Red White & Royal Blue fans praise bisexual representation: ‘I feel so comforted and seen’
Taylor Zakhar Perez plays the bisexual king Alex Claremont Diaz in Red, White & Royal Blue. (Prime Video)
Fans of Amazon Prime’s new adaptation of Red, White & Royal Blue have been quick to praise the new film for its nuanced depiction of bisexuality.
Based on Casey McQuiston’s international bestseller, Amazon Prime’s adaptation follows the romance between a British prince and the firsts son of the United States Alex Claremont-Diaz.
The two-hour film, directed by Matthew López and also featuring Stephen Fry, has brought more welcome LGBTQ+ representation to the screen.
In the book, Alex goes through a sexuality crisis after kissing Henry for the first time, before accepting he is bisexual. In the film, his dilemma is largely cut out, but that doesn’t take away from the meaningful moments where he loudly and proudly stands up for the bisexual community.
One scene particularly lauded by fans is when Alex, played by Taylor Zakhar Perez, comes out to his mum, the president.
Her unconditional support is beautiful to witness and after confirming that he identifies as bisexual, she says: “You know, the B in LGBTQ is not a silent letter.”
One fan noted: “This is so important, especially with all of the bi erasure that exists in the world. We are not silent, we are here and we are proud.”
Bisexual representation is all too often overlooked, both within the community and the mainstream media. It is one of the reasons López felt so moved to bring the novel to life.
“I’m a queer Puerto Rican, and I think if I had had access to Alex Claremont-Diaz as a younger man, I might have had an easier path in life,” López said.
He’s clearly done a good job because bisexual fans are thrilled with the bi character.
Given that a bisexual character is at the heart of the love story, López was keen to emphasise that this is not just a “gay love story”.
Speaking to PinkNews, he said: “I sometimes bristle when people say: ‘Oh, it’s two gay men’. Actually, no, it’s one gay man and one bisexual man.
“They are in love and they are a same-sex couple, yes. [But] as [is written] in the novel, and as in the movie, the B in LGBTQ is not a silent letter. That was really important to me, because it was important to Casey [McQuiston].”
Red, White & Royal Blue is streaming on Prime Video now.
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