The Walking Dead: Can Daryl be gay?

This is a conversation I never thought I would have. There's been a lot of talk recently about the sexuality of the character Daryl Dixon on the popular AMC Drama, The Walking Dead. For those who don't know, Daryl is the show's breakout character. Introduced as an aggressive and anti-social redneck, his character developed into a kindhearted but tough and helpful member of the group. To most fans, he is viewed as a sexy badass.

Dreamy

Now there's been a lot of talk about Daryl Dixon's sexuality. Daryl, despite having so many fangirls screaming about how much they love him, has never had a romantic or sexual relationship on the show. Obviously he's not the only character but I guess due to his popularity, people would have expected something to happen by now. Now there's been speculation as to whether or not Daryl is gay. Ambiguous answers have been given to this question. According to executive producer and creator of the comics, Robert Kirkman, it's "been discussed". Showrunner Scott Gimple said: 

"The fact that there’s still a question as to what Daryl’s orientation is in Season 5 absolutely speaks to Daryl’s character; he is a very guarded, very closed-off individual in a lot of ways. We have been able to see him ever so slowly open up and show the other characters aspect by aspect as to what makes him tick. That’s been a very satisfying journey for all of us on the creative side to portray. [And] he’s still on that journey."

So you interpret that however you want. I first read about this on an article posted by Cinema Blend on their Facebook page. I was shocked by the overwhelmingly negative response to the basic idea that Daryl MIGHT be gay. Let's talk about some of the comments people have been saying.

"Please don't make Daryl a token gay guy. Every show does not have to have a gay guy"

First off, there's already a gay character, Tara, and nobody complained about that, so I don't see why making Daryl gay makes him a token gay character. Secondly, Daryl, gay or not, is NOT a token character. If he was a Token character, he would have no meaningful storylines and if gay, he would exist purely for the sake of having a gay guy on the show. Having a character that belongs to some kind of a minority group does not automatically make them a token character. They CAN be a Token character if the writing is poor but people are acting like it's token by default. T-dog is a token (black) character because his character served no purpose. Daryl being gay would not negate his impact on various storylines in the series and any more to come, so no, Daryl being gay does not turn him into a token gay guy. An example of a token gay guy would be if they randomly introduced a gay character, established that he was gay and then had him serve no purpose on the show...like T-Dog. That's not Daryl.

"Why bring sex into a show that has nothing to do with sex or sexual situations? Leave the show alone!! Why try to change something when it's this awesome?? The only relationship anyone gives a hoot about is Glen and Maggie. Just let him be Daryl!!!"

Oh bullshit. You wouldn't be saying that if he hooked up with Beth or Carol or Michonne. And don't pretend the show isn't about sex. The first sex scene is in the second episode.The show features one of the most messed up love triangles ever with Rick, Shane, and Laurie, obviously Glenn and Maggie, I'm feeling some sexual tension with Bob and Sasha and of course Andrea and The Governor. Don't say that sex isn't part of the show. Your problem is with the idea of him being gay. Admit it. If your problem really is sex and relationships then I'm shocked you've stuck with the show this long.

Dat non-offensive heterosexual sex scene that nobody complained about

A lot of people are saying that they don't care about his sexuality. Like they're really, really emphasizing the fact that they don't care about his sexuality and they just wanna watch zombies get killed. It's the apocalypse so his sexuality doesn't matter. That's great. I don't care about his sexuality either. If you don't care, then why is it a big deal if he's gay. Nobody's sexuality matters because it's the apocalypse? Ok, I'll say it again. Tell that to Rick, Lori, and Shane, Glenn and Maggie, The Governor and Andrea. You care about his sexuality. If you truly didn't, then you wouldn't be so upset about the idea of him being gay.

"Sorry but Darryl isn't anymore gay than John Wayne, Clint Eastwood or Chuck Norris. No one will ever buy it. Not being homophobic. Just telling it like it is."

This is my disappointed face

Just...no. I am so tired of people equating someone's sexuality with their "manliness". Look, some gay men are effeminate. Some aren't. Rock Hudson, Michael Sam (first openly gay NFL player), Darren Young (wrestler), Wentworth Miller. All gay men. All have a reputation for being manly. Still gay. And those are just a few. Ever heard of "bears" in a gay context? In male bisexual and gay culture, a bear is a large, hairy man who projects an image of rugged masculinity. And yes, they're gay. If they can be gay, why can't a badass redneck with a crossbow be gay?

