June is Pride Month, where members of the LGBTQ+ community talk about their truth and remember and honor those who came before, allowing those in the community to now know that being “different” is something that can be celebrated. It wasn’t always this way — and fortunately, a TV series like Supergirl is able to show audience those diverse voices.
One of those journeys shown on Supergirl was that of Kara’s human sister, Alex Danvers. Season 2 saw Alex realizing her true self and she ended up in a relationship with Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima) that was very well-received by fans.
In a post made at the Create Change website, Chyler Leigh – the actress who plays Alex Danvers – spoke about her own truth, without giving herself a label. Here’s what she had to say:
When I was told that my character was to come out in season 2, a flurry of thoughts and emotions flew through and around me because of the responsibility I personally felt to authentically represent Alex’s journey. What I didn’t realize was how the scene where she finally confessed her truth would leap off the pages of the script and genuinely become a variation of my own. IRL. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest each take we filmed, every time presenting another opportunity to get those honest words out of my mouth. Though they don’t exactly match my personal dialogue, the heart behind it surely did. From the director, the press, the media, the cast, and the fans, I’m still told that it was the most realistic coming out scene they’d ever witnessed. And to steal from Alex’s words, that’s because there’s some truth to what she said about me 😉 The scene is in season 2, episode 6 if you wanna see for yourself.
Here’s the kicker though. Since that episode aired, I was told from dear friends (and even avid watchers of Supergirl) that they would no longer watch the show because of the fact that Alex’s journey took a turn from their less than acceptable beliefs. Soon after, they began to distance themselves and eventually my family and I were outcast, marking the loss of many folks we loved. However, after the initial sting, I don’t hold a grudge towards the negative response, because as I said, we all have had a hard time in one way or another with acceptance (whatever the subject may be) whether towards ourselves or others.
It’s been a long and lonely road for both my husband and myself but I can whole-heartedly say that after all these years, he and I are still discovering the depths of ourselves and each other, but throughout our journey we’ve learned to be proud of who we are, no matter the cost.
And for the LGBTQ+ readers of KryptonSite over the years: You are appreciated. You can read Chyler’s full statement here.