I'm a 32 year old gay guy who remembers only too well how awful my teenage years were in the closet at school. When I started watching this series I found it a bit offensive. Charlie seems to have it so easy. He's got supportive friends, he's having a fling with a 'straight' boy. Then nick enters the story and is also interested in him. I felt like this was some sort of fairytale in comparison to what I went through and thought it was offensive to suggest that it could be so easy to be a gay teenager.
Upon reflection, the series started to sink in. I started to see it from another angle. This wasn't a series to show me how things were but rather a series of how things could have been. Charlie's life isn't perfect - what teenagers is? Navigating school and young love is challenging. As the story unfolded the series made me realise how damaged I still am from the experiences I had knowing I would never be accepted if I told people who I really was. Those pains have lasted with me. They've made me less secure than I could have been, less trusting and wrapped up in my own mind. The story showed me how things could have been in a different world and made me feel more strongly than ever that progress is being made for series like this to exist.
If you think this series is cringey, too wholesome and unrealistic, from my perspective I agree with you - but that's the point. I've never watched a gay series which has resonated with me so much and really made me think about myself and my inner demons. I really hope being LGBT continues to become more straight forward so that series like this can seem at least somewhat more believable.
Upon reflection, the series started to sink in. I started to see it from another angle. This wasn't a series to show me how things were but rather a series of how things could have been. Charlie's life isn't perfect - what teenagers is? Navigating school and young love is challenging. As the story unfolded the series made me realise how damaged I still am from the experiences I had knowing I would never be accepted if I told people who I really was. Those pains have lasted with me. They've made me less secure than I could have been, less trusting and wrapped up in my own mind. The story showed me how things could have been in a different world and made me feel more strongly than ever that progress is being made for series like this to exist.
If you think this series is cringey, too wholesome and unrealistic, from my perspective I agree with you - but that's the point. I've never watched a gay series which has resonated with me so much and really made me think about myself and my inner demons. I really hope being LGBT continues to become more straight forward so that series like this can seem at least somewhat more believable.