Pop Culture Fix: The Witcher’s Getting Queer Next Season, Finally!

Well hello and Happy Almost New Year, my friends! I got my second Covid booster today, finally, which is the greatest holiday gift ever! But also Riese got me a wine aerator which is the second best holiday gift ever. My prezzie to you is, of course, another Pop Culture Fix!


+ The Witcher boss teases a major character will be queer in season 3.

“We have Phillipa, who’s best known… I would say she’s a queer icon for book readers. We delve into her character. It’s not something we shy away from… I also think with Ciri, that’s something that I would say is hinted at in the books, but you never really get into what is her sexuality, and we start to delve into that more as well. All of that is coming down the horizon, and it is fun. I’m glad that you brought it up, because one of the things that I think that we try very hard to do with The Witcher is show that fantasy is for everyone, and represents everyone.”

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+ Geezus, nuns are still so pissed about Benedetta.

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+ When Sara Ramirez met SJP during And Just Like That filming, they told her, “I’ve had a crush on you forever!”

+ I forgot to link this last week! The Legend of Vox Machina crew squabble in exclusive clip as show gets new premiere date.

+ Brandi Carlile honors Joni Mitchell with soaring River cover.

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+ Read an excerpt from the new Buffy YA novel starring Willow’s daughter.

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Heather Hogan

Heather Hogan is an Autostraddle senior editor who lives in New York City with her wife, Stacy, and their cackle of rescued pets. She's a member of the Television Critics Association, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, and a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer critic. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Heather has written 1719 articles for us.

12 Comments

  1. “hinted at in the books”

    Ciri is in a relationship with an older girl, Mistle, in the books; it’s pretty explicit. I know that some straight male fans in Polish fandom deny it, but… it’s there??? They have sex, they have tattoos, Ciri is queer AF. Sapkowski wrote it in the 90s and discussed Ciri as a lesbian. It still feels like a miracle to me. By saying it’s “hinted at” in the books, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich kinda appropriates this phenomenon and the character who has been so huge for so many people in officially the most homophobic country in the EU.

    • THANK YOU. I was about to type exactly the same thing. It’s really straightforward in the books and given what’s going on in Poland right now I don’t see the point in being sly about it.

  2. Pretty sure Ciri was written as bisexual.

    I also dont think its quite appropriate to bring up her relationship with Mistle in a positive context as she raped Ciri early on during her time with the Bandits.

    • Yeah, I’m glad the interview didn’t bring up Mistle, I wouldn’t want that storyline redeemed or what have you. What I remember from what I read is Ciri feeling a lot of what could be written off as her feeling compelled to to stay in a relationship with an abuser that also protected her, even if she wanted to be with a girl in general.

  3. I mean, I get why nuns are upset at Benedetta. It’s exploitative and fetishizing. I’m sure even gay nuns (in non-Roman traditions, I mean) would find it demeaning. I get it – if your only experience with religious orders is a toxic classroom setting with a wielded as the primary pedagogical tool, you’re fine with seeing them get theirs. But that is so far from the majority.

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