If It's You It's Okay

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
(Redirected from If It's You, It's Okay)

"It's not fair, Ash! I don't even like girls! Why do I have to like you?!"

—Missi Fuller to Ash Upton, Misfile

"He is very handsome. [...] It's weird. It is just different. It's not men. It's just him."

—Ianto Jones to his sister regarding Jack Harkness, Torchwood

Someone is mostly heterosexual (or homosexual, or asexual) with one exception.

A romantic rationalization that removes potential Squick from a non-standard attraction (Brother-Sister Incest, Mayfly-December Romance, or a simple homosexual one, etc.) often uses this phrase. Since the character (usually) acknowledges the unusualness of the potential pairing, the writer gets to assure the audience they shouldn't have a problem with it either.

Judging by the examples presented here can often be place in three categories:

  • Type 1: The character in question has a one-off attraction to that person that transcends their sexual preference, based on mutual compatibility or otherwise emotional attraction.
  • Type 2: The target of attraction is presented as being physically attractive enough to transcend the sexual preferences of people, not just the attracted character.
  • Type 3: The exception gradually becomes the rule for that character (this not being a subversion as such as the trope applies at the beginning of the relationship and is seen as responsible for the gradual reveal of the character's sexuality/gradual transition of their gender preference - depending on whether you view it as the character being helped by this one ultra-compatible/attractive person to accept that they are really homosexual/bisexual or whether the positive experience is what changes the character's preference).

This is also often an implicit assumption in Slash Fic that tries to pair characters that are generally portrayed as heterosexual (or homosexual—and/or related). This is especially likely if the characters are already Heterosexual Life Partners, Buddy Cops, an Odd Couple, or are simply shown attracted to one character without any other attractions to reference. When it's made explicit, it's usually referred by "We're Not Gay We Just Love Each Other" (WNGWJLEO) in Ficdom, where it's often criticized for its perceived homophobia (as such it's now an almost thoroughly Discredited Trope in Slash Fic).

Since it often preludes a first kiss or actual sex, it's extremely common with 'pure' characters who the writers are otherwise hesitant to show having an explicit interest in sexuality.

This trope can be diametrically opposed to No Bisexuals, which assumes that a given character can only be either heterosexual or homosexual with no exceptions; or cut down in the middle 50/50 in terms of attraction.

A likely requirement for any non-bisexual person in a relationship with a Gender Bender. Or the main character of a Dating Sim.

In settings resembling Real Life, this trope is only about heterosexuality and homosexuality. In fantasy and Sci Fi settings, it can also be about variables that don't exist in real life, such as a person only being attracted to elves but making an exception for one very special human.

Compare Even the Guys Want Him, Even the Girls Want Her, Memetic Sex God, and Stupid Sexy Flanders. Single-Target Sexuality is a subtrope.

Examples of If It's You It's Okay include:

