Josei Ni

A Resource And Guide To Homosexuality, Bisexuality and Transgenderism In Anime

An open letter to anime fans curious about gay, lesbian, and bisexual themes in anime

I have been an anime fan since January 1996, and in that time I have seen a lot of anime. A lot. (In the range of 250-300 tapes.) And having been on the internet since before that and talked a lot to anime fans, one thing I noticed was amazing tolerance and regular examples of non-heterosexual people and relationships. Even straight people I know who are into anime like the way gay and bisexual relationships are portrayed as positive and loving, seeing people as humans and not freaks.

Homosexuality isn't anything new, it's not a 20th century phenomenon; there are accounts of homosexuality dating as far back as written history exists. (By dating I mean years, not nightclubbing. ^_^) From the ancient Greeks, ancient Rome, the middle east, feudal Japan, to renaissance Europe and into the 20th century, there are many written accounts of people in loving, caring relationships...and most of them facing persecution and hatred. (For those who believe the bible condemns homosexuality, it only speaks against rape and forced acts of sodomy; the actions being condemned in the over-used quotes from scriptures were acted out by heterosexuals, not gays. The bible says nothing about or against consentual acts of love by adults.)

Many great people in history have were or were reportedly homosexual or bisexual: Socrates, Alexander the Great, Oscar Wilde, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, Alan Turing, Pope Paul VI, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Eleanor Roosevelt...yes, that Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the US president (there are also recent discussions among historians that Abraham Lincoln was gay). Many others have been gay but hid it from the world because of intolerance and a lack of understanding. In fact, there are many, many examples of people who have achieved greatness in some field who are gay, from artists and musicians to writers and scientists. One could even suggest that right-minded and creative people are more likely to be gay, though that hypothesis falls apart when you look at lefthanded people; they are no more likely to be gay than any other minority. (I'm a lefty, if that means anything to you. ^_^)

The thing that really struck me about anime as I gradually came to terms with my own bisexuality is the number of positive images and stories involving homosexuals and bisexuals. Granted, a great number of these are male fantasies about lesbian sex, but there are still a lot of images of loving and tenderness to be found. Anime didn't cause me to become bisexual, nor is it the main reason I came out, but anime and the fan community were definitely a big help in accepting who I am.

PS: If you're curious about the pink and blue overlaying triangles (or hearts as I used above), it is a symbol of bisexuality. During World War II when Hitler tried to exterminate homosexuals along with the Jews, Gypsies, and the mentally retarded, he put pink triangles on the prison uniforms of homosexuals for the same reasons that the Star of David was put on Jews, as easy identification. For much the same reason Jews today use the Start of David with pride as defiance against Nazism, gays and bisexuals use the triangles. We're here, we're...out. ^_^