#the b in lgbtq+ is not a silent letter.

[lgbtqtext]

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

For my fellow bisexuals who need a hug. I can't hug you all in person, but I can hug you virtually. Love to all from Rueleigh. 🫂

[pduwd]

"well you know the B in LGBTQ is not a silent letter"

THESE ARE SO IMPORTANT, REPRESENTATION SAVES LIFES

[zukotheartist]

Alex's mom saying "Well, you know, the B in lgbtq is not a silent letter" might actually mean the world to me and paired up with Hearstopper s2 im just🩷💜💙

[mulderscully]

been thinking about some peoples complaints about how the movie handled alex's coming out as opposed to the book.

part of me understands because the movie did sort of neuter this as well as the depth of henry's mental illness, but at the same time i understand why. the movie is already two hours long and tbh if they wanted to do a fully faithful adaptation (which imo is not necessary) it maybe should've been a mini series.

and aside from taking out liam, tbh i still think that all happened just wasn't shown, and the fact that this is why alex has always known he's "lowkey into dudes" i feel like people don't fully grasp what alex goes through in that time after new years in the movie.

not every bisexual person has the same experience, but i can relate to alex pretty well both in the book and in the movie in terms of his sexuality cause they actually are pretty similar.

a lot of times when you're bisexual you just feel like everyone feels this way. you sort of feel like being straight is what being bisexual is, because the idea that others do not experience attraction to the same and different genders sounds... fake. like. i'm not even joking when i say i have a hard time believing straight people exist. i fully, of course, believe gay people exist, but people being straight and not queer at all makes me ??? sometimes, even now that i have identified as bi for over ten years.

then, there is a pretty big difference between knowing you experience same gender attraction from time to time and actively identifying as a bisexual person, as a queer person, a member of the lgbtq community.

bisexuals, to this day, are made to feel like we do not belong by both heterosexual people and our own community (which is why ellen telling alex the b in lgbtq is not a silent letter realllly matters) so sometimes you really do just shut out that part of yourself and choose to see yourself as straight because it's not worth fighting all the biphobia that you face, but it's still a part of you that you are shutting out and repressing, which is what alex was doing with henry the entire time and where his alleged dislike of him comes from in the first place. henry hates how much he loves alex so he's mean to him, alex doesn't understand why henry is mean to him because he wants henry to like him because he ALSO has feelings for him and those things clash.

during the time that henry ghosts him alex has time to evaluate himself, his feelings and his identity. he has the time to say "this is not something that i am going to ignore about myself anymore" and it may not be as magnified as it is for henry because they're in different positions in terms of support systems, it's still powerful.

when he comes out to henry, you can tell he is getting used to thinking of himself as bisexual but you can also tell that he is nervous to say the word, because telling someone you're bi is ALWAYS terrifying because you don't know what they might say to it. on top of that, you can feel that it is important to him to say it, to tell henry who he is now that he understands it.

being bisexual and identifying that way, and that being part of who you are and carrying it in your heart is a different thing than being like "yeah, whatever i'll make out with someone at a party" even if the latter is still a valid way to be queer. and sometimes you just look back and realize that [x] experience was NEVER straight.

and the best part of the movie to me is henry's complete acceptance of this. henry never ever questions alex's attraction to him, he never questions if alex will be able to stay committed to him, if he will leave him for a woman, if he's confused, or any of the things that STILL happen in media with bisexual characters as leads and as a bisexual person that has been one of the most freeing things to watch.

so yes, alex's bisexuality is still very important and handled as such in the film, in my personal bisexual opinion.

[sugdenlovesdingle]

"you know the B in LGBTQ is not a silent letter"

Thank you madam president!

I love how supportive Ellen is - even if her son being in love with the prince of England could be complicated for her and her career, she's just happy he's found someone he loves.

[ilianitta]

'buck is gay' no. he is not gay, he is bisexual. b i s e x u a l. he is bi. buck is a bisexual man. he was never straight and he is not gay now

 the "B" in "LGBTQ" is not a silent letter!! stop erasing bisexuality!

[galecstatic]

i fucking cried. fuck. i'm not okay atm. it was silly but beautifully written and portrayed. it was everything to me. the chemistry between nick and taylor was undeniably good like fuck they did it so naturally and magically. i don't care about the negativity surrounding it bcs the movie perfectly captures you in the heart. the representation of queer media in the movie were phenomenal. from ellen saying the line "you know, the "B" in "LGBTQ" is not a silent letter" to her mentioning the transgender who voted for the first time in her speech. it was delicate and heartwarming, honestly. i am so damn happy that this movie really gave a sense of purpose to people who have read the book a few times and those who have yet to read it. definitely one of the most cinematic and best rom-com queer movie in the history right now.

History, huh? Bet we could make some.

and bitches they scrumptiously did with icing on top.