Anime and Manga

  • General example: In the large majority of Boys' Love manga, the characters seem to follow the "We're Not Gay We Just Love Each Other" school of thought, since they're usually represented as being "completely straight" until they discover their 'true love' in the form of another guy.
    • Zigzagged with Ryo in FAKE, the one you'd expect to fit this trope, as he starts the series insisting that he's straight, as opposed to Dee's open declarations of bisexuality. By the end, though, Ryo thinks of himself as a gay guy even though he has loved at least one girl in the past.
    • Miyagi in Junjou Romantica is in his thirties, and has apparently be rather straight all his life. That is... until Shinobu shows up. Then he's suddenly gay.
    • In The Tyrant Falls in Love, Souichi is a complete and utter homophobe. And yet, somehow, Morinaga gets him into bed quite a number of times. At one point, Souichi even says he only does it with Morinaga because it's him.
    • Kento of Future Lovers, before meeting Akira, had his heart set on starting a family with a housewife. In fact, this is one of the main reasons Akira is initially reluctant to pursue a relationship with Kento because he fears that Kento will eventually leave him for a woman who can actually give him a family, but Kento repeatedly assures him that he'll be happy so long as Akira is with him.
    • In Under Grand Hotel Norman mentions at one point "I'm not interested in men. Except him (Swordfish), that is..."
    • Hiro says something along these lines to Shuichi near the beginning of Gravitation, although it doesn't go anywhere because Hiro's the Unlucky Childhood Friend.
    • Okane ga Nai: Neither Kanou nor Ayase were attracted to males before hooking up. As of chapter 37, it's made pretty clear that both Ayase and Kanou have the whole "If it's you it's okay" thing going for each other. However, EVERY straight guy in the series feels this way about Ayase.
    • Love Mode's Shakashita Izumi'a feelings for Takamiya.
    • Zetsuai 1989: Before he met Izumi, Kouji was a womanizer, and even after they get together he maintains that he's still heterosexual, just madly in love with Izumi. (In fact, he claims that thinking of other men makes him feel sick.)
    • Iwaki Kyousuke and Katou Youji of Haru wo Daiteita love each other and no other guys.
  • This is the origin of the term "GAR", originally a misspelling of "GAY (for X)".
    • GAR originated on 4chan's board. A poster was describing his feelings towards the Fate/Stay Night character Archer, and mistyped "gay" as "gar". In fact Archer is the main embodiment of GAR with lots of straight guys on the board proclaiming that they are GAR for Archer. Another character that is hugely popular in this respect and has been for around 30 years now ever since his first appearance is Char Aznable from the Mobile Suit Gundam series.
  • Sweden from Axis Powers Hetalia. Sweden actually says this in a scanlated version of the webcomic and it is even stated officially that though Sweden is, in fact, gay, he only acts that way around Finland.
  • Uttered at the end of .hack//Sign, the novel ".hack//ZERO" indicates that Tsukasa and Subaru do in fact date.
    • And apparently living together in .hack//LINK Manga, 10 years later. Tsukasa tells Tokkio that "he" might just go home in the middle of their adventure, so she can be with Subaru. This line was, btw, dropped in the "official" translation.
  • Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. I mean, come on now. Guy confesses to girl. Girl turns down guy. Guy gets in freak accident with UFO and is reconstructed as a girl. Girl (first girl) suddenly develops interest in main character (former boy) and starts spending time with her.
  • Kannazuki no Miko: Himeko more or less says this literally to Chikane near the end of the anime. Could also be a case of Single-Target Sexuality.
  • Xing Bairong of Witch Hunter fits this profile as of a recent character bio page, in which he is described as being interested in "sexy girls with hot bodies" and disliking "guys, with the strange exception of Tasha Godspell".
  • An odd case in the Mai-Otome manga: Erstin is in love with Nina, and spazzes out whenever she even gets close to a man. Later in the series, she falls for a second girl, Mashiro (whom she initially disliked for monopolizing Nina's attention)... only to discover that "Mashiro" isn't that kind of woman. A few panels of Ers freaking out over "Manshiro" occurs, but she decides pretty quickly that she's willing to at least try to work past that whole 'male' thing.
    • The same goes for Nagi! in the same series, he doesn't care when he discovers the truth. No, really.
