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Queering Frasier

How gay is Fras?

By Britt CannonPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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So, I recently started what can only be described as my sixth or seventh full re-watch of the 1990s-era NBC sitcom Frasier. These last two binges have opened my eyes to something: Frasier is bisexual. There are several overt examples of this and several reasons why Dr. Frasier Crane would remain in the closet, continuing to deny himself all the happiness he desires. First, Martin. He's a lovable homophobe, misogynist, dog lover, and old ass ex-cop. Marty Crane frequently and incessantly rags on both of his sons for being effeminate, and therefore inferior; can you imagine how bad it would have been had they actually been queer? Another reason Frasier might have decided to stay in the closet could be his (albeit limited) celebrity status. The 90s weren't quite as accepting of the spectrum of sexuality as we are today. Let's take a look at the examples pointing in the direction of the queering of Dr. Frasier Crane.

The Matchmaker

Episode three of season two opens with KACL getting a new station manager. Tom Duran is handsome, he's debonair, well-traveled, well-read, he's cultured, he's thoughtful, he's got that hot, hot flippy 90s hair, and he's suuuper gay. Frasier fails to pick up on the signals and decides to set him up with Daphne, who—it's well established—has been feeling a bit lonely, lately. Duran, however, totally picks up on Frasier's queerness. It could be a case of harmless stereotyping, where Tom mistook Fras' pseudo-British accent, love of theater, and good taste in wine as queerness. But, speaking as a gay with experience in gayness, gaydar is a thing; but you only get to have it if you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community (sorry, straights. You get to kiss your partners in public without fear, though, so... suck it) and it's pretty full-proof. Maybe it has something to do with the fear of ridicule and backlash, but we, as a people, do not tend to hit on The Straights. Not to mention the fact that Tom and Frasier have incredible chemistry. The episode could have easily ended with Tom sleeping over and the two men dating until Frasier's bad luck and narcissism would eventually run it into the ground. Instead, Frasier stays in his comfy closet.

Gil Chesterton

Club Parnassus

In episode three of season four, Frasier has a recurring dream where he ends up in bed with the series' more overtly-closeted character, food critic Gil Chesterton. Gil is the butt of many hundreds of "you're straight?" jokes over the course of the show's eleven seasons. When Gil, a.k.a. "Chesty," starts ending up in bed with Crane in this dream, he begins to question his own sexuality. He wonders if he's been gay the whole time, and has just been in denial about it. He even has a tete-a-tete with his psychoanalytical hero Sigmund Freud about it in another iteration of the same dream. Interestingly enough, Freud had a pretty progressive philosophy on queerness; he basically believed that all people were bisexual, and that homosexuality was innate (i.e. not a choice) and could not be cured. Freud was more progressive than the 2017 Vice President of the United States. Go figure. Could Frasier's constant questioning of Gil's sexuality have been pure projection? Frasier and his Jungian brother Niles analyze the dream at the end of the episode and come to the conclusion that it was work that was leaving the doctor unfulfilled, not heterosexuality. But he later abandons private practice, so...

The Doctor is Out

Season 11 brings one of the best episodes of the whole series. Frasier suspects Roz's boyfriend might be gay, so he and Niles follow him to a local gay bar. Frasier is wearing these tiny white shorts, and wearing them quite well! While waiting for Roz's man, he sits at the bar, orders a drink, and makes himself right at home. Soon, the music starts bumping and Fras finds himself wiggling his hips on the dance floor! If Niles hadn't come in and gotten him, it's hard to say what might have happened. Well, a listener clocks Dr. Frasier Crane in the club, calls into the show, and ends up "outing" him. This fake news catches the ears of Seattle Opera director Alistair Burke (Patrick Stewart), and he starts pursuing Frasier HARD, hot little ticket that he is. The pair have a marvelous, though short-lived, courtship. Burke takes Crane on the lavish dates of his dreams; they like all the same things, and they dance together beautifully in their perfectly fitted Armani tuxes. This would have been the perfect time for Frasier Crane to become a queer icon. But he just... couldn't... do it. With the man of his dreams offering to wine and dine him, why not?

No Woman No Cry

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Frasier's history with women is long and tumultuous. He tends to be attracted to a very specific set of requirements, and it takes absurdly little to turn him off completely. In fact, it seems as if the only mutually satisfying sexual experiences he has happen with women he kind of despises, who also despise him. His relationship trajectory usually looks like they meet, proceed to hate each other, hate each other, hate each other, the tension escalates into a screaming match, then they make out in fiery passion, bang one out, regret it immensely but continuing doing it for a while anyway, until things ultimately end horribly. The series even makes a joke about this when Felicity Huffman comes on board as the tough-as-nails station manager and Frasier mistakes her genuine dislike for him for sexual tension. Why can't he maintain a long-term relationship? Why do the women he chooses, no matter how well-matched, always end up falling short?

Frasier's Best Life

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Picture it, Pussycat. After Frasier moves to San Francisco after the season finale, he and Alistair Burke reconnect. Without the pressure of Marty's homophobia and Frasier's inferiority complex with Niles—and in one of the gayest cities in America—Fras is able to breathe easy and be himself. He and Alistair fall head-over-heels in love. Their life is filled with jet-setting, expensive wine, ballets, successful dinner parties, and, with Frasier being a permanent fixture in the box seats of Alistair's operas, they become everyone's favorite couple; they are always invited, with people often declaring "a party isn't a party without Frasier and Alistair." Lilith and Freddy both adore Frasier's new partner and his new positive, free-wheeling attitude. He's relaxed, easygoing, and jokes often. He never yells. He and Alistair often cuddle up on the piano bench and sing show tunes, jazz standards, and arias. Marty sees how happy his son is and can't help but adore Alistair for his part in that. Frasier is finally, after two whole sitcoms, living his very best life.

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