House of the Dragon, HBO's massively successful Game of Thrones prequel series, confirmed a gay character on last night's episode, "We Light The Way."
The franchise isn't exactly bursting at the seams when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation, so fans were excited to meet Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra's betrothed. Velaryon was rumored to be gay in the book House of the Dragon is based on but the series didn't confirm his sexuality until now.
According to PRIDE, Velaryon and Rhaenyra's was meant to be "a political marriage that merges her power with that of House Velaryon, strengthening her claim to the iron throne, while also giving them both the freedom to love who they want." Rhaenyra mentioned to Velaryon that the two could "dine" separately, signaling that he was free to continue his relationship with Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, and she with Ser Criston Cole. We got a few lovely moments between the two men and even a kiss, but any joy felt was quickly ripped away on that fateful wedding day.
Following Velaryon and Rhaenyra's wedding, Ser Joffrey told Ser Criston that he was aware of the knight's... arrangement. In response, Criston brutally beats Joffrey to death and we get a gut-wrenching scene of Velaryon sobbing with his lover's body in his arms.
You won this round, Bury Your Gays trope!
As expected, fans pointed out the dark fate for LGBTQ+ characters not just in this franchise, but in our culture. Here are some of our favorite reactions to the episode below:
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