In The Hunting Wives, we follow Sophie (Brittany Snow) as she moves to rural Texas with her husband, experiencing full-on culture shock along the way. Before long, she’s drawn into the tight-knit — and fiercely secretive — world of the local hunting wives, where gossip runs rampant, alliances shift on a daily basis, and someone ends up accused of… murder.
There’s a lot to unpack here: the series dives into Texas gun laws, abortion hypocrisy, and the twisted social codes of small-town life. But what’s really caught my attention is how media coverage and viewers keep labelling the show as a “lesbian” series, despite the fact that the characters themselves never identify that way.
Once again, we’re faced with a big, glaring slice of bisexual erasure — and this bisexual writer is so over it.
The hunting wives never said they were lesbian
In all the chatter around The Hunting Wives, everyone keeps calling it a “lesbian show” or talking about the “lesbian characters.” Even PinkNews described it as “a show about MAGA-coded lesbians.”
But here’s the thing: yes, we see Margo (Malin Akerman) and Sophie getting it on in multiple steamy scenes. Margo and Callie (Jaime Ray Newman) also share kisses and a clear sexual history. Those are lesbian – or, more accurately, sapphic – sex scenes.
The sapphic drama stars Brittany Snow and 27 Dresses legend Malin Akerman.
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But we also see Margo with her husband, Jed (Dermot Mulroney), and enjoying herself. She even continues an affair with a teenage guy (not excusing it, of course). Likewise, Sophie is married to a man while also exploring her sexuality. Margo isn’t choosing between men or women; she’s clearly attracted to both.
Similarly, some viewers treat a scene with Callie and her husband, Sheriff Jonny (Branton Box), as proof of a lavender marriage. She pegs him, and yes, they seem to love it. But pegging doesn’t make a straight man gay, nor does it define a woman’s sexuality. Straight, bi, queer – people enjoy what they enjoy.
There’s no evidence that anyone in The Hunting Wives is only attracted to one gender, so why are we throwing around the word “lesbian” or insisting the Sheriff must be gay for liking a dildo in his arse? Don’t say it’s easier – “bisexual” is only two letters longer. Or, if you want to save even more time, let’s call it queer. Because honestly? I’ll take a good queer show any day.
It's not just our hunting wives
Let’s talk about the other side of the coin: gay men.
Take Heated Rivalry, the gay hockey show we apparently all stan. While the books and series give space to Ilya’s (Connor Storrie) bisexuality, many viewers gloss over it or undermine his relationship with a woman because he’s also intimate with a man. Newsflash: Ilya is not a gay man, he’s a bisexual man – and that doesn’t make his love for Shane (Hudson Williams) any less real. Whether he stays committed to Shane (dear God, we hope so), he’s still a bisexual man.
People also went absolutely wild when Bridgerton dipped its toe into the queer sphere. Benedict (Luke Thompson) being intimate with both men and women suddenly became a scandal, as if it somehow undermines his upcoming Bridgerton season four storyline. And when Michael was reimagined as Michaela (Masali Baduza), viewers panicked, claiming it threatened Francesca’s (Hannah Dodd) relationship with John (Victor Alli). But bisexuality exists, and it doesn’t erase anyone’s previous romance!
“There’s something freeing about engaging with sexual content that isn’t directly projecting expectations onto women’s bodies or behaviour.”
Over in Australia, Heartbreak High shocked viewers when love interest Malakai (Thomas Weatherall) showed an interest in men, causing some fans to mourn the apparent “loss” of his on-off romance with Amerie (Ayesha Madon). Except… it wasn’t lost. He clearly enjoyed his time with Amerie, too, proving he exists fully in the queer category – until the show creators decide otherwise.
And let’s take a trip back to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Willow (Alyson Hannigan) is often celebrated as a lesbian icon, especially in her groundbreaking relationship with Tara (Amber Benson). Don’t get me wrong, I stan Tara and Willow. But let’s not forget: we first meet Willow through her unrequited crush on Xander (Nicholas Brendon). So why did we automatically assume she was a lesbian?
This might sound pedantic, but representation matters. And that includes queer folks like me, who fall for all genders. When characters are shoved into straight or gay boxes, it sends a subtle but painful message: there’s no space for people like us. We need fully realised characters who are allowed to be attracted to more than one gender, because seeing ourselves reflected helps our loved ones understand us better and reminds us we’re valid too.
Off-screen, the bierasure continues
If we want to talk about real people – though I assure you, these characters feel very real – let’s look at Billie Eilish. The mega-talented singer released a song called Lunch, all about going downtown for a meal, iykyk.
In a November interview with Variety, Eilish said she was “physically attracted to” and “so intimidated by” women, marking the first time she spoke publicly about her sexuality. The media, along with all my social circles, immediately jumped to calling her a lesbian, edited her face onto rainbow flags, and acted as if she’d suddenly picked a side.
But here’s the thing: before this, Eilish had been in several public relationships with men, sang steamy songs about being into men, and gave us zero reason to believe she wasn’t also into women.
“The whole world suddenly decided who I was, and I didn’t get to say anything or control any of it,” she told Rolling Stone. “Nobody should be pressured into being one thing or the other, and I think that there’s a lot of wanting labels all over the place.”
Cue the outrage when she later started dating a man.
In a culture obsessed with labels, The Hunting Wives quietly challenges our assumptions about sexuality. Viewers jump straight to calling characters lesbian, overlooking the more obvious – and frequently erased — possibility: bisexuality.
It may seem harmless, but for bisexual people like me, it’s exhausting. It’s tiring when people act confused if I mention dating a woman when they’ve only ever heard about me with men. It’s frustrating when lesbian women tell me they wouldn’t date a bisexual woman because she’s “experimenting” or will just end up with a man. And it’s painful to spend every day feeling like I have to prove my sexuality, not just to the world, but to myself.
If an actor comes out as a lesbian, that’s brilliant, and I’ll happily wave that sunset flag for them. But if they merely mention dating a woman, and have a history with men, let’s not rush to the orange and pink just yet. Let’s not force anyone to choose, like sexuality is some kind of Pokémon.
We need space for the in-between. Call it bisexual, pansexual, queer – whatever you feel is right. But stop shoving me, and the characters of amazing queer TV shows, into a box we never signed up for.
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