  • No Bra presents a variation of the trope, where Masako is - while swimming in Wangst - having massive hots for Yuki, who is a vivid cross dresser who fools anyone into believing him to be a girl ... and a pretty hot one to boot.
    • Said crossdresser is probably an example himself. He's in love with Masako, his childhood buddy who he's liked since then. Turns out his friend was a Bifauxnen, and is another character. Yuki does say he doesn't like men too, so he probably has a Single-Target Sexuality.
  • Chizuru from the Hen manga has never been in love in her life, using her body mostly to gain favors from men. She also views having sex with girls as icky—until she falls head-over-heels for innocent, cute Yamada, which turns her world upside down on several levels. After a reality check Chizuru decides to pursue her love interest with abandon. Poor Yamada never knows what hits her.
    • And it's made explicitly clear that Yamada is the only girl who makes her feel that way. Her attempts to imagine sleeping with other girls do nothing but Squick her out.
  • Aru Akise spends the whole second chapter of Mirai Nikki - Paradox denying that's he's gay, despite having a blatant crush on the male protagonist. When finally badgered enough, he admits that "it's love", but still maintains he doesn't swing for boys.
  • A inversion in Ouran High School Host Club: Haruhi's bisexual father Ryouji/Ranka renounced his heterosexual side after his wife Kotoko's death. To him, It's Not Okay If It's Not Her.
  • Touya and Yukito from Cardcaptor Sakura aren't Yaoi Guys, they're soulmates. Gender is irrelevant.
  • In Hayate the Combat Butler, Kotetsu becomes like this after being given a lecture by Nagi after finding out the cute girl he met is Hayate in drag. Hayate is not happy about it.
    • Luca also implies that she has this for Hayate-as-a-girl, she states that she'd already have fallen for him if he were a guy, but believes he's a girl because he's been cross-dressed in every encounter with her yet. Placing her within the harem canonically, and just waiting for the bridget-dropping.
  • It's very strongly hinted - but just short of explicit - that Leon feels this way about Count D in Pet Shop of Horrors. For Count D, Leon would be the only human he could maybe possibly ever feel attracted to. It's... problematic.
  • In Penguin Revolution, this seems to be more or less Yuzuru Narazaki's approach to his feelings for Yukari, given that at the time of his Love Epiphany he still thinks she's a guy, and doesn't find out otherwise until three manga volumes later.
  • In Mahou Sensei Negima, Setsuna, who is rather obviously paired off with Konoka from early on, admits that she finds Negi cute and was also attracted to his teenage form. Said comment is probably the basis for shipping all three together. Apart from the obvious hot factor, of course.
  • In Neon Genesis Evangelion Shinji is most likely straight considering how he expresses attraction to Misato, Asuka, and Rei. However, in the manga at one point he thinks "I was attracted to him (Kaworu) even though I knew I shouldn't like a boy like that."
    • It's made pretty obvious in the anime that he feels something for Kaworu.
  • Utawarerumono: Gura and Dori for Hakuoro.
    • They also act this way towards their lord, Oboro. They even end up sleeping with him at the same time late in the series.
  • Half Prince: Gui's side story reveals that he feels this way about Prince.
  • Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu: Akihisa Yoshii apparently thinks that homosexuality is wrong, yet has no problem whatsoever confessing to Hideyoshi (or buying fanservicey pictures of him, or getting a nosebleed from seeing him topless.) Of course, given Hideyoshi's appearance, one could argue that he just keeps mistaking him for a girl.
    • Then again, Akihisa does acknowledge that the only two girls in Class F are Minami and Himeji.
  • In Aoi Hana, this may be the reason why Akira decides to try dating Fumi.
  • The titular Utena of Revolutionary Girl Utena is this way towards Anthy. She's straight, as in she mainly goes after guys like Touga and Akio, but she also clearly develops some manner of romantic feelings for Anthy by the end of the series. (The term "Anthysexual" has popped up more than once in fan discussions, commentary and fic.)
    • Touga is implied to be a variation on this trope: it seems he likes girls for meaningless sex, and guys for emotional affairs, Utena - and Nanami - being an exception to that rule. Although Akio is the only guy he's really implied to sleep with. One could also make a case that this trope summarizes Saijonji's feelings for Touga, but just the same, it's possible to argue that it's purely platonic.
    • Completely averted by Shiori towards Juri. It's the turning moment of her interview in the Black Rose Saga:

