The woman behind the novel new film Love, Simon is based on is here to clarify the titular character's sexuality.
(Warning: Some spoilers for Love, Simon below.)
Love, Simon stars Nick Robinson as Simon Spier, a well-liked teen with a close group of friends and one huge secret: he's gay. Yet, despite Simon stating that he is gay multiple times over the course of the movie, and sharing his fears about coming out with his anonymous pen pal Blue, some people didn't see the character as such. In fact, some fans believed that Robinson's Simon had romantic chemistry with his female best friend Leah (Katherine Langford). Could it be possible for them to end up kissing atop the ferris wheel? And could Simon really identify as bisexual instead of gay?
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According to Becky Albertalli, who wrote the 2015 novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda upon which Love, Simon is based, the answer is "Nope." Simon is romantically interested in exclusively men.
"Apparently people need me to confirm that Simon Spier is gay? Okay. Simon Spier is gay," tweeted the author.
Apparently people need me to confirm that Simon Spier is gay?
— Love, Becky (@beckyalbertalli) March 23, 2018
Okay. Simon Spier is gay. ??♀️
Albertalli continued, stating that the hope that Simon identifies as bisexual, instead of gay, may have to do with the lack of quality bi representation in media. Fortunately, Albertalli is all about making sure that bisexual characters have a voice in her work.
"I do understand that people are genuinely looking for more bi rep. Happily, there are several bi characters in the Simonverse, including Leah Burke and Cal Price. There are also so many incredible existing books with bi POV characters (go check out @LGBTQReads!!)"
I do understand that people are genuinely looking for more bi rep. Happily, there are several bi characters in the Simonverse, including Leah Burke and Cal Price. There are also so many incredible existing books with bi POV characters (go check out @LGBTQReads!!)
— Love, Becky (@beckyalbertalli) March 23, 2018
She added:
"But yeah, Simon’s not bi. And if you ship him with Leah, you are not going to like LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT."
But yeah, Simon’s not bi. And if you ship him with Leah, you are not going to like LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT. ?
— Love, Becky (@beckyalbertalli) March 23, 2018
Funnily enough, Albertalli's follow-up to Love, Simon does put a bisexual character in the spotlight — and it's the very person that some fans thought should be with Simon. In the forthcoming sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, out April 24, protagonist Leah reveals that she is bisexual. Her coming out story will actually overlap with Simon's. According to the description of Leah on the Offbeat, Leah will attempt to come out to her friends senior year of high school, just as Simon is grappling to tell the world about his own sexuality.
There's still a need for fair representations of bisexual characters in media, and, in particular, men-identifying bisexual characters. However, as Simon says: he's gay. Let's believe him, and the author who created him, when they tell us that.