[dailybisexuals]

no but alex coming out as bisexual to his mom and clarifying that he's bi actually (wink wink) and her being completely supportive while hugging him and reassuring that the b in lgbtq is not a silent letter and saying she loves him is just so fucking important to my bisexual heart y'all have no idea how much that means thank you rwarb for that 🥹

[you-cant-spell-subtext-without]

RWRB - thoughts

Already did this on the bird, so might as well retype it here:

Some thoughts on Red White and Royal Blue, and why I feel a little disappointed in some of the reactions I've seen because I need to caffeinate and also type this out into the void.

I want to preface this by saying that obviously we all consume and experience media in a vast myriad of unique and different ways, and my opinions aren't stated for the purpose of diminishing or belittling anyone else's. If you read this & disagree that's your right!

I went into RWRB expecting it to be NOTHING like the book (for ex I was aware major characters had been cut and some exposition revised). Also, the book is generally better than the adaptation - that's my mantra (w exception of Good Omens and Sandman; the Neil Gaiman effect is strong).

What I did NOT expect was how MONUMENTALLY touched I would be by such open, romantic, and intimate representation of a m/m love story on my screen. There are multiple scenes between Alex & Henry in RWRB that I have never seen so touchingly depicted before (and perhaps I'm missing other movies that do it! Drop them in the replies!) RWRB earns that R rating but it does so in such a gorgeous way - it show cases the love of these two men as a beautiful, NORMALIZED thing.

I know, you're saying - that's the bare minimum!

And it is. But, the state of our world, especially when it comes to the representation and the rights of our community - is such that I feel the need to take joy in even what is the bare minimum for people like us. (Speaking of people like us - the B in LGBTQ plus is not a silent letter!!) You can read about the importance both Casey and the director of RWRB placed on bi rep in this film in this piece.

A very important example is the sex scene in the movie, which is likely the most explicit m/m sex scene I've seen in a mass distributed highly promoted film since - ever? This is important because it's done ROMANTICALLY. And mind you - it's still leaps and bounds from explicit sex scenes in a het rom com film, which is why it's so important that we have this.

Normalizing intimate contact between couples other than those who are heterosexual is monumentally important. I for one would hate to see any negativity leveled at this film due to the (fair & justified!) disappointment folks may be having because it's different from the books take away from that very important aspect. (Also why aren't we talking about the trans rep?! Aneesh Sheth stole the show for me as Amy).

I think that's where my feelings of sadness ab some of the reactions are stemming from. I had similar thoughts when folks were upset over S&B not being identical to the books as well, but it feels even more vital for us to celebrate RWRB for everything it brings to the table and to our community instead of focusing on what its missing from the books.

I am very grateful to have a story like RWRB in existence, and I hope it leads to many more, because queer love is beautiful in all aspects, and it deserves to be seen and celebrated in ALL mediums.

[kajaono]

When talking about lgbtq topics RWRB is far from being subtle, it is like someone is hitting you with a shovel (transgender highschool student, the b in lgbtq is not a silent letter) but on the other hand people thought The Boys is pro-conservative. So... fair.

[enchantedlandcoffee]

The 'B' in LGBTQ is not a silent letter

- Red, White and Royal Blue

[wikiangela]

thoughts on rwrb as I was watching:

under the cut bc spoilers lol

(also, I was gonna reread the book before watching but i didn't manage, so I don't remember a whole lot lol maybe for once I won't be biased when it comes to a book adaptation haha)

damn i miss June

Taylor as Alex is just such perfection, I love him already and I'm not even 10 minutes in - just purely Alex vibes through and through lol

Nicholas as Henry is amazing too, the casting is really so good

Zahra is already stealing the show sns 😂

the initial animosity and the overall dynamic between Alex and Henry is just hilarious and I'm loving it lmao

they cut the cornetto scene??? wasn't there promo with it?? whyyy did they cut it, it was so iconic wtf 😭

wait what?? aren't Alex's parents divorced in the book?? I got so confused I had to go make sure I wasn't making it up lol (after finishing the movie I get it, having him there wouldn't impact the story in any way whatsoever haha)

omg the texting!! and the phone conversations!!! loving it!!

I'm loving how their relationship progresses rn, as they just get to know each other, it's so fun to see

the chemistry between Alex and Henry jfc, the LOOKS, they haven't even kissed yet and I'm already feral over them lmao

aaaaah, the new year's party and the KISS!!! that whole convo!!! screaming!!!