Shiori: I always had a place in Juri-san's heart. I'm the winner! What shall I do? I'm so delighted to know my friend's secret I almost can't bear it! She suffered alone, looking at my picture in secret... No good! It's still no good! How could you look at me like that?! Why did it all turn out this way?

  • Lau from Black Butler is a Handsome Lech who mainly has Ran Mao around as eye-candy and to sit on his lap but appears to be If It's You It's Okay towards Ciel if his occasional attempts at flirting with him are of any indication.
    • Also, Grell. While she makes frequent advances on male characters, she also declared once that she was in love with Madam Red.
  • In Natsume Yuujinchou, the almost-certainly lesbian Hinoe hatesguys. The only problem is that one of these pesky guys, Takashi Natsume, inconveniently looks almost exactly like her long-dead (female) crush Reiko Natsume, and it's making her uncomfortable. She eventually deals with it by simply ignoring the fact that Takashi's male.
  • In Virgin Love, Daigo's pickup line to Kaoru is basically: "I like women, but you're gorgeous. My place or yours?"
  • Wandering Son has a variation. Nitori can best be described as a lesbian stuck inside a boys body, but a girl named Chiba has had an attraction to him since elementary school. Chiba apparently has Single-Target Sexuality, since though she'd prefer if Nitori was a boy she doesn't mind much if he becomes a girl. Nitori's former girlfriend Anna dated Nitori, under the impression he was a masculine boy who likes crossdressing. They eventually break up after Nitori goes to school in a Sailor Fuku and wig, though Anna obviously still likes him to the point where they get back together quickly.
  • Used in a series of one-shots in a Yuri anthology called Mermaid Line, when her boyfriend decides to transition into a girl. Ayumi even says she never thought a girl was cute before.
  • This is played straight and subverted in Boku no Futatsu no Tsubasa where two people are okay with Mako-chan's hermophrodite status while one other says they're okay with it but when it came down to the sex they couldn't do it. Kanna, one of the two who accepts Mako-chan even goes out to say that Mako's cock is the only cock she'd ever accept inside of her.
  • Possibly some of the guys from Princess Princess, who get all excited (to the point of ridiculousness) about the "princesses"... even knowing that they're really guys dressed up in cute girly outfits.
  • Kanda from D.Gray-man. Probably his attitude towards Alma Karma after he learns the truth about him.
    • Also, Cyril clearly likes the ladies but he is also obsessed with Tyki and even flirts with him a couple of times.
  • To LOVE-Ru: Momo ignores all the guys who hit on her at school and only looks at Rito. Even when he changes gender, Momo doesn't seem to mind.
  • Played straight and subverted in Doushitemo Furetakunai: The main character is actually gay, but captures the attention of several 'straight guys' during the story. One of the 'straight guys' falling for him later gets into spotlight and falls for another gay character, but takes a lot of time for it so it still can be considered this trope.
  • Guts from Berserk is of the asexual variety. Due to being raped as a child, he Hates Being Touched, but eventually, Casca is able to change his mind as applies to her.
  • Similar to the above, Hinako from Bitter Virgin, traumatised by years of sexual abuse, only ever allows Daisuke to get close to her, as he doesn't think of her "as a woman". At least, that's what she thinks.
  • Kanbaru of Bakemonogatari is a self proclaimed lesbian with a crush on Hitagi. However, she also once told Koyomi that if he didn't already have Hitagi she'd totally date him. She once did Attempted Rape on him as well.
  • Nana Komatsu of Nana is implied to be this for Nana Osaki. She has a very Les Yay ridden relationship with her but is otherwise straight.
  • Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine: Oscar, who's "gay as a springtime", as people has put it, but only for Zenigata.

Comic Books

  • Francine and Katchoo from Strangers in Paradise are probably the only couple on this page where both characters felt that it is "okay if it is you." Katchoo is actually very difficult to classify, since she is very clear that she is not interested in men, but simultaneously asserts that she is not gay. Most of the series establishes that she is, and forever will be, only interested in Francine...except that, when she learns that David is dying and he has loved her for years, she reciprocates and joins him in bed to have a child together and also to wait out his remaining days, even though it is clear that Francine is still the only true target of her affections. Francine is the more obvious and iconic example of the trope. She is in love with Katchoo but struggles with the sexual aspect for most of the series, and she is boy-crazy and states openly in mental monologue that she has never been confused about her sexuality before Katchoo. She never shows attraction to any other female through the entire run of the series, but ultimately comes to the realization that, male or female, Katchoo is the only person for her.
  • In Buffy Season Eight, Buffy (who has been consistently shown to be heterosexual, having several boyfriends over the course of the series) sleeps with Satsu, a lesbian Slayer. Joss has said this is less about Buffy coming out as gay or bisexual (because she still considers herself straight), but that she's "experimenting" and that it was logical step for her.
    • Indeed in the comic itself it's treated less as romantic, more as Buffy just wanting to be with someone who loves her. Which makes her either a Woobie or a Jerkass depending on how you feel about how she treated Satsu afterward.
  • The 1980's Marvel comic New Mutants has Danielle Moonstar: jealous of attention paid to other girls by boys she likes, exhibitionistic in front of boys, admiring of the male physique and in love with her best girl friend Rahne Sinclair.
  • For a very brief while, it seemed Trickster was headed this way with Piper in Countdown to Final Crisis, alas Deadshot kills Trickster as he's protecting Piper.
  • Maggie from Love and Rockets describes herself as this, which in some of the early stories irritated her on-again, off-again lesbian girlfriend Hopey.
    • Although in one of the later stories, when she plants a "Take That!" Kiss on Vivian, Vivian gets into it for a few seconds before punching her. A grinning Maggie's aside response: "Still got it".
  • Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy Zigzag the trope a little. Despite the Trope image above, they have always been depicted as bi. Still, in regards to each other, the Trope does still apply as far as Ivy is concerned, being a Misanthrope Supreme (at least as far as adults are concerned) who only truly cares for Harley, although the two are best described as Friends with Benefits.

