Viral TikTok proves this ‘X-Men’ character was always queer-coded

Sorry to all of the straight folks out there, but many of the X-Men have always been queer-coded and this character is no different.

Since the release of X-Men ’97, conservatives are having a field day debating the show’s “wokeness.” But who would’ve thought that a collection of super-powered people (called “mutants”) ostracized for being different, as they try live their lives proudly, could ever be a metaphor for any marginalized identity? Well, we’re sorry to inform you that, since their inception, the X-Men have always been a based on marginalized communities and social movements.

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Did we mention that many of the characters are queer or queer-coded? The X-Men revival brought back all of the O.G. teammates and their ’90s-influenced attire, which screams gay rights. While conservatives were upset that shapeshifting X-Men Morph is nonbinary, now, they have a bone to pick with their teammate Gambit, a mutant with the ability to manipulate kinetic energy, for wearing a crop top.

Discourse around the internet is zeroing in on Gambit’s fashion choices, but wearing crop tops don’t “make you gay.” They do, however, make you fashionable in ’90s (when the show is based) and even now. So TikToker Pearlmania500 created a video to address all the drama in an eye-opening way.

“All of social media is full of men in their mid-forties with bad beards complaining that X-Men ’97 made Gambit kind of gay because he wore a crop top in one episode,” Pearlmania500 said.

Let the dragging begin. Pearlmania500 added that, the Gambit from the first animated show was just as bisexual-coded as the one in the reboot.

“Do I need to remind you guys who the f*ck Gambit was in 1996?,” he added. “This is an actual Gambit action figure. Look at this. He is dressed as bisexual lighting.”

He then proceeded to make even more points towards Gambit’s bisexual-coding.

“He has flare on his f*cking leggings,” he said. “This is a man wearing fingerless gloves. You think fingerless gloves are straight? You need to go to therapy right now.”

Noted.

“Okay, this man is a Cajun thief who lives in a swamp, who has a girlfriend he can’t touch because if he does he’ll die, okay? That is a bisexual man at best.”

Pearlmania500 referenced Gambit’s relationship with the Southern bell Rogue, a mutant with super strength, enhanced durability, flight, and the ability to absorb powers, life force, and memories through skin contact. Pearlmania500 had one more thing to say before closing out his argument, and it had to do with Gambit’s hot pink-colored powers.

“His powers are turning things hot pink and then they explode,” he said. “He was designed to make you wanna kiss a man, okay? He’s always been gay, it’s not the shirt.”

Points were made. While Gambit is known for being a flirt, he’s canonically been connected to women within the X-Men. However, his queer-coding, like that of other presumably straight X-Men is quite evident. And, interestingly, he was intended to come out as bisexual in his self-titled 2012 comic.

Writer James Asmus had every intention to introduce fans to Gambit’s bisexuality through his flirtatious personality as another useful skill for the Cajun thief.

“It’s true that I was interested in revealing Gambit to be bisexual in our series with us first seeing him seduce a man on one of his missions,” Asmus told reporter Rich Johnston in an interview. “Soon thereafter meeting a member of the thieves guild that Gambit previously had a more significant relationship with, in his pre-X-Men debut.”

Unfortunately, that was vetoed by higher ups.

“I never got past pitching the first part, though, as word came down we wouldn’t be redefining the character as such,” Asmus said.

With the X-Men officially under the Marvel umbrella, and X-Men ’97 out now, there’s still hope for a bisexual Gambit. If not, we’ll settle for some crop top eye candy.