Last week, I got contemplative about Supergirls big gay storyline.

Not critical at all.I had nothing but good things to say about it.

I also said Im here for it.

Anyway, the courtship between Alex and Maggie is nice.

Ill grant them that.

But, as most depictions of non-hetero relationships in mainstream media, it has its issues.

Well, one major misstep really, and a highly debatable one at that.

1 It didnt have to be a coming out story at all.

The truth is, though, there was zero reason Alex needed to come out.

They made no firm reference to Alexs sexuality in season one.

She didnt even date.

Sure, the audience might not have known.

Thats sort of the point.

And, yes, they have out and proud Maggie.

Thats not the point.

the mainstream audience could say.

I thought she was straight, because she wasnt UN-STRAIGHT yet.

2 They wrote a gay storyline, not a gay character.

On one hand, deciding a main character is not straight after inception is good.

It means the creators and writers recognize the characters sexuality is not the main characteristic of that character.

Of course, what else can be expected of creators who made this storyline an announcement?

We have to face facts.

Non-hetero characters are still considered events on television.

And as long as were events, our depictions can only change societal conditioning so much.

3 All the drama between Alex and Maggie is manufactured.

And I mean ALL of it.

Maggie had a girlfriend.

Then, Maggie doesnt want to date Alex because shes fresh off the boat?

Are there differing levels of heterosexuality?

Are people like, Nah, you havent been straight loudly enough or long enough for me.?

I get what the writers were going for.

But, as a mainstream TV plot rig, this is bad.

Coming out stories are, by their very nature, otherizing.

Thats why I dont like that theyre pretty much mandatory for every LGBTQ character.

4 Alex didnt ask Maggie out.

This is a little nitpicky, I admit.

But its nitpicky for a reason.

Plus, Maggie said, I think I read you wrong.

I didnt know you were into girls.

I would get into this bit of dialogue, but Im saving it for my 300-page dissertation.

Cause it would take that many pages.

5 Nobody saw the alternate possibilities.

For Alex, this just seemed like a natural fit given who she was.

in thisinterview in Entertainment Weekly.

You know what would have been really interesting?

That she wasnt hiding anything.

The creators said they wanted to tell the realest story possible.

Trust, nothing is realer than that.