I love Nora so much, she's amazing and so cool, and I love her relationship with Alex! (still missing June and our White House Trio tho 💔)

who tf is Miguel, I don't like his vibe sns

the way Henry grabs Alex's hair when they're kissing omg 😩🥵

my god they are so smitten already, just the looks between them feel intimate lmao

oh my god the sex scene!!! I felt like I was invading their privacy lol, like, it was sooo intimate - the chemistry between those two is really something, and omg the HANDS 😭 "most people are" 😭 why do I wanna cry during a sex scene 😂😂😂

I adore Ellen's accent, it's so pleasant

Henry calling Alex "dear" has me weak every single time 😩

"technically I'm the spare" pls Henry is so fucking funny and sassy, I love him 😂😂😂

"the B in LGBTQ is not a silent letter" CRYING 😭❤️ istg the bi rep in media lately is so good and so validating and I love it so much 😭 and the way Alex was so hesitant and could barely say "I'm bisexual" to Henry, and now he's laughing and casually telling his mom "I'm bi" 😭 so happy for him but also so jealous, I want this 😭😂😂😂

"you need to figure out if you feel forever about him" one of my fave lines from the book tbh, I love this so much

Ellen is the coolest mom lmao

I miss June lol

the karaoke!!! did Alex just realize he in fact feels forever about him 😩 or at least that he's in love?? god 😭 and it was literally all in his face, so good, give Taylor all the awards, he's amazing

"it's like there's a rope attached to my chest and it's pulling me towards you" 😭 and Henry's face oh no we're getting to the "break up" point 😭

also, both those actors are just so talented, you can see every single emotion in their faces jfc

"what difference would it make if I did" baby nooo I'm crying

the argument, the museum scene, "I can't help falling in love with you" the dancing, the way they're so soft with each other, and so in love - I am in tears

"history, huh?" 😩 I LOVE THEM

noooo the emails 😭 I knew this would happen but omg nooo

Alex's speech with the montage of how awful things are for Henry are bringing me to tears again - and the ending montage was so cute omg

Alex is so in love jfc it's literally radiating off the screen lol

Zahra is just amazing lmao - "you might be lousy at keeping secrets but I'm not" 😂 I'm in love with her 😂

"I'm white and upper-class so my affection comes with strings" again, he's sooo funny 😂😂

the crowd under the palace!! Henry's reaction!! I'm sobbing!!

crying, sobbing, screaming rn, I loved this movie so fucking much

okay, so final thoughts:

it was great, I loved it, I enjoyed it, so much of it was just perfect, the casting, the chemistry, the development of their relationship - amazing

obvi they had to cut a lot bc limited time etc but I'm still bitter about June and the cornetto scene lol - I saw people say that it should've been a limited series, and I lowkey agree (plus the emails! obvi it's a different medium, and there were a few, but with how big impact they had on the story at the end, a series could devote more time to them fr)

I also saw some people say that the pacing felt rushed but i didn't feel that tbh, it was great

overall, immediate impression: fucking loved it, I cried, I laughed, it kept my attention the entire time (which is difficult lately lol) and now I really wanna reread the book even more haha

it was a fantastic queer romcom, I still wanna cry over it - there were quite a few changes to the book, which always kinda sucks, but as someone usually lowkey critical of adaptations bc I can never get over the changes lol, this one won me over pretty early on, it was just such a great watch, definitely gonna rewatch at some point - maybe after I finally reread the book 😂

also, Taylor and Nicholas need to get all the awards for the best on-screen couple or chemistry or whatever the fuck there is, bc jfc they did amazingly 🔥🔥😂

[hbogirls]

the best part of red white and royal blue is when uma thurman says in her insane foghorn leghorn accent “the b in lgbtq is not a silent letter.” the second best part is anytime the brown hair one bats his eyelashes

[mulderscully]

sorry this is random but I’m inspired by your rwrb gif set with the sense & sensibility quote… you know what I love about the rwrb movie? how the script repurposes quotes from the book in places that make sense for the movie. like ellen getting the “the b in lgbtq is not a silent letter” line or a reference to her making a PowerPoint (which imo was enough, we didn’t need to see the ppt) or in the book emails Henry references a sense and sensibility quote talking about their first time in LA and in the movie emails Henry references a different s&s quote in regards to Alex’s imposter syndrome. you can tell that matthew genuinely loves and knows the book deeply and knows how to ADAPT the material for the screen.

my bad i meant to answer this earlier then the doctor who trailer dropped and i lost my shit a bit but i got my brain back now.

yeah, absolutamente. there are a few changes here and there that i don't fully understand (especially taking rafael out and replacing him with miguel - it doesn't bother me but kinda perplexed me lol i'm used to it now though)

but overall imo the movie is a good adaptation because even though some things are different, the heart of the story is the same and honestly for that to feel true within the constraints of a two hour romantic comedy some things have to be changed/moved around and i think most of the changes actually serve the movie very well. if they had made a mini series they could've kept more of the book in, but the movie handled all of the important aspects perfectly imo and i think a lot of the book carries over enough that you can fill gaps with the canon of the book and it still feels honest.

i also have to say, i adore casey as a writer and as a person but they are white. & not latine white. matthew is latino. i'm latine. and the authenticity that matthew (and taylor) brought to alex and his experience as bisexual latino is absolutely phenomenal. the pillow talk between henry and alex where henry says, "i'm learning." is so fucking important and special and necessary, you know? love it.