Why do people insist Faith was a lesbian?

[quillandfang]

I think she's bisexual and the people being rude and insisting that she's lesbian are biphobic. I've noticed that biphobia isn't too uncommon, (especially on online spaces.) But it's like...kinda obvious that she's bi.

X tends to have the most horrible bunch of people that never understand nuance.

Joss Whedon sucks at writing characters that are gay or POC. Tara and Willow are fine, but the tragic endings or villain gay characters are meh. And it might be undertones of homophobia but I don't know the guy that well.

And I will die on the hill, that if done correctly, Fuffy could've outsold every other ship.

I know this is an older comment on this thread but I agree with it so much. Especially the part about X having awful people who don't understand nuance, which is why I don't use it at all haha.

As for the original question of this thread, I have been in a lot of modern fandom spaces (like TikTok and Tumblr) with people who believe that Faith is gay, and the reason why is because of a perceived lack of emotional intimacy with her male partners. They believe that her experiences with men are about power and getting what she wants rather than attraction. I think this is an interesting observation, but I feel like it more reflects Faith's difficulty with emotional intimacy in general rather than her sexuality. I personally believe she is bi for reasons mentioned by others in this discussion, but it is the prerogative of fans to have their "headcanons" or interpretations of a character as long as they are respectful. I think that's the issue that the original poster pointed out: some fans on social media, especially diehard shippers, see their opinions as fact and can be really nasty about it, and it's easier for them to just insult someone rather than come up with a rational explanation as to why they disagree. I've noticed this in the debate about Willow's sexuality too, though I don't have as much of a defined opinion about that. It's unfortunate, because debates about character interpretation can be really interesting and engaging when they're not hostile.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

Also, as a matter of historical context, almost every pair of female characters on television at that time were thought to be a gay couple by someone, irregardless of their actual relationship. And it's always been a half-serious enterprise, just Faith gave them the most to work with.

 

[silvermoon]

I always thought Faith was bisexual. Willow clearly was as well. Xander, idk, him making one comment about Spike doesn't necessarily mean he was. Many people alive and dead identify/identified as bi - even famous ones - but the network at the time wasn't gonna go there.

 

[Btvs fan]

I always thought Faith was bisexual. Willow clearly was as well. Xander, idk, him making one comment about Spike doesn't necessarily mean he was. Many people alive and dead identify/identified as bi - even famous ones - but the network at the time wasn't gonna go there.

In 5by5 she's going from a Night Club with Lilah "Im not much of a talker Im more of a doer" the implication she's gonna sleep with her

 

[Mott1]

Shoot me, but I must admit, when I recently rewatched s3 of Buffy, I still couldn't see anything bisexual in Faith's behaviour or in Eliza's (fantastic) performance: she's just confident in her sexuality, and it's more of a power/adrenaline thing, as Xander found out to his pleasure/cost. There's a distinct difference between, say, Vamp Willow and Faith.

 

[garfan]

Shoot me, but I must admit, when I recently rewatched s3 of Buffy, I still couldn't see anything bisexual in Faith's behaviour or in Eliza's (fantastic) performance: she's just confident in her sexuality, and it's more of a power/adrenaline thing, as Xander found out to his pleasure/cost. There's a distinct difference between, say, Vamp Willow and Faith.

So Homecoming is very much coded as Faith asking Buffy on a date, and you might notice she's talking to Buffy about how she should have sex with her friends if Slaying gets her horny, after she just finished Slaying with Faith who is her friend. Like if she isn't actually flirting, she's being kind of an asshole because she's talking sex way more often than Buffy is comfortable

 

[wolfheart]

to be short and sweet, she is bi

 

[twoslayers]

Yes, I've long seen Faith as bi. I admit I didn't see it my first viewing of Buffy, but there are a lot of indications Faith had the hots for Buffy. I half remember reading one of the writers was trying to establish an attraction.

The one counter-indication I guess is Faith saying in Season 7 (in her basement scene with Spike) that she hadn't had an action in prison, though I suppose she might have been just punishing herself.

