Call me sensitive all you want, but seeing a bunch of men swoop in to say āSEE?? SHE WAS MARRIED TO A GUY!!ā after a popular RE artist posted that portrait of Alcina where she has a ring on her left ring finger, even though all the files seem to indicate that Dimitrescu is her maiden name (and the portrait is just a bunch of photoshopped Victorian paintings with Helenaās face added anyways, and probably should not be overanalyzed like most of REās writing), really reminded me of how important canonical lesbian representation is. Some will even conveniently pretend that every woman of the past was forced into a marriage with a man - even though like, half of us have at least one āspinster auntā in every generation of the family tree - simply to find a justification for her treatment of men. As though being born in the early 20th century as someone who is canonically chronically ill/disabled would not be enough to make a person like Alcina resent the patriarchal system of the time, and that the only plausible explanation for a woman not being fond of men is that she was romantically or sexually abused by them. Thereās an entire thesis to be written here, but it merely rubs me off the wrong way.
(And yes, lesbians have entered white and lavender marriages before, but I really doubt Capcom would dare make this into a plotpoint and that the fandom at large would ever see past that āMrs.ā title.)
It almost seems like there is this huge chunk of the fandom that desperately wants to prove wrong those who interpreted her as gay, beyond a simple āI disagree with this reading of the primary material and will therefore ignore itā, and the more I see it, the more I think these people resent the notion that a character as great as Alcina could ever be a lesbian. And boy, does the subtle lesbophobia suck.
So, if you are an LGBT+ member of the fandom, and specially a lesbian, here is nothing but a well-meaning reminder that there are plenty of creators large and small alike putting out genuine representation out there, often told from personal experience. Look to them if in the coming months, Capcomās treatment of Lady Dās character comes to disappoint you (though I wish to have faith, I am sure it will by this point). And if you donāt see your story represented anywhere, consider taking it upon yourself to leave your mark. I assure you that whatever you create will mean the world to someone else who is also desperately waiting to at last be seen by the media they consume.
dailybridgerton
janainaart
tangentwithtanner