Another big comment is that there doesn't need to be a gay person on every show. And I do agree with that. We don't need a gay person on every show. We don't need a white person on every show. We don't need an asian on every show. We don't need a Jew on every show. Two of the most underappreciated shows on tv right now, Hannibal and Rectify, don't have gay characters and that's fine. At the same time, I don't think introducing a gay character would automatically be a deterrent as long as it's still written well. And for that matter, Tara is a gay woman, so The Walking dead has already done it once without complaining. Or is two gay characters just too much? And no, the show doesn't NEED a gay character, but is it so bad to have one? Like it or not, gay people exist. They've existed since the beginning of time and they still exist. With the amount of characters we've met, isn't it possible that a couple of them might not be heterosexual. Season 5 is going to have SEVENTEEN people in the main cast alone. I don't think one or two being gay will end the world.

An argument I've heard to that question is that since Tara was introduced as gay immediately, it's ok. In comparison, Daryl has been around for 4 seasons and this still hasn't been established, so it would "ruin" the character. I get what you're TRYING to say. In fact, some have even argued that the show is just trying to make him gay now in order to seem "hip" and it's a cheap way to develop a character. I actually agree with that to a certain extent. Being gay is not just some fad. But in my opinion, the offensive approach would be if they introduced a new character, established him as gay, patted themselves on the back for being "progressive" and then did nothing with the character. Daryl has always been one of the major parts of the show so unless he dies, he's gonna keep being a major part. And about Daryl being "established", well I just don't understand that logic. There have been numerous shows where an established character is not revealed as gay immediately (Buffy the vampire slayer, Southland, The Sopranos). It never established him as straight, it established him as a human being...unless you think that him being gay would somehow ruin his character as a three-dimensional individual.

Some do argue that he's already been established as straight, citing romantic tension with Beth, Carol, and Michonne. I'll admit I saw it that way with Carol and Michonne (more with Carol), but I always viewed his relationship with Beth as being more brotherly. However, looking back, there was never anything explicit. What we may have seen as romantic tension could really have just been Daryl, you know, being a decent human being and treating women with respect. Crazy concept I know, but it can happen.

Perhaps the biggest fear is that Daryl being gay will turn it into a "gay" show, with many people mentioning Glee to emphasize their fear.

The horror...the horror...

I do understand what they're trying to say. There are shows where it's appropriate to tackle LGBT issues head on and shows where it's not. In my opinion, The Walking Dead does not need to preach gay issues on the show when so many crazier things are happening like those Terminus bastards. However, I still think the fear is irrational. What I mean is that just because he's gay doesn't mean that the show is going to make a huge deal about it. The Walking Dead established Merle as a racist but didn't turn into a lengthy commentary on why racism is wrong, so I doubt The Walking Dead will have lengthy preaching on gay acceptance or whatever. Indeed, Alanna Masterson, the actress who plays Tara, praised the show's non-preachy approach to her character being a lesbian. Now let's compare with another show. Southland. 

Southland is one my favorite shows of all time. It's incredibly character driven and features some of the best writing and character development I've ever seen on television. The show had a gay character, but they didn't reveal he was gay right away. After he was revealed as gay, the show continued to be a gritty character-driven cop drama. There were no drastic changes because, similar to the straight characters on the show, his homosexuality was portrayed as a small part of him and not his defining characteristic. I can imagine The Walking Dead would establish Daryl as gay and then return to business as usual.

Actually, let's compare it to a Norman Reedus movie, The Boondock Saints. In the film, Norman Reedus and the other guy who nobody cares about become vigilantes in Boston. Willem Dafoe plays an FBI agent investigating their crimes.

It's one of my favorite performances from Willem Dafoe. It's both over the top and restrained depending on the scene. I actually preferred his character over the two "protagonists". I loved the way his character developed and changed over the course of the film. Oh and he's gay.

The only time he's explicitly indicated as gay is a scene when he gets a call about some more murders by a co-worker. He's seen in bed, presumably naked, with a man trying to cuddle with him (He doesn't like cuddling). It's not any different from scenes where a man or woman is seen in bed with their wife and husband, or just some stranger they screwed. There is also a scene where he's at a gay bar, but the fact that it's a gay bar isn't portrayed as being a big deal either. I know I'm getting off topic. The point I'm trying to make is that it's possible to have a gay character without making a big deal out of it and without removing the character's badassery. It worked for The Boondock Saints. It can work for The Walking Dead.

To further emphasize this point, here's a fun fact. The comics introduced the characters of Aaron and Eric, a gay couple.

And that's all they did. Aaron and Eric were gay and it wasn't a big deal. Since the creator of the comics, Robert Kirkman, is a producer for the show, I'm sure he'd have them handle Daryl being gay in a similar fashion. They didn't ruin the comics so I don't think a gay guy will ruin the show.

To sum this up, take your own advice. Who cares about his sexuality? I don't. He could hook up with a woman, he could stay single forever, he could hook up with a guy. It doesn't matter to me. As long as the storyline is written well, I'm happy with whatever direction the show takes.