Hulus Crush Is The Gen Z Queer Utopia I Never Got To Have – Decider

No one in Crush, a new queer teen romantic comedy that began streaming on Hulu on Friday, is in the closet. Why would they be? Homophobia is the last thing on anyones mind. In fact, there are so many queer teens at this fictional high schoolWiccan lesbians, horse gays, non-binary influencers, gateway gays, skater girl bisexuals, just to name a fewthat the protagonists straight BFF (played by Tyler Alvarez) aggressively making out with his girlfriend feels out of place. Straight people? Kissing? At this school? Sure, Jan.

It means there are plenty of options for Rowan Blanchards character, a high school senior lesbian named Paige. Paige, an aspiring artist, only has eyes for her longtime crush, Gabriela (Isabella Ferreira). But, with a little bit of rom-com finagling, shell soon fall for Gabbys reserved, aloof sister, AJ (Moana star Aulii Cravalho). The lack of angst over anyones sexuality paves the way for the kind of straight-forward romance usually reserved for heterosexual rom-coms: Girl meets girl, girl initially dislikes girl, girl gets to know girl, girl falls in love. There are no coming-out scenes, because, as Paiges character puts in the movies first 10 minutes, Ive been out for a really long time. Im extremely gay.

Had I watched Crush when I was a senior high school11 years ago, in rural Michiganit would have read as an utter and complete fantasy. There was one kid at school who was out, and everyone knew his name. He was the gay one, after all. I myself was aware of my feelings for girlsId been hopelessly in love with one since I was 13but kept them tightly hidden away. It was my deepest, darkest secret, that I might be gay, kept at bay by my crushes on boys and Robert Pattinson. No one had said the word bisexual to me yet, so my thoughts were consumed by daily questions: Am I gay? Could I be gay? Please, God, dont let me be gay. OK, phew, I have a crush on a boy. I must not be gay.

Being out in high school didnt feel like an option. Teachers half-heartedly told kids off for using gay as an insult, but that hardly stopped them from saying it. One of my own friends deemed a book I checked out of the school libraryThe Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson, an innocent YA novel about two girls falling in lovegross. (I stormed off with tears in my eyes. In retrospect, I was not subtle.) Watching Paige confidently consider her queer options in Crush, I was hit with a mix of joy, jealousy, and disbelief. Paiges high school is a beautiful, uncomplicated queer utopia, unburdened by the weight of homophobia. Is it really so simple, just a decade later, for Gen Z to be gay?

According to Cravalho, the 21-year-old Hawaiian actor who, like her character in Crush, is openly bi, the answer is: yes. Though, she also caveats that she was fortunate to grow up in a progressive environment. I had a lot of queer friends, she told Decider in a previous interview. I kissed a lot of my friends, Ill be honest. I also went to school in Hawaii, so yeah my school was very diverse, and pretty darn inclusive, which Im really grateful for. Cravalho added that she hopes Crush can help reach those who arent yet on board with the blas attitude toward sexuality that Paige and her friends have. Because suddenly you see someone whos living this way, and you realize, Oh people are gay. Okay! And again, its not a character trait. Its just something that exists. Because thats really how it is. Teens are gay!

Would it have been a balm for me, a 17-year-old closeted bisexual, to see a high school where the no-nonsense track coach (a hilarious Aasif Mandvi) casually describes the student body as 60 percent queer, as if its nothing? Maybe. Or maybe it would have cracked open my fissure of loneliness further, seeing teenagers on my TV who were free in a way that, at the time, felt impossible for me. I think, perhaps, I would have felt more seen by a show like Heartstopper, Netflixs recent British coming-of-age series that features a character furiously Googling am I gay, crying while taking BuzzFeed sexuality spectrum quizzes, and watching YouTube videos about what it means to be bisexual.

But perhaps thats the jealously speaking. I cant deny theres something beautiful and escapist about watching Crush now; disappearing into a world where prejudice doesnt exist. Its a tempting fantasy, and one I desperately want to believe. Maybe the next generation, surrounded by queer characters in their media, simply wont have to agonize over their sexuality at all. Wouldnt that be wonderful?

Real life is always more complex than Hollywood makes it seem, of course. Crush is no exception. Queer teens in Texaswhere the governor recently attempted to outlaw gender-affirming medical care for transgender childrensurely feel the threat of homophobia all too acutely. And I suspect my old high school in rural Michigan isnt covered in rainbow flags just yet, either. But who says movies always need to reflect reality? This is a fluffy romantic comedy, after all. The high school in Crush might not be real for teens across America just yet, but maybe its closer than we think. It never hurts to dream big.

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Hulus Crush Is The Gen Z Queer Utopia I Never Got To Have - Decider