Willow: Gay, Bi or... ?

NotASlayer

NotASlayer

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Willow in the show said she was "Gay now" but Joss apparently (I only have this as third party quotes) said this was forced on him by the network (No Bisexuals!) and would have had her as bi. This has cropped up in other threads, so, what do you read her as?

For me, I think she's bi, possibly skewed towards women. She had a crush on Giles, and not in a merely found him attractive in a general way. The same with Xander; she clearly liked him, and would have been romantically involved. With Oz, she had a relationship she enjoyed, not just a pro forma one, and she enjoyed sex with him. So, for me, bi, not gay, even if she never was with another guy.

How do you see her?
 
While I don't see sexuality as a straightjacket (so it's possible to have a straight or gay crush even if that is not normal for one's self), she was far too in love with Oz.

Speaking as a lesbian, I also had boyfriends in school. But beyond curiosity there was no drive for even smoochies (as I think Willow calls them) and we were basically just good friends. And though a male could hurt me the way a friend could, they could never break my heart as Oz did Willow, nor could I be tempted to cheat (at least not with a male). At least all the lesbians I compared notes with said similar things (maybe with a desperate desire to "become straight by faking it till she makes it").

She was definitely bi while Tara was lesbian. And I think labeling Willow gay badly distorts what she had with Oz.
 
NotASlayer
NotASlayer
Yes, there was a reason why I had "or..." because otherwise it's far too binary.
I tend to be less focused on subtext when analyzing characters sexuality. So I go by what is shown on screen.

In show, Willow dates both men and women and seems to be happy in either situation. I believe she is bi.
 
Okay, here's what you are asking.

When Joss hired Aly, he told her that Willow needed to be played with some homosexual tendencies, and hired her an acting coach to help her craft the performance to reflect this? No, I don't think that was the case.
 
Another vote for Willow being bisexual. She had sexual relationships with both Oz and Tara (and probably Kennedy), so she has demonstrated her proclivity to go in either direction. And she was the one who pushed Oz into sex, she was not responding to his desires.
 
NotASlayer
NotASlayer
Definitely with Kennedy - the my girlfriend has a tongue piercing comment - and, most importantly when it comes to Oz, enjoyed it.
I think Willow is a bisexual who just found that she liked the company of other girls better, once she recognized that facet of her sexuality. I don't think that's what the writers meant for her to be, but it's definitely in the canon that she sincerely loved Oz, and had a real crush on Xander. I think if the show were being made today, they wouldn't have tried to pass her off as a lesbian who just didn't realize it until college.
 
NotASlayer
NotASlayer
Yes, she doesn't really fit the profile of someone who didn't know, because her relationship with Oz was genuine. Joss did apparently say he would have made her bi if he could.
I definitely see Willow as bi. It pissed me off that the writers deminished her relationship with Oz by declaring that she was "gay now", as if it's a choose someone just wakes up one day and decides. Obviously Willow was deeply in love with Oz at one point, and it is possible to be able to love more than one sex. I think Willow was bi, while Tara was a lesbian, and while Willow may have preferred women, I definitely see her as bisexual.
 
NotASlayer
NotASlayer
To be fair, it seems to be the fault of the network, not the writers.
I believe if the series was made today, or if studio execs didn't have a say when the series was being made at the time, Willow would definitely identify as bisexual.

She was in love with Xander for years. She had a big crush on Giles. She was flattered when Spike said he wanted to bite her/found her attractive. She was in a serious relationship with Oz.
 
I recently saw POTN's review of New Moon Rising. I got the impression that Willow still had feelings for Oz, or at least, the episode wanted me to believe there was a chance Willow could... sigh, go either way. So, bisexual, but with the understanding that these are all fictional characters who aren't written consistently and can be anything the writers want them to be. This is not including S7, where hooking up with the first woman she meets seems to be the only option available for her. I mean, litterally, that's what happens.

This hasn't been brought up, but could she had magicked herself gay? I mean, if you can turn yourself into a rat or a girl, or a demon, then yes, probably. I mean, if any character goes full Mr. Sinister, it's her.
 
T
thrasherpix
Amy caused a woman at the Bronze to turn gay (at least uncontrollably attracted to Willow) so it was apparently a thing you could do.
AlphaFoxtrot said:
This hasn't been brought up, but could she had magicked herself gay? I mean, if you can turn yourself into a rat or a girl, or a demon, then yes, probably. I mean, if any character goes full Mr. Sinister, it's her.
Click to expand...
I'm reminded in s7 that Xander asked Willow to make him gay.
"I'm going gay. I've decided I'm turning gay. Willow, gay me up. Come on, let's gay!"
 
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