The show bible for Stranger Things may have confirmed another LGBTQ character for the hit sci-fi series.
The evidence comes from the compendium that the Duffer brothers, who created the series, used when shopping the show to various networks. That version, based in Long Island instead of Indiana and called Montauk, is a far cry from the Stranger Things people know today. But several commonalities exist, including the description for characters like Will Byers:
WILL BYERS, twelve, is a sweet, sensitive kid with sexual identity issues. He only recently came to the realization that he does not fit into 1980s definition of 'normal.' His innocent choices, such as his colorful clothes, prove a constant source of bullying. Like Mike, Will escapes through fantasy gaming, where he can be himself, uninhibited. He has a close relationship with his mother, Joyce. His brother, Jonathan, helps raise him in lieu of their father, who abandoned them four years ago.
The majority of the description hews closely to the Will Byers from Stranger Things, played by Noah Schnapp. After spending the first season in the Upside Down, Will has been bullied at school and used his affinity for Dungeons & Dragons to escape the realities around him. Considering the accuracy of the rest of the description, one can conclude that the part about Will's "sexual identity issues" also made its way into the show proper.
Before this revelation, Will's sexuality became a hot topic based thanks to some dialogue from Season 3. In a heated argument between Will and his best friend Mike, Mike snaps at Will, "It's not my fault you don't like girls." The comment is admittedly ambiguous, so much so that actor Finn Wolfhard told The Hollywood Reporter, "I don’t even know if it had to do with Will’s sexuality."
Contributing to the speculation is Robin's introduction. Steve Harrington's co-worker was revealed to be gay in Season 3's penultimate episode, making her the first established queer character in the series. Now that Stranger Things has opened that gate, it makes a case for the Duffers to take inspiration from their original show bible and touch upon Will's sexuality, especially as the seasons progress and the characters age.
via ScreenRant