Fan Works

Marik: I mean, you know that I'm only gay for you! I'm very comfortable with my gayness where you're concerned. But as far as anyone else goes, totally hetero!

  • Most Ranma ½ fanfiction with the "Ranma gets modelocked as a girl forever" plot use this trope in regards to Ranma and Akane. In reality though, both are strictly straight. Neither like the idea of doing anything even remotely sexual while he's a girl.

Akane: *thinking he's going to kiss her* Wait, Ranma. People are watching, you know! And we're both girls! You can't, you can't!
Ranma: *walks past her* You've got a dirty mind!

    • It's also implied by his thoughts in the chapter "Stand Up, Ranma!" that one of the reasons why Ranma wants to be back to his old self again is because he wouldn't be able to really be with Akane otherwise.

Ranma: Akane... It will be soon... I will be a man again, soon.

    • Alternately, Ranma/Ryoga pairings often follow this trope on both sides, regardless of the form Ranma's in.
    • Explored in the 1990s-vintage fic series Thy Outward Part by Richard Lawson, which tells the story of Ranma's years in and after college after being locked permanently in his female form. The trope is utterly averted for Akane -- but eventually Ranma invokes it, with regards to med student Kentaro, who falls in love with the brooding, moody martial arts mistress.
  • A lot of Supernatural fic deals with Dean Winchester's obnoxiously obvious hetness by declaring that, like the Spock example above, If It's Cas It's OK. (Castiel doesn't have to worry about it, because being an angel he doesn't technically have gender, even though his vessel is male.)
  • A funny subversion offered by a third, observing party: The Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction Skeletons by Maiden Of The Moon has Elricest in a double serving. Once the classic Ed/Al and then again Edwards well, actually Al's, biologically grandsons, Edward and Al(exander). When Alex freaks out on the possibility to have an incest fetish his younger sister Rosalie (yaoi fangirl and somewhat an expy of Winry) prompts to snog him and at his clear disgust gleefully exclaims that apparently it is NOT an incest fetish. He just happens to be in love with a boy that happens to be his brother.
  • The Death Note fandom has decided, as far as the otherwise asexual Light Yagami is concerned, if it's L it's okay. Overlaps often with Single-Target Sexuality for both guys.
  • With a good amount of Naruto Slash Fic Naruto will be otherwise straight except when he's around Sasuke as well as Sasuke for Naruto.
  • In the Kingdom Hearts Slash Fic Kiss and I Will Surrender] by "Fifi McFu", Sora and Roxas are like this for each other.

Film

  • The Crying Game. If you don't know how this trope applies to it, we're more than happy to spoil it for you.
  • Ace and Tobio in Wild Zero.
  • Played for laughs at the end of Some Like It Hot ("Well, nobody's perfect!"), making this trope (arguably) Older Than Television.
    • A similar gag ends the 1944 Looney Tunes short I Got Plenty of Mutton: A wolf, having disguised himself as a sexy sheep in order to distract a ram from guarding his flock, finds himself being pursued (a la Pepe le Pew) for most of the cartoon. Finally, the wolf tears his costume off: "I'm a wolf!" The ram's leering response: "So am I!"
  • Lammbock: Stefan for Mehmet Scholl, a (former) German soccer player.
  • In Vicky Cristina Barcelona It's possible to see Christina's romance with Maria Elena as an example of this, since when she's asked if she's bisexual, she doesn't say yes.
  • In True Romance, the main character has a monologue centered around rationalizing the idea that he would have sex with Elvis Presley if given the opportunity. It's written by Quentin Tarantino, naturally.
  • Subverted tragically in Y Tu Mama Tambien: the two lead characters have been enjoying a Heterosexual Life Partnership brimming with Ho Yay, but when it turns physical one night (as part of their sexual initiation by an older woman), their relationship ends up destroyed.
  • Strongly separated from sex in My Own Private Idaho: Mike and Scott are male prostitutes, both treating sex with men as nothing but a business arrangement—except when it comes to each other. Mike loves Scott to the point of wanting to make love with him, and Scott, who is homophobic about any contact between men that can't be explained away by money or teen rebellion, makes an exception for Mike just the once.
  • Mannen som elsket Yngve (The Man who Loved Yngve) -- the otherwise heterosexual, and fully girlfriend-equipped, Jarle Klepp falls in love with his new male high school classmate Yngve, much to his confusion.
  • Plan B tells the story of two straight men slowly falling in love with each other. Pablo does initially claim that he was once with a guy, but admits later on that he was lying and tells Bruno after a failed attempt to have sex with him that he's confused about his feelings for him because he doesn't even like guys—although it's quite possible that this was mainly due to his heartbreak over learning that Bruno was just pretending to be interested in him to steal his girlfriend back from him, as he's a lot more receptive after Bruno confesses to him that he genuinely fell in love with him for real.
  • King Marchand in Victor Victoria falls in love with the title character while thinking that she's a man. Eventually:

