How The Bold Type Normalized The Dilemma of Sexuality

Freeform’s “The Bold Type” ended with a final season on June 30th, 2021, and has been observed to have left an enduring impression over its audience two years after it concluded its chapter. Focusing on the private and professional lives of three close-knitted millennials sheltered under the vibrancy of New York City, The Bold Type heavily emphasized on waging war against workplace sexism for women to pave their way through the traditional presumptions of society.

It also shed light on struggles faced by people who are unable to accept their sexuality due to fear of rejection, and thus, fall into a dilemma over their identity. Protagonist Kat Edison, Head of Scarlet Magazine’s Social Media Department, finds her love interest in Muslim lesbian photographer Adina El-Amen. However, she is unable to understand feelings projected towards the latter, hinting that she is used to ‘hiding’ herself from coming out to her parents.

It's from her best friends who undoubtedly support her through her journey of self-discovery, allowing her to understand that her feelings are allowed to change and develop, and that it's conventional to feel for a person of the same gender. The Bold Type strongly promises that acceptance from just a few is enough to provide a validation of a lifetime.

Although a happily ever after is in store for the two, it is pertinent to sit back and reflect over the unjust reality that many individuals are unable to explore and embrace their sexuality and allow it to merge into their true persona- all due to the agitation of receiving contradictions from their loved ones, which has forced them to fall into a pit of pressure to forego their actual self to be molded into a living being devoid of all elements that truly shape them. As of 2023, fewer than 40% of LGBTQ youth found themselves in an accepting home.

It is completely unequitable and poignant to ignore that the interests of individuals are not under strict guidelines to be in accordance to a society, Unfortunately conservatism and pessimism continues to freely exist, and its integral to understand that such individuals looking to create a place of peaceful coexistence will cease to form when their beliefs have influenced a matter of general opinion over LGBTQ, that has not only destroyed the community, but broken their people until all that could be seen was shattered pieces of their overlooked potential.

By Tarini Dayal