Fellow fairytale lover Liz Gotauco is quoted as saying, “Looking for gay characters in fairytales can feel like a fruitless endeavor.”
And she’s not wrong. Though the sexuality of many classic and fairytale authors is constantly debated (I’m looking at you, Hans Christian Andersen), what is plain to see 😒 is that these old stories have a serious diversity problem.
So how do we fix it, Reader?
By giving these stories a rainbow 🌈 update to make them more queer-inclusive. Because the world might not need another Cinderella retelling half as badly as it needs a remixed gender-swapped Robin Hood set in the Middle East.
Unless, of course, it’s the retelling where Billy Porter plays the “Fabulous Godmother.” 🧚🏾 Because the world always needs more of that.
So, Reader, here are 3 ways to adapt an old story to include queer character(s):
1) Lead Character Gender-swap
Maybe your Juliet becomes a Julien, or your Belle becomes a Bel. Or in the case of L.C. Rosen’s Emmett, your Emma becomes an Emmett.
It might seem like a simple change, swapping the gender of the lead character for another. But that “simple thing” can change the whole dynamics of the story.
And it can lead to some interesting reworks. Like the ones I’ve encountered while working on my upcoming novels.
Changes like these can also make a huge impact. And the more stories that exist with queer persons front and center, the more readers around the world will have opportunities to see themselves represented in stories.
2) But Make it Queer
Does swapping characters from a classic story for queer ones heighten the emotional impact? Does a simple change of gender or preference transform an originally mundane fairytale into something almost heartbreakingly devastating? Not always, but it definitely can.
For example, in the manga/anime Requiem of the Rose King, creator Aya Kanno blends Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 3, and Richard III into one queer narrative to tell the story of an intersex Richard III.
Kanno’s manga/anime is a heart-wrenchingly honest portrayal of a queer person in a historical setting. It shows how they deal with rejection from their family and society while in the pursuit of love and acceptance. And the actions they must take to ensure their own survival.
There’s also The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder. A gender-swapped Sleeping Beauty featuring a bookish treasure hunter, an axe-wielding lesbian with a weakness for pretty girls, and a cursed prince waiting for a kiss.
3) We’re Living in a Queernormative World
Most fairytales and classics come from our world and are thus Heteronormative. But what if they weren’t?
When you remake an old story, you can set it in a world where the sexuality of the characters is neither an issue nor taboo. Basically, where binary pairs aren’t automatically the given.
Like comic creator Wendy Lian Martin does in her series, Castle Swimmer.
Essentially, if you wanted, you could wave your magic story wand 🪄 and choose to make your entire supporting cast queer. Or a large majority of them anyway.
Looking for another queernormative example? Then check out Netflix’s Dragon Prince, which has several queer characters and characters that have same-sex parents.
Well, Reader, I hope these examples give you plenty of ideas for adding a bit of 🌈 to your next classic remix. Until next time, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat wishing you a wonderfully creative week.
Your cohort in storytelling,
Kat Vancil
🐱
PS 👉 What’s your favorite adapted tale? Hit reply and let me know.
Liz Gotauco is the host of F*cked Up Fairytales with Liz, and her book F*cked Up Fairy Tales: Sinful Cinderellas, Prince Alarmings, and Other Timeless Classics is now available. So go check it out!
Though not specifically queer Gender Swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Flackett swaps the genders of characters in classic fairytales on top of being lushly illustrated.
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Kay Zempel
Romance with a Touch of Magic
Author of steamy and inclusive paranormal romance. Her current novel Moon Dance, a witch and werewolf romance, is available now. |
