usually did all the exciting things.

She got a chance to show girls they could do what boys did.

Never mind how the author seemed to dislike her so, how Julian often thwarted George’s efforts to help the situation…and how George almost always solved the case and saved everyone else’s necks.

Reminds me of Penny in Inspector Gadget: doing all the work, yet completely unappreciated!

If I wrote a Famous Five-inspired fanfic, would there be any takers?

George From ‘Nancy Drew’ By Carolyn Keene

What’s that, you ask? Another George? Another tomboy from a similar era? Indeed!

Part of me wonders who took inspiration from whom…

For context, there have been many versions of the Nancy Drew series, and I’ve forgotten which I read, but I know it was written sometime in the 20th century.

Regardless! George, in this version, is a girl, comfortable with that, dresses ‘like a man’ and ‘acts like one,’ and is in a steady relationship with her boyfriend. Surprisingly, there’s no mocking or commentary. She’s just a young woman who loves lemonade, tennis, studying, and spending time with Nancy and Bess.

My favorite scenes would be when all three went on triple dates with their boyfriends, but it’d always devolve into attempting to assist Nancy with her latest case.

While nothing in the series was queer, I appreciated that it showed how much simpler life could be if we allowed folks to express themselves within ‘supposed contradictions’ without questioning them.

Luz And Amity From ‘The Owl House’

Not earth-shattering in terms of changing my worldview, but I really appreciated how sweetly Luz’s bisexuality was portrayed, and how the screentime devoted to their relationship was…just that.

Focused on what it takes to work together as a couple.

Troye Sivan In ‘Blue Neighbourhood’

Let me provide a caveat! Troye Sivan is a real person: an Australian from South Africa who’s a musician and actor.

I include him here because, at least to me, while perhaps inspired by autobiographical details, his debut album, Blue Neighbourhood, comes across as a perfectly rendered Australian queer YA novel in album form.

There’s yearning, there’s learning, and there’s so much soulful hope.

It showed me that all being queer has to mean is a different, but no less worthy, way of being.

There you have it! An unusual list, yes, but these were the only folks that came to mind for me today. If I’d written this on a different day, who knows, I might’ve come up with a different list!

I suppose that’s the beauty of writing: capturing a version of ourselves.