In our Mission Statement, first published in the summer of 2012, we said:

“What we’re looking for is expressions of affection, moments of privacy and intimacy, and important conversations to happen between the young gay and lesbian couples in the same way that they happen for the straight young couples. What we’re looking for is simple. It’s not more than any of the straight couples get. It’s just the same treatment. It’s equality.”

The precise couples we referred to might not be together anymore, but the sentiment is just as valid as ever. We said as much in the Watching Brief in our Equality Report for Episode 414 “I Do”. We believe the show has improved in its depiction of LGBTQ characters and relationships, as demonstrated in that episode. In fact, over the course of this season we have posted nearly double the number of ‘thumbs up’ points (47) as we have ‘thumbs down’ points (27) in our equality reports.

In that Watching Brief we also said we would still be watching: that as long as Glee is in production there will be a need to watch and judge whether the show is meeting expectations. This hasn’t changed. As fans, we will be watching as long as Glee is in production.

After the hiatus, however, we will no longer provide weekly Equality Reports after each episode. Unfortunately, recent and upcoming real life commitments for several members of our steering team mean that it is not possible for us to maintain the reports for the time being.

This does not mean we think the show has addressed all of the issues we have identified since we started posting on equality issues. This does not mean we think the powers that be, whether they are the creators or FOX, have “learned their lesson”. This does not mean our mission is complete, nor that we are disbanding.

We are still here, and we still believe passionately in the equal depiction of LGBTQ characters and relationships on Glee.

We are still watching, and we continue to encourage all Glee fans to call or write to FOX with any concerns they have about equality issues on the show.

We would like to thank our followers for their support to date. You are the Glee Equality Project, and your continued support and advocacy of equality issues on social media and through direct contact with FOX are important.

Thank you.

In an episode involving dancing, kissing, flirting and sex between numerous pairings, gay and lesbian characters were treated equally and honestly.

• Kurt and Blaine were shown making out in the backseat of a car, hot and horny for each other
• Kurt and Blaine slow-danced together on the dance floor among several other slow-dancing couples of differing configurations
• Santana and Quinn slow-danced together on the dance floor among several other slow-dancing couples of differing configurations
• Kurt and Blaine slept together and were both shown to have enjoyed the experience as normal, sexual, consenting adults
• Santana and Quinn slept together and were both shown to have enjoyed the experience as normal, sexual, consenting adults
• Kurt and Blaine talked about their relationship, the fact that Kurt is “sort of dating someone in New York”, and what their hooking up may mean
• Santana and Quinn talked about what their hooking up meant honestly and openly after being together
• Tina’s crush on Blaine is resolved in a way that Tina is shown to have over-stepped, and with Blaine making it clear they will not be together as Tina had wanted. Tina apologizes, and Blaine wants to continue as friends.

• While we do not want to detract from the positive portrayal of LGBTQ characters and storylines in this episode, we would like to note that both hookups show people not in relationships getting more action than LGBTQ couples got while in stable relationships in Season 3. We hope this is an indication for continued realistic portrayals of LGBTQs as sexualized characters.

• With this episode it seems that Glee addressed and corrected some past mistakes. In our Mission Statement, first published in the summer of 2012, we said:

“What we’re looking for is expressions of affection, moments of privacy and intimacy, and important conversations to happen between the young gay and lesbian couples in the same way that they happen for the straight young couples. What we’re looking for is simple. It’s not more than any of the straight couples get. It’s just the same treatment. It’s equality.”

The precise couples we referred to might not be together anymore, but the sentiment is just as valid as ever, and it really seemed like Glee delivered this week. It looks like, at least for this week, we have some semblance of equality.

But the story is not over as long as Glee is still in production. How will Kurt approach his budding relationship with Adam? How will Kurt and Blaine navigate their complicated past and future? What will Blaine do after high school? How will Santana enjoy life in New York? What is in store for Brittany? What will happen to Quinn? What path will Unique’s journey take?

We hope to find out and we hope these LGBTQ characters receive the same treatment as straight characters. We hope for equality.

Depiction of Relationships:

• There was a kiss between Santana and Elaine, and a kiss between Santana and Brittany in this episode. Both were appropriate to the storyline.
• Brittany and Santana also shared a meaningful conversation about their relationship, where Brittany showed honesty and maturity in her conversation.

Sexuality:

• Blaine openly discussed his sexuality with Tina in a way that was conversational and unremarkable, helping to show the normalcy of such conversations, and of being gay (or straight, bi or trans for that matter).
• Santana and Sam had a discussion as rivals for Brittany’s love, showing the normalcy of both a girl and a boy being romantically attracted to the same person. In that scene, Santana acknowledged that Brittany could date boys or girls. We’re glad the show hasn’t forgotten that Brittany is bisexual even though she’s currently dating a boy.