King: I don't care if you are a man. (kisses her)
Victoria: I'm not a man.
King: I still don't care.

Literature

  • In Anne McCaffrey's last Talents book, The Tower And The Hive, Laria and her Gay Best Friend and second-in-command Kincaid start doing it. The explanation (Handwaving?) of why they hooked up in the first place: they were both lonely and their Mrdini companions "pushed" them towards mutual comfort. They become a full-fledged couple later on (and Laria becomes pregnant).
  • According to Word of God, Butch of the Black Dagger Brotherhood is 'V-sexual', even though both he and Vishous are in committed relationships with women by the end of their respective books.
    • Judging by many scenes from Lover Revealed, the feelings are mutual.
  • That one was made pretty clear even without Word of God, though, especially in their novels, but hinted from the beginning of their relationship.
  • In Orson Scott Card's Homecoming series, you have Shedemei and Zdorab. When Shedemei becomes (unintentionally) ostracized from the rest of the women in their little refugee group due to her being the only one childless (she and Zdorab aren't what the others would call "a real couple", though they were emotionally as close as any of the rest), Zdorab agrees to try for a child with her, for her sake. They end up with two.
  • Songmaster, meanwhile, has Josif and Kyaren - Josif self-describes as a gay-leaning bisexual. With a 6% attraction to sheep. Expect to see a lot of things like this in Card's work.
  • Ceilie and Shug Avery in The Color Purple. Hinted at with one painfully awkward kiss in the movie. Stated outright in the book.
  • The otherwise lesbian dance instructor and neighbor of Kinky Friedman's Author Insert, Winnie Katz has this kind of relationship in his mystery series in an on/off kind of way.
  • Subverted in the Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser books: The two titular heroes are actually a bit mystified at the fact that they haven't gotten curious about one another that way.
  • Stephen King's The Long Walk has the characters talking about being gay for each other.
  • In J. Courtney Sullivan's Commencement, this is how Bree sees her relationship with girlfriend Lara. It's left up to the reader to decide, of course, whether she's right or whether her parents' disapproval is coloring her acceptance of her sexuality. Most of her friends seem to think it's the latter, but we never see her with another woman in the book, so who knows?
  • In Maureen Johnson's The Bermudez Triangle, Avery has a HUGE one of these for Mel, as she is straight. She says something about it being just Mel, and that she was only gay for her because Mel needed someone to help her realize that she was les
  • Alluded to in "The Talisman" by Peter Straub and Stephen King. Jack Sawyer has the ability to "flip" between Earth and a parallel world, and the more time he spends in the other world, the more attractive he becomes to people in the real world when he returns. To the point that a man that picks him up while hitch-hiking thinks about sexually molesting him without being quite sure why, so he drops him off at a truck stop much earlier than he intended.
  • In Paul Auster's Sunset Park, Miles Heller's old friend Bing Nathan feels like this with Miles. Unsure about his own sexuality he even tries out sex with another guy, but comes to the conclusion that the male body provides "no comfort" to him. He pushes Miles in the corner of the Memetic Sex God in this citation: "He was not the only one who felt this way. As far back as he can remember, Miles seemed (...) to possess some magnetic, animal force that changed the athmosphere whenever he walked into a room." This is verified by the way the other Sunset Park squatters react to Miles. Off topic trivia question: What is inherently better about this than Twilight? Something of an answer: It's at least not the main point of the novel.
  • This comes out in a painfully awkward conversation between main characters in Pocket in the Sea, in which the main character has to convince his best friend, who has a deep, lifelong crush on him, that it really is a case of "If it's you, it's ok." The otherwise straight main character goes so far as to negate the possibility of a future wife, something he had previously insisted on allowing.
  • In many versions of from Arthurian Literature, this defines Lancelot's relationship with Guinevere, as he is never at all attracted to anyone else.

