Pride month is being celebrated differently than in the past. This year includes protests, a health pandemic, and virtual events taking over the world. The timing for the release of the show Love, Victor couldn’t be better. This past week, the US Supreme Court announced that, sexual orientation and gender identity should be included and understood.
“Love, Victor” is a show about the journey and self-discovery for Victor Salazar. Many LGBTQ teenagers find, settling in a new town, transferring to a different school, and trying to understand their sexual identity frightening. Victor also faces difficulty when explaining his sexual orientation to his parents and friends.
Throughout the series, Victor develops a friendship with Benjamin “Benji” Campbell, Simon Spier, and Bram Greenfield. In the first episode, Victor dismisses his feelings towards Benji and faces the difficulty of masking his emotions. In one scene, a girl named Mia planned a party where attendees wore different colors to symbolize their relationship status. Even though the event seemed interesting, Victor still experienced anxiety and discomfort from it.
Realizing the emotions he felt towards Benji, Victor started to question his sexual orientation. He developed a relationship with Mia but is confused about whether he was interested in her. He knew he had feelings for Benji, but wanted to fit in with everyone else.
Life at home was unpredictable for Victor, his father Armando, detested Victor’s friends because of their sexual orientation. Victor and his younger brother – Adrian – who was also part of the LGBTQ community, felt disconnected from their family. Armando proceeded to tell Victor he wasn’t happy with Adrian’s sexual identity.Once he heard this statement from his father, Victor became even more confused about his emotions and behavior.
With the help of his friends, Victor was able to recognize the diversity of the LGBTQ community. He realized that the community was more than just a sexual orientation. When discussing his feelings with others, Victor felt more confident about his sexual orientation and who he truly was.
The series informs us that Victor’s sexual orientation journey and acceptance among his peers consisted of so many factors, proving the difficulty that LGBTQ teenagers face and shining a light on pride month.
Unlike Love, Simon, Victor reflects the experience of an LGBTQ teenager who also happens to be a person of color. This refers to overlapping systems of discrimination.’ The factors of social categorizations in Love, Victor are race, class, and sexual orientation.
Many teenagers from immigrant families experience structural and direct forms of discrimination. Love, Victor showcases the obstacles from an immigrant LGBTQ, other adolescents\s can relate to the show in difficult situations. Overall, the series relates to the situations that those in the LGBTQ community face, and also gives a voice for individuals who feel restrained.
With pride month shining at its core followed by racial justice movements, the world needs to open their eyes to the themes found in Love, Victor.
Featured Photo by Hulu’s Love, Victor.
