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Culture > Entertainment

Characters that Contributed to my Bisexual Awakening

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

Figuring out I was bisexual wasn’t a shocker, but it was tough to navigate and completely understand. I first realized I had an attraction to more than one gender when I was 14 and from there, I recognized that I didn’t care about a person’s gender, but simply the emotional connection I was able to establish with the person. Without further ado, here’s my list of the top seven characters that contributed to my bisexual awakening in my early teens.

Elizabeth Swann
Keira Knightley encompasses a spirited, courageous and intelligent character in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Not only is she extremely beautiful, but she’s also a great sword fighter. She is a strong-minded and adventurous character that isn’t afraid to speak her mind and is determined to not be seen as delicate or helpless. Elizabeth Swan is one of the first strong femalecharacters that I looked up to as she defied stereotypical gender boundaries and is honestly just hot.

Dr. Spencer Reid
When most people think about Criminal Minds, their first thoughts go to Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan, but for me, it’s always been Spencer Reid played by Matthew Gray Gubler. The fictional character is extremely brilliant, socially awkward and is so cutely innocent.

Kim Possible
The strong, badass, and independent character is self-assured and is compelled to help others. She’s confident, joyful and mysterious which makes her extremely likeable. I strived to be like Kim Possible when I was younger due to her intelligent nature, strong personality and amazing red hair.

Michael Scofield
Wentworth Miller is a total panty dropper and his performance as Michael in the Prison Break series is indescribable. He’s charismatic, compassionate, selfless, extremely intelligent and family-oriented. What more could I want in a person than someone who’s willing to go to jail to save his wrongfully incarcerated brother?

Lexie Grey
The optimistic, bright and caring character in Grey’s Anatomy made the few seasons she was on incredibly entertaining and noteworthy. Chyler Leigh portrays a supportive, loyal and kind- hearted woman whose goal is to form a relationship with her older sister and succeed in the surgical room. I completely embraced and enjoyed her blond hair and her growing self- confidence throughout the series is heartwarming.

Zoro
One Piece is the first anime I ever watched and the mysterious, dangerous and skilled swordsman with a sarcastic and witty personality is particularly entertaining. Though Zoro is often serious and short-tempered, he’s loyal to his friends and an honourable character.

Mary Stuart
The Queen of Scots, played by Adelaide Kane in Reign is headstrong, powerful, independent and charming. Not only am I completely obsessed with the series, but I’d say ninety percent of my attention and attraction is due to her accent, intelligence and passion. Need I say more?

Believe me, there are dozens of characters I think of when it comes to good-looking, charming and captivating men and women in television series, comic books and video games. Watching films and series with these specific characters and actors brightened the light bulb over my head in realizing I was bisexual. Some honourable mentions include Nami in One Piece, Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, Legolas from Lord of the Rings and of course Black Widow in TheAvengers. Thanks for reading!

Isha Pabla

Wilfrid Laurier '24

Writing has always been a passion of Isha's, and while pursuing a major in business and computer science, she finds it wonderful to be able to exercise her creativity and activism with Her Campus. Isha enjoys writing about social justice issues, community engagement and social wellness.