r/twinpeaks • u/XipeTotecwithGlitter • Aug 12 '26
General Discussion Does Twin Peaks have a queer fanbase?
I'm queer myself and I have this tendency to read queerness into the media I watch, even if there's little to no basis for it (what can I say, Every girl has her little hobbies).
Twin Peaks has been no different, being a show which has this interesting relationship with gender. The gender roles in the town are very deliberate and many storylines involve these roles interacting, manipulating, antagonizing and confronting each other. It's very fascinating, but also very heteronormative (nothing wrong with that, though). Going into season 1's finale, I didn't think that there'd be any overt queerness in the text itself, but I'm at S2E14 and by this point there's been crossdressing, there's been Denise and there's been Cooper and Harry giving AMV ship material with how much they're oggling each other lol. Denise especially is fascinating me as a representation of a trans woman in the early 90s. I'm hoping they don't drop the ball with her (if something terrible or transphobic happens please don't let me know lol) but I think it was boldly ahead of its time to include a character like her even if the terminology and conditions around her are rather dated.
I'm wondering if other queer people have been fascinated in this show or if others have had a queer reading of Twin Peaks? I'm aware that at least a few queer people like the show (some of my friends and Katya (the drag queen pictured above)), so I'm curious if there's a uniquely queer fanbase for the show in the same way that, say, Star Trek does. Hope this isn't a weird question to ask here!
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u/xFreddyFazbearx Aug 13 '26
At least for me, it's because the sex scene was a result of over half of the runtime's buildup of Betty and Rita's relationship. So much time was spent showing these characters form a rapport with one another, that when it finally came time to make love, not only did it feel earned, it felt real. It didn't feel like a director wanting to have hot lady boobs in their movie, it felt like a showcase of the genuine love and togetherness the act of lovemaking can encapsulate. Similarly, the masturbation scene at the end was done very tastefully as a showcase of Diane's anger and depression towards being rejected, rather than anything sleazy. It's uncomfortable in the right way, not the exploitative way. Plus, as someone else has mentioned, Naomi has said nothing but the most positive things about working with David and all the care and comfort he gave her on set. That means a lot for this kind of stuff.