#and there are even celebs who previously identified as bi who realize they’re gay/lesbian and vice versa | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

wakeupthemembersofbylernation · 10 months ago

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Based on the way the story has been written, especially following season 4, I do believe mike is likely gay atp. But “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls” still makes sense as projection if Mike is bi because lots of closeted bi teens are confused about their feelings, especially in the 80s where terms like “bisexual” wouldn’t have been as readily accessible to kids from Hawkins, Indiana.

Simply the fact that Mike likes boys/Will could make him worried that he’s gay and cause him to hyperfixate on the concept of not liking girls more often, especially if his feelings for El were waning, or if his feelings for Will were overwhelming, even if he did in fact have a crush on El at the start of the show. Nothing says being a closeted bi teen like bouncing back and forth between “I can’t be gay, I like girls” and “Oh no, I like boys, am I gay?”

I think there’s a common misconception that the bi Mike view necessitates oversimplifying the story as “Mike used to be into El, and now he’s into Will.” That isn’t necessarily the case. A bi Mike reading can still involve internalized homophobia, projection, the heteronormative pressure to conform and date girls, repression, and most of the things we talk about here.

(I didn’t really wanna get involved in this, but I feel like this is important to add).

#byler #gay mike wheeler #bi mike wheeler #even looking at the modern media example of heartstopper #nick nelson is bi #(but the am i gay quiz he took gave him a 62% which means he likely has a male lean)#he does like girls which means he technically has the ability to like Imogen who is pretty and kind and likable #but his feelings for charlie are overwhelming #and even in a modern context where microlabels are more well known #he still gets confused and struggles to understand how he’s feeling and what it all means #why do people expect a boy growing up in hawkins indiana with a conservative father #and no internet access while going through puberty #to have a perfect grasp on what he feels towards will and el?#the bi-cyle is real too #and there are even celebs who previously identified as bi who realize they’re gay/lesbian and vice versa #in 2024 #that’s why on some level the queer but unlabeled mike is the best #because it’s the best of both worlds and captures the complexity of being gay in the 80s #a definitively gay mike WOULD tie everything up in a nice cohesive unmessy neat clear narrative bow #but not everything is clear and unmessy

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