The Biggest Bridgerton Missed Opportunity is a Bisexual Benedict and Other LGBT+ Representation

I recently read all eight Bridgerton books over the course of two weeks. Clearly, I loved them; I couldn’t put them down. But after some three thousand pages, certain things got repetitive. The biggest of which, for me at least, was the sheer lack of variety in the couples.

Some of that is limitations in the time period, the genre, but the Bridgerton show took the rich, white aristocracy and at least added some diversity. And that is one of the best parts of the show, clearly an ethos they are continuing into the second season.

However, ethnic and racial diversity is not the only place that representation is needed. Bridgerton has a shocking lack of diversity in sexual orientation.

I watched the first season before I read the books, and almost immediately on seeing Benedict, I was convinced he was gay. I was even more convinced after watching the chemistry between Benedict and Henry Granville, the artist. They absolutely pop. And when they were in the bohemian fever-dream of nude models, artistic expression, and a hedonistic celebration of desire, I was convinced Benedict and Henry were going to end up in the sack.

And they should have.

After reading the books, I am even more convinced that we need some diversity of sexual orientation in the show. Benedict’s story, An Offer from a Gentleman, was one of my favorites of the series, and I absolutely adored his relationship with heroine Sophie. And there is no need to sacrifice that.

But the show has developed backstory for many of the characters, taking implicit things from the books and putting them to screen, as well as simply adding in new things. So in a show that champions diversity, I have to say I was disappointed that such a perfect opportunity was missed.

They also have a perfect chance to make Eloise gay. We haven’t seen much of her love life, but her lack of interest in marriage and genuine horror at the thought of children, while certainly not necessarily indicating anything about her sexuality — there are certainly heterosexual women who oppose both marriage and having children — might suggest something. It might even led to an asexual character, which would be a bold swing in a romance show. And, while I adore Eloise’s story with Sir Phillip, I would love to see some variety in the sexuality represented on the show.

I hope that Bridgerton doesn’t miss their chances to bring visibility to marginalized groups in all their forms. I have been so impressed that, for a Regency romance, they have brought freshness and diversity to the screen, but I want to see them continue this momentum. And I hope that other major media will take those opportunities for representation as well.