Quirky Not Straight: celebrating Buck's bisexual journey in 9-1-1 and its importance to the LGBTQ+ community

Welcome to Wacky Not Straight, a space for cool people like me. Every Saturday, we bring new content, including interviews, opinion pieces (like this editorial about Evan "Buck" Buckley from 9-1-1), listicles, reviews, and more content that focuses on the LGBT community from a Latino perspective. I'm Lyra Hale, and today I'd like to talk to you about one of the topics featured in 9-1-1, and that's Buck's journey into bisexuality, and some of the reactions it's elicited.

In the fourth episode of the seventh season of 9-1-1, Buck experienced a major moment of self-discovery when he kissed a man, confirming his bisexual identity. The episode elicited strong reactions from some fans, with some even threatening that they would never watch the show again. These reactions reveal a disturbing truth: even today, representation of the LGBTQ+ community is still met with opposition and fear by some.

This reaction is not new to us. As members of the LGBTQ+ community, we are often forced to find ourselves represented in mainstream media, and when we finally see characters like Buck, the very existence of these characters becomes a point of contention. These voices of hate and fear try to erase us from the story, as if our very existence is a problem.

But we're not going away. Stories like Buck's are important and necessary for many people. They provide a sense of identity, a sense of being seen and understood. For those who feel alone or unaccepted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, these stories are an invaluable resource.

To the fans who are threatening to leave 9-1-1, I say: go. This show, like so many other shows and films, will continue to explore diverse stories and characters. And we, members of the LGBTQ+ community, will continue to support the work of those brave enough to represent us. Our existence is not a trend that can be ignored or erased. We are here, we are real, and our stories deserve to be told.

So, if you have any suggestions for what we're about to present, please enjoy and leave a comment below. Remember, this space we've created here at Wacky Not Straight is for everyone, no matter what your sexual orientation or gender identity, this is your home.