Why Saying “Glinda and Elphaba aren’t gay” Makes No Sense To Me
By A.J Riley
Hello! Happy 2025! I am here with an article that might be a little jarring. Because for the first in forever (not a Frozen pun), I am not writing about Hope and Josie from Legacies. Instead, I am writing about G(a)linda Upland and Elphaba Thropp from Wicked!
Note: I do not get paid to write these, this is simply a side hobby I do in my spare time.
This will contain some spoilers. You’ve been warned.
Before I begin, I’d like to explain what Wicked is and who these characters are:
Wicked is a book written by Gregory Maguire, about the “Wicked Witch Of The West” and “Glinda the Good” from The Wizard of Oz (let’s be honest, it’s fanfiction). → In the book, it focuses on Elphaba Thropp (Better known as Wicked Witch Of The West) and Glinda the Good, their friendship and how Elphaba becomes ‘Wicked’. The story focuses on their college years and their relationship. The book was later adapted into a stage play in 2003 and later into a movie in 2024.
Glinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp are gay. It’s just the reality of it all. While you can argue “They’re not gay,” it’s hard to believe that when you understand the subtext of the story and come to realize just how deep their friendship was when they were college roommates (and they were roommates!!)
The first song in Wicked sung by the two girls is ‘What Is This Feeling’, chalked up with feelings that are normally directed toward developing a crush. Rushing pulse and flushing faces. However, the two of them came to the conclusion that it’s not crushes, it’s hatred. A classic rivals-to lovers, in a sense. Very much “I detest you,” (or in their words, I loathe you)
It’s easy to tell that the two of them have romantic sapphic undertones if you watch the movie from a queer lens. The behaviors they exhibit is that of two young girls (around 18/19) who are confused about their sudden romantic attraction and decide it isn’t attraction, but rather hatred. The two grow close and Glinda offers to give Elphaba a makeover, giving her the nickname ‘Elphie,’ as well as holding hands every other scene once they become best friends. During Defying Gravity, Elphaba wants Glinda to run away with her.
The actresses for Glinda and Elphaba (Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo) have both even said that the movie is about love. Glinda and Elphaba’s love is “true love,” whether or not you see it as platonic or romantic is up to each viewer’s own opinion, however it is undeniable that the two of them are in fact sapphic coded. Ariana has even said she thinks Glinda is a bit in the closet and Cynthia Erivo has also said that she thinks Elphaba goes wherever the wind guides her (hinting at possible bisexuality?)
The author himself, Gregory Maguire, has said that he purposely wrote the two of them to be together romantically and that the two of them are canon in the books. That the two of them are in fact in love and everything else.
Honestly, whether or not you think they’re gay is up to you, but the proof is in the source material. You can argue that mentioning the book makes no sense because the book and movie/stage play are vastly different, but what’s important to remember is that the musical/stage play AND the movie are both BASED on the book. It’s only doing the story itself a disservice by denying the fact that both the stage play and movie are based off of the book. Which, once again, confirmed by Gregory Maguire himself, is intended to have Elphaba and Glinda as sapphics.
Anyways, Gelphie Endgame!
Happy 2025
~ A.J Riley
January 15th 2025
Spot the ‘heterosexuality’
