By Robyn Ochs
NBC’s sitcom, Abby’s, has an out bisexual lead character played by Natalie Morales—herself an out bi Latina, just like the lead character. (Is anyone else seeing a pattern of out bi-fabulous Latinas playing out bi Latinas? Think: Sara Ramirez in Gray’s Anatomy and Madam Secretary; Stephanie Beatriz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.)
The character is already out to her friends and co-workers, and on April 11 she came out as bisexual to yet another person in the show’s third episode, “Alcohol Free Day.”
In an interview on Out.com, Morales states, “I think it’s important to represent bisexual people in a very clear way and in a very big way, in that, this is the main character of a TV show. You meet her ex-girlfriend in this episode, you see the relationship with her friends and her ex. You see what it’s like to live that life and it’s important for the idea of bi erasure to show that this does exist.”
Morales emphasizes that Abby’s bisexuality is just one aspect of a multifaceted individual, and that they intentionally waited until the show’s third episode to put focus to this subject. “There are a lot of things about Abby. She was in the Marines. She’s a Latina. She’s bisexual. But those are just some things about her. She’s also a bartender, she’s also sometimes mean. She likes the Beach Boys. Her sexuality is one thing about her.”