The Bridgerton biphobia is making it really hard for me to enjoy the new season.
I want to watch my lovely little show, filled with Taylor Swift songs reimagined by orchestras, pretty flowing dresses, posh accents. I want to sink into the magical Regency world where a beautiful Black woman is queen, and Francesca is a bi-icon. But it’s so hard to sit through Bridgerton season four when the biphobia is running rampant again. And the worst part? It’s fans of the books, my own community, who are fueling it, which feels like a betrayal.
The biphobia centres around Francesca’s storyline, specifically how her second love interest, Michael Stirling — aka her husband John Stirling’s cousin — was introduced as Michaela. Spoiler alert: In her Bridgerton book, When He Was Wicked, John dies, and Francesca ends up with Michael. Fans were furious, taking to social media to complain about the queerification of the storyline.
And now, in the new Bridgerton season, that same biphobic energy is rearing its ugly head again. Some are swearing they won’t watch Francesca’s season at all — go for it, babe, but don’t act like that’s about the story.
One viewer commented, “Unfortunately for me, this change has caused me to not be excited for future seasons.” Another said, “I’m not sorry for feeling disappointed after waiting for his reveal and not getting a fine ass man.”
Bridgerton fans, your biphobia is showing. Or is it just queer femmes like Francesca and me that bother you so deeply? Because your inconsistency is glaring, and honestly, I have no patience for it.
Francesca's story is love after loss
One key aspect of the outrage is how Francesca’s future romance with Michaela supposedly detracts from her present relationship with John. Fans feel sorry for him, disappointed by the unique, electric connection they shared. But besties, the entire point of Francesca’s storyline is a second-chance romance. Her book is literally dedicated to love after loss.
Yes, her story deals with infertility (more on that to come), but it’s equally about the capacity to love more than one person in different ways. Most of us won’t end up with our high school sweetheart, or the person we adamantly declared to our besties was THE ONE. No, really. Most of us experience multiple relationships before we find the person whose morning breath is a worthy sacrifice.
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Each time, we love differently — and that doesn’t diminish what came before. For example, my parents divorced when I was eighteen. My mum remarried and loved her second husband in a completely different way from the love she shared with her first husband, who was her husband for over twenty-five years. He sadly passed, leaving her widowed at sixty-two, but I genuinely believe there could be another love story ahead for her — she still has so much love to give.
And back to the queer lens. Francesca’s story being about multiple loves actually makes it even more fitting for a queer storyline. As a bisexual woman, I fall for both men and women, but I love differently with each. They bring out different sides of me. How could they not, when I was raised in a patriarchal structure? Yet that doesn’t diminish the connections I’ve shared with either, nor the ones I have yet to experience.
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Francesca can be more reserved with John and still love him deeply. She can be a different version of herself with Michaela, and still love John just as much — while also loving Michaela deeply.
We didn’t blink at Anthony with Sienna before Kate, or Benedict’s many partners. No one is saying that Violet loved her husband less because of her new romance with Marcus, so why is this one such a problem?
We're feeling horny in our petticoats.
The wrong sister is queer, apparently
Alrighty, now for the bit that’s been nagging me relentlessly.
I don’t think Bridgerton fans are homophobic. Hear me out. There was far less outrage over Benedict experimenting with men in previous seasons — ugh, so hot, it literally walked so Heated Rivalry could run. Some even hoped Sophie Bennett would be rewritten as a male protagonist to explore this queer journey, but instead we got the wonderful Sophie Baek.
Then came Cressida and Eloise’s friendship in season three. You couldn’t scroll TikTok without seeing edits of the two set to Chappell Roan’s Good Luck Babe. Many fans hoped Eloise’s book, To Sir Phillip, With Love, would be discarded entirely in favour of a sapphic storyline.
And here’s the point, gentle reader: this only proves my case. Every time we’ve seen a same-sex storyline, fans immediately wanted to lock it in. Benedict could sleep with men — if only he kept doing it forever. Eloise could be queer — if she only pursued women moving forward.
It’s the switching, the bisexuality, the middle ground, that seems to bother people. Bisexuality isn’t “confused” or “in-between” — it’s its own sexy, stunning spectrum.
We don’t mind a sapphic Eloise because she fits a narrow stereotype of what a queer woman should be. She’s uninterested in fashion or beauty, she barely glances at men (except briefly at Theo), and she’s palatable. Francesca? Sweet, soft, married a man — too straight-appearing for some fans to handle a queer love interest.
“I also thought Eloise was going to be the LGBTQ representation, especially since she obviously thinks outside the box,” one viewer commented.
“If anything, Eloise would’ve been the better candidate to be lesbian,” another wrote.
The pattern is clear: the feminist, tomboyish character can be gay, but the feminine character cannot.
But here’s the truth: gay and bisexual women don’t have a particular look. We’re not always easy to pick out in a lineup. Some of us have long painted nails, and we only cut them short when dating a woman. Some of us wear short skirts that we’ll swap for a strap-on. We contain multitudes, babe — and our love stories deserve to be seen in all their complexity.
Francesca is the ultimate queer girl storyline
At the end of the day, Michael being Michaela does not detract from the heart of Francesca’s storyline in the slightest. If you’re this heated, honey, maybe it’s time to check your biphobia and racism.
And yes, the storyline about infertility is important, and I trust the writers will handle it thoughtfully. Queer women can struggle with infertility too, and Francesca’s experience deserves to be represented.
Her love story with John will still play out, and I have no doubt the actress will capture the grief with painstaking beauty.
If we allow Benedict to end up with Sophie, why shouldn’t Francesca get the same grace? Or is the real issue that Benedict’s endgame is heterosexual, while Francesca’s is queer? Is experimentation only acceptable if we eventually return to the heterosexual shackles of patriarchy?
Honestly, this is the best foot forward for queer representation in Bridgerton. Francesca will be a widow, free from the pressures single women faced in the ton, and her romance will unfold quietly in the wilds of Scotland. Eloise would never receive that same narrative grace, and it’s just too predictable that the loud-mouthed feminist must be queer. Let’s make space for feminine queers this time around.
I will agree that the writers do need to protect Francesca’s love for John in order to maintain strong bisexual visibility. Let them share a patient, calm love, and let her experience something different with Michaela later. That balance is essential.
And please, shove off with arguments about “plot accuracy” for queers in Regency England. We existed behind closed doors. Lady Whistledown isn’t historically accurate. Neither are string-quartet pop songs, acrylic nails, or Violet’s figure after eight children. Stop using “accuracy” as an excuse to erase marginalised communities.
In the meantime, let’s all be nice and enjoy our little show, yeah?
