During the initial part of the pandemic, when the world went into sudden lockdown, Angel, who identifies as a non-binary bisexual person, found themselves all alone in Bengaluru, separated from their family and partner. They found themselves watching The Bold Type, a series, released in 2017, that follows the lives, loves and careers of three close friends — Jane, Kat and Sutton — set in the glamorous world of women’s magazines.
Angel, who had grown up in a conservative Catholic family, had found it difficult to acknowledge their own queerness till then. “I knew I was attracted to men, for sure. But I would also have serious crushes on women,” they said, adding that when the thought came up, however, they simply pushed it down. But something about Kat’s character arc got Angel thinking about their own sexual orientation.
Kat, played by Australian actress Aisha Dee, comes out twice in the series — first as lesbian, and then as bisexual, a revelation that was supported by her friends both times. “The comforting part was that she had a label, and had come out as a lesbian. Then, she realises she is bisexual and comes out again,” says Angel, who came out as bisexual in December 2021 and a non-binary person by early 2022.
