Fans blasted streaming giant Netflix after its social media team appeared to be hiding tweets suggesting Jenna Ortega's lead character Wednesday is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
The video promo posted on Netflix's account on 20 November is now ridden with remarks and retweets asking why its social media manager was allegedly hiding comments.
Some allegedly hidden replies read "she's a lesbian," "Kinda like how she's also gay," and "shes gay as hell are you gonna hide this you can hide the gay but you cant hide from it."
It's not the first time the streaming platform was slammed over allegedly suppressing queer shows and characters. Citing the uproar when First Kill was axed about two months after its premiere despite the show's high rating.
Netflix has not yet made a statement regarding the debate on Wednesday's sexuality. But the Addams Family spin-off star Emma Myers told the Elite Daily, that she's aware of the fans shipping the two characters together.
"You know what I always say: And they were roommates," Myers said, referencing the popular LGBTQ+ meme.
She also revealed that the possibility of a romantic relationship between Wednesday and Enid is something she and Ortega frequently made fun of on set.
"Jenna and I would say that all the time to each other. And that's all that needs to be said — I think that gets the message across."
The #Wenclair, was the ship name for the sapphic loveteam between Wednesday and her sunny roommate, Enid Sinclair. Despite these characters being written to be committed to a heterosexual love interest, fans are finger-crossed for an on-screen relationship ever since the trailer dropped last month. Videos and posts about the Wenclair duo have amassed popularity on social media websites, TikTok, and Tumblr.
Queer icon
Angered fans of the latest horror-comedy series also pointed out the irony of Netflix releasing a promo event called WednesGay in Los Angeles, attended by RuPaul's Drag Race queens Gottmik, Violet Chachki, Mo Heart, and Crystal Methyd.
Wearing outfits inspired by the Addams' Family's kooky daughter's signature look, Gottmik, another emo icon, revealed that Wednesday "was a huge inspiration to me growing up."
Meanwhile, Crystal goes above declaring Wednesday Addams as a queer icon. "As part of the Addams, she lives apart from mainstream culture. Instead of being shamed by the differences between her family's way of life and that of society at large, she embraces what makes her different. She stands up for marginalized groups and faces bullies with an unflinching calm that any queer would be proud to emulate," the drag race star said in an interview with Out.com.
When asked why many people see Wednesday as a gay icon in the premiere of the series, showrunner Ortega said it is the former's
self-acceptance of her unique, kooky lifestyle without pleasing others that resonated with the LGBTQIA+ community.
"I think because she is a badass, she's cool, she has a nice sense of style. She is somebody who embraces her difference and not someone who please anybody. And that's a really powerful thing to see, and I feel like people want to see powerful women with powerful women." Ortega said.
Gay icon refers to an individual or a public figure who gained a fanbase mostly from the members of the LGBTQIA+ community. One can also be a gay icon if a celebrity is unapologetically themselves or supports the marginalized community's calls for equality and protection. It should be noted that a gay icon is not necessarily a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.