Over the holidays, Stranger Things dropped its last batch of episodes before the big series finale, and in the penultimate episode, Will Byers finally did the thing queer fans have been waiting literal years for: He came out.
As the Hawkins crew was amassing in preparation for one last big battle against their Upside Down foe, Vecna, Will came to the realization that in order for him to finally be able to face the show’s big bad, he needed to be honest with his friends and come out. So, with his friends and chosen family around him, Will finally—in an impassioned monologue, with hopeful tears racing down his face—faced his greatest fear and told them he is gay.
Thankfully, despite the show’s 1980s setting, he was universally embraced by his loved ones. That’s right: he came out and it was met with love and acceptance.
Surely the internet and the (non-homophobic portion of the) fandom was thrilled, right? Nope. As ever, social media erupted, and the response was divided.
The naysayers were swift and unflinching in their responses.
But not everyone who saw Will Byers pour his heart out was angry or disappointed. Many were moved by out actor Noah Schnapp’s performance and felt that the payoff met the moment (including this writer, who spoke with the actor about the scene and his hope that he did his queer audience justice).
Ultimately, whether or not this scene resonated with you, it’s undeniable that we and our stories deserve to be a part of the narrative for one of the biggest and buzziest shows of the year. That there’s an appetite for queer love and sex across a wide audience is very evident—see the near mass hysteria over Heated Rivalry—but that we can also be seen as disposable is just as clear; see the cancellations of Boots, Olympo, A League of Their Own, Willow, Mid-Century Modern, and the list goes on.
The fact that Will’s coming out was a pivotal, essential part of Stranger Things’ final arc, and that by living his truth he is unburdened and empowered, matters. Even if it wasn’t perfect, Will matters. His coming out matters. Our stories matter—and you do too.
We can’t wait to see what happens when the newly out and unburdened Will faces down Vecna once the series finale drops on December 31.