Live Action TV

  • Played straight on 30 Rock when Frank falls head over heels for the office's hot, young coffee guy. After much exploration, including an unsatisfying dance at a gay club, Frank realizes he's only "gay for Jamie".
    • When Jack shows a picture of his girlfriend Elisa (played by Salma Hayek) to the actor who plays the generalissimo, he exclaims "I am super gay and I would totally switch for her".
      • At one point, Liz herself seemed a bit attracted to Elisa.

Elisa: I have a terrible secret. Please don't ask me what it is.
Liz: I don't want to know what it is! (pause) Are you a man?
Elisa: ...Really, Lemon? You want to see me naked?
Liz: Kind of.

  • Although never explicitly shown, Karen and Jack in Will and Grace seem to have this type of relationship. Although Jack is a gay man (and one who frequently states his disgust at heterosexuality) it is implied that he and Karen frequently engage in sexual activity with one another.

Jack: I don't know, Karen.
Karen: I'll let you make out with me in the elevator.
Jack: Okay!

  • Paige and Alex in Degrassi the Next Generation. Paige identifies as straight, with Alex as her one exception, while dating Paige helped Alex realize she was a lesbian.
  • The latest season of Nip Tuck features an interesting variation on this trope. Liz Cruz, who up to this point has been a committed lesbian, discovers she's sexually attracted to her male boss Christian (but not any other guys).
  • Bongo in Red Dwarf episode Dimension Jump: "I've been happily married for 35 years. It's just, a chap like you can turn a guy's head."
  • In a slight variation on this trope, the Buffy episode "Crush" includes this line from Harmony to Spike: "No threesomes unless it's boy, boy, girl. Or Charlize Theron."
    • For that matter, after Willow decided she was strictly lesbian, she still had feelings for Oz, so this trope probably applies late in season 4.
      • The chances are that she's actually bisexual, just afraid of causing Tara distress by expressing attraction to men. She also mentions finding Dracula sexy, but quickly takes it back when Tara sounds just slightly concerned.
      • Not to mention that Giles performing "Behind Blue Eyes" can leave her breathless.
    • In season seven, she says, "It wasn't girls. It was... girl. One girl." in reference to her relationship with Tara, so this trope might actually have applied to her despite all the declarations of "Gay now!" (Of course, this was a conversation with another woman who she then has a relationship with, albeit a kind of unpopular one.)
  • According to Torchwood: Children of Earth, Ianto Jones isn't really gay. Jack is just special. Although, later on Clem can smell the queerness of him, so whether he's being honest to his sister may be left up in the air, especially as it's later established that he lied to his teammates about his family.
  • How I Met Your Mother:

Lily: Robin Scherbatsky is many things: friend; confidant; occasional guest star in some confusing dreams that remind me a woman's sexuality is a moving target...

