One Gay at a Time

One Day at a Time is an American comedy show that follows the daily lives of a Cuban-American family and discusses important topics like racism, sexism, depression, LGBT issues and more while still maintaining a light and heartwarming feel. So I wanted to focus on one character of the show for this post, although I'm sure I'll be coming back to talk about this show as it's one of the only ones I know that does such a brilliant job in conveying important messages without sounding disingenuous or one dimensional.

Elena Alvarez is the teenage daughter of Penelope. She discovers that she is a lesbian after dating a boy and coming to the realization that she has no romantic or sexual attraction to him, despite his seemingly perfect personality and looks. She comes out to her mother in Season 1 Episode 10, titled "Sex Talk."

credit to https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2018/06/06/pride-month-character-spotlight-elena-alvarez/

While everyone around her seems to be completely accepting of her sexuality (her brother Alex and her close neighbour and landlord, Schneider) her mother struggles with her feelings of discomfort concerning her daughter's sexuality. After her abuelita, considered the most traditional and religious of the family, fully accepts her granddaughter, Penelope realizes she needs to confront her own prejudices.

My favorite thing about the way ODAAT  handles Elena's sexuality is that it is not just mentioned once to be ignored for the rest of the season. It is an aspect of Elena's personality that affects her relationship with others - for example, when she comes out to her father, she is rejected by him. He leaves her on her quinceañera and isn't there for her during the father-daughter dance. This is an important part of the show, as Elena has to cope with being rejected by her own father. Her sexuality is an important, visible aspect of her. She becomes more open about her attraction to women, joins a GSA and attends protests for LGBT rights as her confidence grows.

credit to anonymous on tumblr

This is one of the best examples of dedication to portraying a lesbian character accurately and with respect. Her personality is not "the lesbian daughter" - she is multidimensional, yet her sexuality is still apart of who she is. I love Elena Alvarez, and I hope reading this will convince you to try out the show, because I am sure you'll love her too!

Good-bi for now,
Nelly