Courage of Conviction:

• Kurt was strong and assertive in this episode. He didn’t hesitate to express his feelings to Rachel or his fellow students, and he wasn’t afraid to challenge Rachel to a public diva-off.
• Blaine reminded his fellow students, twice, that boys can be divas, challenging the gender association that the emotion, fierceness or temperament attributed to divas is somehow only a female trait.

• Kurt and Adam: We are confused by this relationship. They were shown together, and Brittany said she heard that Kurt found a guy. Has he? Are Kurt and Adam dating? If they are, that’s not what has been shown on our screens.

• Tina’s crush on Blaine continues (see the Watching Brief below for our thoughts on Tina’s actions), and this week she commented that she would be willing to have a sexless relationship with Blaine, which “many Asian girls do.” That statement is an example of the mess that is inside Tina’s head right now, but it’s offensive, and we wouldn’t want anyone to think that is a viable option for a relationship.
• Tina’s comment to Unique, “I have more diva in my little finger than you have in your whole angry inch, Wade/Unique” was a transphobic slur. Marley called out Tina’s “trash talking” but the transphobic aspect of the remark went unchecked.
• Rachel’s comment to Kurt that he would be “an amazing Fanny Brice” following her loss to Kurt in Midnight Madness left us wondering if that was meant to be a slur.

• Tina’s crush on Blaine has thus far been more offensive to women than the LGBTQ community. But the sexualized scene where she straddles a sleeping Blaine to rub Vapo-Rub on his chest was creepy, and raised issues of consent and what’s appropriate behavior for any couple, gay or straight. We hope the writers will address this unfortunate aspect of Tina’s current portrayal and that the situation is resolved soon and done respectfully. Fox seems to be ok this season with sexualizing the gay characters to a certain extent. Going forward, we hope to see the gay characters who are romantically involved portray the healthy aspects of a consensual sexual relationship, including sharing a bed while having a conversation and touching each other.

• We hope to get clarification of Kurt and Adam’s relationship.

• Blaine was a very supportive and helpful friend to Sam in this episode, despite the crush we learned about in the last episode (more on that in our Watching Brief below). We’re pleased to see this friendship between a gay boy and a straight boy continue to develop, especially how Sam felt comfortable hugging Blaine in gratitude for Blaine’s support and friendship.

• Brody isn’t at all perturbed by the presence of a gay male in the room as he eats his breakfast completely naked.

• Tina’s crush on Blaine continues, although Blaine’s facial expressions indicate that he’s finding her actions strange. It will be interesting to see how it is resolved in subsequent episodes.

• When Santana and Quinn surprise Rachel in her New York apartment, Rachel asks them why they are here, and Santana replies that” Lady” Hummel called them. While that is vintage Santana snark, it is further reinforcement of effeminophobia expressed towards Kurt on Glee.

• We have yet to see any further development or a resolution of Blaine’s crush on Sam.

• In the official Glee video recap for the Sadie Hawkins episode, the voice over references Wade as a possible crush option for both Tina and for Blaine, along with Ryder and Artie, thus identifying Wade as male for the audience. The show then chose not to include Wade in the group considered for the “Men of McKinley” calendar, which is consistent with Unique self-identifying as female in canon. We are keeping watch on this type of inconsistency in Wade/Unique’s depiction on Glee.

• The depiction of what could be a budding relationship between Kurt and Adam is a very positive development. Kurt is being pursued and flirted with openly, and the exchanges between him and Adam are as natural as any flirtation between a heterosexual couple. We are pleased to see a new LGBTQ relationship portrayed so naturally on Glee.

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Although we don’t know what the future holds for Brittany and Santana as a couple, it’s nice to see the people at FOX can learn and improve.

• …

• It was upsetting seeing Kurt once again bullied for his sexuality, even if only in Artie’s fever dream.

• We thought that this would be the episode where we would hear a good deal more about Kurt’s point of view regarding his relationship with Blaine. But the promised “heart to heart” has yet to take place. Despite that, Blaine comes to NY to see Kurt, at Burt’s invitation. Kurt as a character needs to have more agency in his life, and to be able to express himself.
• Santana continues to be erased from the narrative while her bisexual ex is allowed to date and even marry (at least in intent) a male – something Santana and Brittany would not be able to do. Brittany seems to have forgotten she even ever dated, let alone loved Santana – even when she thought she only had four days to live she did not mention Santana once.

• While we’ve always done our best to separate out equality issues from narrative issues, we’re unhappy at Glee’s ongoing LGBTQ erasure trend. The erasure of LGBTQ reactions and points of view – Santana’s *life*, Kurt’s feelings on his relationship break-up, Unique’s opinion on being banished to after-school-only existence by her parents. Featuring Brittany or Santana, Blaine or Kurt, but rarely both together.

Kevin Reilly
FOX Broadcasting Company
10201 West Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035