Week two of recapping at Billboard, click above. For my extended thoughts on queerness, passing and unicorns —
Kurt Hummel is always going to read as gay, and he’s going to get all different sorts of reactions to that. Last season he learned about the violent, physically threatening ones via Karofsky, and the silent but just as hurtful ones done in the cloak of anonymity and group-think with his election to Prom Queen. This year it’s time for the lessons about how even people who are your friends, even other outcasts, will hold you down. He overhears Bieste, Emma and Artie all call him terms that are polite ways of saying “too gay,” because they’re not homophobes at all. But they are judgmental. Emma goes as far as to say “Artie, can Kurt pass” and Artie says no.
On the other hand, Blaine Anderson can. Blaine isn’t any less gay than Kurt — heck, he’s done some of exact same kind of overtly gay things Kurt has (expressed an interest in singing women’s songs, dressed out of the box, pursued boys openly) and faced some of the same overt hatred and harassment. But when it comes to passing, Blaine doesn’t face Kurt’s opposition. Blaine doesn’t read as gay to the untrained eye. Fey, maybe, but who isn’t nowadays?
He auditions for the musical with a Tony song and unlike Kurt (forgetting for a moment that Kurt also didn’t really choose the best audition song, even if the song is perfect for him) the directors can see Blaine as the romantic lead. When they offer him a chance for it, he’s obviously reluctant to take it knowing his boyfriend wants the role, and Glee leaves us hanging until next week for his answer. But the powerhouse scene is less in if Blaine will go for it or not (this couple is strong, they can weather whatever storm the actual audition brings), but that he has the opportunity.
Passing privilege is awful on both sides of the coin. It’s inherent in every call for gays to “just act normal” and “don’t draw so much attention to yourselves.” For someone like Kurt, it’s impossible. It’s not part of his makeup. For someone like Blaine, it’s can be equally as bad. Speaking as someone queer who does pass, the guilt that can come with it is frustrating. Sometimes you don’t want to pass — like when you’re at a gay event and people assume you’re just a straight ally — and sometimes after you’ve “shocked” a friend or coworker by mentioning your ex-girlfriend, you wish that part of your identity was as easily recognized as your hair color. Sometimes you just think, “It’s not fair I can hide my minority status because I don’t fit some mold that has been assumed.”
I’m excited that Glee is going there. Especially with such a young couple, and a couple in the arts, this issues is huge for them, and one that none of the other couples on the show will ever face. There’s acceptance to be learned on both sides, how to fight against society and forge a new path, and how to step outside of your privileged and maintain your youness, whatever that may be. In the capable hands of Colfer and Criss I hope we get all that.
