LGBTQ+ Representation in Pirate Rom-Com Series Our Flag Means Death
{ MAYA CAPASSO}
AS MORE AND MORE movies and TV shows feature authentic portrayals of LGBTQ+ relationships and identities, one recent series emerges as one of the most unique and meaningful depictions of queer life–and it’s all about 18th-century pirates. The witty rom-com series follows a pampered aristocrat named Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), who abandons his mundane marriage and upscale estate and trades it in for a life on the high seas as a pirate.
After purchasing a ship, he puts together a crew that discovers Stede’s ineptness in his new pursuit. Yet somehow, Stede manages to charm the most prolific pirate of the time: Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). This incredible series takes queer representation far past the overdone depictions of queer trauma or coming-out tales. Instead, it centers queerness in the everyday. It depicts pirates not as tough, hyper-masculine antiheroes but as sensitive people who crave belonging in a world that feeds on conformity.
Set in 1717, Our Flag Means Death is a work of historical fiction. The show’s creators based Stede’s character on a real man with the same name who followed a similar life path. Blackbeard, or Edward Teach, and his first mate Izzy Hands (Con O’Neill), as well as some other infamous pirates like Anne Bonny (Minnie Driver), Mary Read (Rachel House), and even the Chinese pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao (Ruibo Qian), are based on real pirates from the 18th century.
Most modern-day narratives that paint a fictional picture of the past cement themselves into the intensely patriarchal society of the times. Most don’t even include queer representation at all. However, in the past decade, shows like Dickinson (2019-2021) and Gentleman Jack (2019-2022) have emerged, taking a new imagining of history from a queer perspective. These shows, along with Our Flag Means Death, remind viewers that queer people have always existed no matter how hard history has tried to erase us.
The series also twists traditional tropes in many other ways, especially the conventional depiction of pirates in the media. In blockbusters like the Pirates of the Caribbean films (2003-2017), the most successful pirates are tough, strong, and driven by looting and discovering vast riches. But Our Flag Means Death takes a whole new approach to pirates. While it does nod to pirate lore about hidden treasure, violence, eye patches, and peg legs, being a pirate in Our Flag Means Death is primarily about life as an outcast and finally finding a place to belong. The men aboard Bonnet’s ship, The Revenge, love arts and crafts projects and listening to bedtime stories. Many of them are gay and in open, loving relationships. Our Flag Means Death depicts pirates as loveable weirdos who stay together because they found their community in a hostile world.
The queer themes of seeking out chosen family and risking everything to become one’s true self ring true alongside actual depictions of queer identities and relationships in the series. In the first season, every loving relationship is queer. From Jim (Vico Ortiz) and Oluwande’s (Samson Kayo) casual relationship to Stede and Blackbeard’s tumultuous, blossoming romance to Black Pete (Matthew Maher) and Lucius’ (Nathan Foad) adorable relationship, each one refuses to conform to heteronormativity. Even Spanish Jackie’s (Leslie Jones) domination over her twenty husbands doesn’t fit into traditional boxes. While each relationship has its drama, the center of the conflict never has anything to do with homophobia or the characters’ queer identities. Plus, the show spends ample time illuminating the joy of each LGBTQ+ relationship, making it a true romance series.
Not only do the series’ characters defy societal rules around sexuality, they also break barriers in gender nonconformity. The most overtly masculine pirate on The Revenge isn’t a man but a gender-nonconforming person who uses they/them pronouns. After casually coming out to the rest of the crew, everyone accepts them as who they are, with no questions asked. On top of that, neither men nor women in the series fulfill the roles ascribed to them. Blackbeard attempts to keep up with his hyper-masculine image, but over time, viewers learn that he’s extremely sensitive and emotional. No one bats an eye when they know that a woman is the most powerful pirate on the seas, nor that Spanish Jackie collects husbands the same way she collects her enemies’ noses in a jar.
Our Flag Means Death is one of the queerest TV series to date. Its themes of self-discovery, living unabashedly as yourself, and searching for a sense of belonging in the world remind viewers of their own queer experiences. Plus, its progressive depictions of queer identities and relationships let LGBTQ+ viewers see themselves and their romantic fantasies on screen. As I twiddle my fingers and wait for the show’s third season, I feel lucky that shows like Our Flag Means Death are changing the media landscape and telling stories that reflect the truth of my community and our lives. If silly pirates can get the queer experience spot on, so can just about any story if it’s told right.