A college-age gay fan of the popular musical TV show Glee wrote in to AfterElton.com’s advice column after a recent episode to ask a question that, apparently, is on the minds of many gay viewers:
Is Kurt’s romantic, sensitive boyfriend Blaine a figment of pure, unattainable fantasy?
The fan wrote, “I just watched Kurt and Blaine on Glee. Their romance touched me deeply, but it also seemed surreal..I’m going to throw it out there: HE’S A UNICORN! Maybe I’ve been screwed over too many times to believe in good guys, but Blaine has qualities I don’t see in gay guys.”
Bret Hartinger, the site’s advice columnist, responded to the viewer with a message of mingled hope and heightened awareness with the regard to the college-age gay community’s emphasis on “hooking up” over meaningful connections.
“Does romance exist among young gay men? I confess, yours is the fifth email I’ve received in just the last few weeks that says, ‘Young gay guys don’t do romance. They just hook up.’ That has to mean something,” writes Hartinger.
“I guess I really do think that gay love and romance are a big part of the next step in our community’s evolution,” Hartinger continued, “and I wonder if the Internet, which I think is a major part of what’s behind the current hookup culture, isn’t distracting us from where we, as a community, need to go.”
As for the all-important unicorn query?
Hartinger opted for a blend of reality and self-realization, concluding that “Blaine absolutely exists – if you want him to, and if you’re willing to be him.