Personally I think Willow was bi too, she moves from Oz to Tara fairly quickly after all, and still seemed interested in Oz when he returned.

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

Shoot me, but I must admit, when I recently rewatched s3 of Buffy, I still couldn't see anything bisexual in Faith's behaviour or in Eliza's (fantastic) performance: she's just confident in her sexuality, and it's more of a power/adrenaline thing, as Xander found out to his pleasure/cost. There's a distinct difference between, say, Vamp Willow and Faith.

I wonder if the Great Bisexual Confusion is one part wishful dreaming and one part TERRIBLE bisexual portrayals that owe more to fanservice and a touch of the 'freaky porno'. Faith was very brash and performatively hypersexual in her first go round as "bad girl". I don't think 'bisexual", i think "damaged" and I see someone deathly afraid to be seen as the lonely victim she actually is.

She is very hot - but in season 3 and on Angel she is so broken and so much more a scream for help than anything else. She swings through people's lives like an unrestrained wrecking ball. She used and abused Xander, who has his virginity taken from him so callously his head is spinning. Thank god for Anya, who was totally into him and very sex positive, if inappropriate. Faith was into shocking people.

She never showed any true signs of being bi or lesbian - but many a good fanfic writer has made use of the thinnest of cues.

Whenever she actually comes onto people or shows interest, it is men. Giles, Riley, Xander & even (she offered, he refused) The Mayor. To a degree, Angel and Wesley on Angel.

Sadly, the closest thing to a caring and healthy relationship is with the Mayor. She sucks that love up like a desert flower.

When she comes back to Sunnydale, she shows a flicker of interest in Spike but quickly realizes he is not interested. In a house full of women, two lesbian, she makes no moves.

 

[Moptop]

If she was gay I don't think she would have hooked up with principle Woods.

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

In a house full of women, she chooses the hottest unattached MALE.

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

Shoot me, but I must admit, when I recently rewatched s3 of Buffy, I still couldn't see anything bisexual in Faith's behaviour or in Eliza's (fantastic) performance: she's just confident in her sexuality, and it's more of a power/adrenaline thing, as Xander found out to his pleasure/cost. There's a distinct difference between, say, Vamp Willow and Faith.

I think people mistake sexual confidence for being bisexual or lesbian. Apparently, heterosexuality in women is supposed to be ONLY submissive and receptive. Straight women are not allowed to know what they want and go after it.

That is one thing striking about Faith. She doesn't preen until a man shows interest. She shows interest when a man catches her attention and even makes the first move. Which is allegedly only a masculine trait.

Since bisexuals and lesbians are not bound by these (archaic and idiotic) supposed hetero-girl rules, Faith must therefore be either a lesbian or bisexual.

The fact she shows no interest for any female at all at any phase - and confesses to a dry spell while in prison suggests that she is not even situationally a woman who has sex with women.

Many straight people do sleep with the same gender while in prison. She is by her own admission not one of those.

EDIT: Frankly, if she was to be into a woman, Kennedy might suit her... because she doesn't like weak men, I doubt she would like lipstick lesbians... she's the kind of woman who might actually want another butch woman... if she were into women. I'm quite certain she is not though... But she is still a better fit for Kennedy than Willow, though i do not wish Kennedy on ANY other human.

I think it's reductive of bisexual and lesbian people to try to shoehorn fauxsexuality into the straight women who fantasy might like to see with another female (or occasionally men who you want to see with other cute men). It's like 2 barbie dolls and 2 ken dolls -- they are pretty let's throw them together.

What is great for fanfiction - where i believe everything should and can be tried because it is about MADE UP WORLDS - is not so good for actual canon where we basically are making up what we want to see even when it is most patently NOT present.

Rewriting canon to use 'squint and you miss it moments' (some of which are questionable for event that!) to invent same sex sexuality is very annoying and reductive. It is basically is telling us (some of whom are actually queer) what straight people DECIDED we are actually like. Uhm, no thanks.