valentinegorillagram:

I saw a post yesterday that said Dave is often used purely for dramatic purposes, and as a character doesn’t add anything to gays in the media because his story is “the expected gay storyline”. I think my issue with that is by reducing Dave as a character to simply a representation of a gay teenager, you stop viewing him as a character at all, and he becomes an agenda. The teenager part of Dave’s character is just as - if not more - important than the fact he’s gay.

For me, the importance of Dave’s character (and what he adds to television) isn’t so much that he’s gay, because they have a point - this coming out story, whilst beautifully done, isn’t new. Equally neither is the stable and happy relationship that Kurt and Blaine have (which they tried to suggest otherwise), but again, that’s missing the point. Dave’s relationship with bullying is what makes him a unique and worthwhile character. I have rarely seen a character portrayed with such complexity, and whilst it may be a trope the transformation of a villain into a misunderstood hero is so narratively satisfying I think there’s a reason it’s endured for so long.

Dave represents both the bullied and the bullies. He’s a big red flag that says the way we currently deal with bullying is wrong. Yes, the victims need help, but so do the aggressors. Kids are very unlikely to just be horrible to each other, and bullying is a symptom of a wider problem, rather than a problem on its own. Dave shows that people change, or rather that they grow and develop. He shows that teenagers do have very nasty sides, but that it’s possible to overcome them. He shows that everyone is worth saving, and that everyone deserves to be listened to. 

That’s ignoring his importance as a representation of a gay teenager. That too, is obviously hugely important, but it’s not all Dave is. It’s not all Dave should be viewed as. His relevance as a character, and what he brings to the table, goes above and beyond sexuality. In the same way Kurt is as much about being yourself as he is about being a gay teenager, Dave is as much about how ambiguous human nature is as he is about being a gay teenager that doesn’t fit the stereotype.

And frankly, if you can’t appreciate that wider relevance of these characters, and only see them as part of a representation of gay youth, rather than youth in general, then it’s you who is creating the distinction between gay and straight people. It’s not about “normalising” gay relationships in the sense that they should be simple and ever-sweet, because that’s narratively dull. It’s about showing these stories are truly universal, and that we can all take something from them, regardless of sexuality, gender, race etc. That’s the beauty of these characters, and that’s why I’ll never see these stories as “ratings ploys” or “drama for the sake of it”.

Very well put. I wholeheartedly agree.

(Source: flockofhearts)