This column includes spoilers for Season 5, Episode 7 of Stranger Things.

I remember exactly where I was when I watched Robin Buckley come out to Steve Harrington on Season 3 of the show “Stranger Things.” I was seated next to my mother on our living room couch, and I could feel my heartbeat in my throat as our eyes stayed glued to the screen. I was maybe 12 years old. By that point in my life, I was completely positive that I was bisexual, but I hadn’t told my parent yet due to fear of how she’d react. So I just sat and watched in total silence.

Before long, I was crying– silently, though, so my mom wouldn’t notice. I had never before in my life seen that kind of representation onscreen, and watching a fictional character on an unbelievably famous TV show come out as gay inspired me in a way I didn’t know was possible. I told my mom I was bi within the next week, and I truly don’t think I would have done so without “Stranger Things.”

A couple weeks ago, I got this sense of deja-vu as I sat down with my mom to watch Episode 7 of the show’s fifth season. As the two of us watched Will Byers’ now-famous coming-out scene, I cried over the show yet again, thinking more about the ramifications of the scene as opposed to its emotional dexterity. The show had gained a lot of traction and international recognition ever since Robin came out in Season 3, and the number of people who saw Robin come out was miniscule compared to the number of people who saw Will come out. Quite frankly, I wasn’t paying attention to how good that scene was. I was just thinking about all the kids that could be inspired the same way I was six years ago. 

But then I opened Instagram. The second I went online and searched for peoples’ reactions on the new season, I saw negative reaction after negative reaction in response to Will’s coming-out scene. Critics said the scene’s timing was wrong; the characters’ replies to Will were too cringey; nobody would announce their queerness to a big group of people in the ’80s. Honestly? In retrospect, I don’t disagree with any of these takes. The scene was a little cringey and poorly timed and unrealistic. Even more honestly? I don’t care.

Representation matters so much to LGBTQ+ kids. I know because I’m one of them. And every single time I’ve ever seen or heard or read a positive portrayal of a queer character in pop culture, I’ve become more and more confident in my identity. Additionally, queer representation in media creates a more positive general culture, since the exposure helps citizens to view queer people as normal. These are all facts that media consumers are supposedly forgetting. 

Yes, “Stranger Things’” most recent portrayal of a gay character was somewhat sloppy. So what? When viewers make fun of the show, they forget the positive impact this scene could have on LGBTQ+ people. Those critiquing the show so heavily have a selfish outlook of media in general; not all media is created for everybody. If I was 12 years old when Season 5 came out, it would’ve had the same effect on me that Season 3 did. Sloppy representation is still representation, and any kind of representation is beautiful.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Evelyn Foster at [email protected].