Was Full House Hiding A Gay Character All Along?
Why Derek Boyd Is The Child-LGBTQ Representation Of The 90s
Okay, weird confession incoming: I’m constantly binge-watching Full House on Hulu. Yes, before the reboot of Fuller House, the original was a terribly corny, very Caucasian, series set in late 1980s San Francisco surrounding Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) raising his three daughters after the death of his wife. While we may get distracted by the gag worthy storylines, oogling daddy-and-a-half Uncle Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos), and severely underestimating Uncle Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) as the true hottie of the series, we all may forget these characters are living in San Francisco. Yet, there isn’t once a mention of the LGBTQ community through the series…especially since they are in arguably the gayest city in the United States. After some examination, perhaps we had one hidden under our noses this entire time!
Throughout my rewatch, it’s totally obvious that youngest sibling Michelle Tanner’s (Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen) best friend, Derek S. Boyd (Blake McIver) is gay! Hear me out!
By the time Full House ended I was four-years-old, so I would only catch episodes when they would air occasionally during my youth. Of course, like any flamboyant little kid, I’m trying to empathize with someone who would typically end up being the young, cute girl. In this case, that’s how I always felt with Michelle. Now, I am confused why I wasn’t identifying more with Derek! He was a sassy, tap dancing, yankee-doodle-dandy singing, over the top gay kid who was born to be a drag queen, or simply performing for an audience. If you squint, it’s completely obvious Derek was meant to be a little wink to the gay community through the eyes of an innocent child. I'm sure the mere thought drives anti-LGBTQ pundit Candace Cameron Bure, who played the eldest Tanner daughter, absolutely bonkers!
It’s somewhat hard to separate a character from the individual portraying them. Which has led me to actor McIver’s Instagram. We’ve spoke about him in recent years as he is now a comedian and go-go dancer in West Hollywood. So, yes, little Derek grew up to be a mega hottie who loves letting it all hang out on social media, donning some drag, and showcasing his cute boyfriend. The cheekbones and booty on this boy, Amen! I wonder if McIver believes his character was gay all along. What do you think?!
This post was created by a contributing writer and may not reflect the opinions of the other contributing writers or Instinct Magazine.
