#10: Xena Comes Out

Today, more and more television networks are debuting shows such as The L Word and Exes & Ohs centered on issues of homosexuality and bisexuality. These traditionally controversial issues would have been considered inappropriate decades ago, however as times change, the 21st century society now has a different perspective on these types of shows.
During the 1990s, the popular television show Xena: Warrior Princess was the story of heroic female friends Xena and Gabrielle who battled the wrong-doings of villains during the times of the Roman Empire. As a viewer of the show, it was easy to see a lesbian subtext between Xena and Gabrielle, but the show never officially addressed them as a couple and some chose to be oblivious to this possible relationship. In Christie Keith’s article, Bringing Out the Warrior Princess, she asks would things be different if the show would be made- or remade-today or in other words, would society be as accepting of the show if Xena and Gabrielle were a blatant couple? The answer Keith received from the show’s creators was that if the show was created in this day in age, the cable version would have definitely explored deeper into the obvious lesbian relationship between Xena and Gabrielle and it still would be a financial success as it was in the 1990s. From this article, I was clearly able to understand the Keith’s point on the changes of society and how much more tolerant this 21st century culture is of homosexual issues.