    • And, in one episode in which Lily is having second thoughts about getting married, she tells Robin about all the things she wanted to do before marriage but never got the chance - like taking up painting professionally, traveling, or having a lesbian 'experiment'. Robin's answer to this is to plant a girl-on-girl kiss on Lily's lips, which is accepted with a smile.
    • Lily is, quite frankly, even gayer than Willow. Up to and including trying to get her husband into a threesome with Robin and in the same episode starts tearing off her clothes after kissing her.
    • Also, in "The Three Day Rule," Marshall and Barney both admit that they're kinda gay for Ted.
      • And by "admit that" we mean "repeatedly attempt to engage Ted in sexting (posing as a woman he just met) and get into a fight about which of them would be more sexually compatible with Ted before realizing what they're saying."
    • Though for all of these we have to remember that Ted is the narrator. It's possible he exaggerated Lily's attraction to Robin and Marshall and Barney's attraction to him, because he thinks the attraction is hot/funny/interesting/flattering/whatever.
  • In The First Shop of Coffee Prince, Han Kyul tells Eun Chan, "I like you. Whether you're a man, or an alien... I don't care anymore."
  • Hollyoaks, Craig Dean is straight, he just loves John Paul.
  • Inverted for laughs in one Smith And Jones dialogue, where Griff basically tells Mel "it would only be disgusting if it was with you".
  • Russell T. Davies, writer of the above Torchwood example, had earlier written a series called Bob and Rose about a gay man who realizes he's in love with a woman and their struggle to make a relationship work. (Davies has always been vocal against the idea of 'monosexuality'.)
  • Michael Scott on The Office has this for Ryan Howard. It seems to start in The Dundies when he gives Ryan the "Hottest in the Office" Award (complete with a pat on the butt), and grows throughout season two. Other notable examples would be when Michael says he'd have sex with Ryan during a game of "Who would you do?" in The Fire, and in the cold open of The Carpet when Michael stares salaciously at Ryan while he's filling in for Pam at reception. In The Deposition, it is revealed that Michael even writes about Ryan in his diary.
  • Sugar of Sugar Rush (TV) only likes men as a general rule and will sleep with most of them without a second thought, but eventually ends up sleeping with her best friend Kim (who is gay, and whose powerful crush on Sugar drives the plot of the first season). It only happens once, and afterwards Kim eventually gets over Sugar. However, there are several hints that Sugar does genuinely fall in love with Kim following this incident, as evidenced by her jealousy over Kim's new girlfriend, Saint, and her behaviour in the series finale.
  • A Running Gag on Sports Nation is that Colin Cowherd has a crush on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Occasionally, when Cowherd talks about Brady, a clip of him saying "I love Tom Brady" will pop up on screen.
  • Kalinda on The Good Wife turns everyone's head.

Cary: I know a lot of people who weren’t anything until they met Kalinda.

John: Who the hell knows about Sherlock Holmes, but for the record, if anyone out there still cares - I'm not actually gay.
Irene Adler: Well, I am. Look at us both.

  • Mike Rowe. He once got an email from a male fan who wrote "I am secure in my heterosexuality, and I have to say, Damn I've got a mancrush on Mike Rowe".
  • In Two and A Half Men Alan, who is straight, once admitted that he finds George Clooney sexually attractive.

Music

  • There is a band called Gay for Johnny Depp.
  • Of Montreal has a song called "Tim, I Wish You Were Born A Girl".
  • "Wayne Gretzky" by Goldfinger.
  • "Dude Looks Like a Lady" by Aerosmith. Sure it's about a Wholesome Crossdresser, but it still fits. The implicitly straight falls for a "girl" at a bar and takes her backstage. There he discovers the truth right before "consummating" the relationship and decides to go through with it anyway because, well, he is pretty damn hot.
  • "Lola" written by Ray Davies and performed by The Kinks. Almost. Maybe. Depending on punctuation and other things.
  • Belle and Sebastian's "Seeing Other People" is all about this trope, although at least one of its two characters is severely self-deluded. "We lay on the bed there/Kissing just for practice..."

Theater

  • Invoked in Lanford Wilson's monologue play A Poster of the Cosmos.
  • Depending on the production of Cabaret, this can be Cliff's relationship with Sally.

Video Games

  • Mass Effect has several variants:
    • The turian Garrus Vakarian becomes a romance option in Mass Effect 2 for female Shepards. He notes that he doesn't have a "human fetish"; he just really digs Shepard. And is seriously confused about how their relationship works.
    • The One-Gender Race asari seem to provoke this reaction from pretty much everyone. Sha'ira, the asari "Consort" from the first game, appears to be wildly popular with both male and female humans, and there are at least hints that it's not limited to her, and that it's not especially rare for human females with no prior lesbian tendencies to become attracted to an asari. For example, one of the "background" characters you overhear in the third game is a female marine whose male compatriots are a little weirded out by her desire to join them on a "boys' night" watching hot asari dancers.[1] Another background character is a human female cheating on her husband with an asari.
    • If you talk to Mordin, the salarian doctor/scientist a lot, sometimes he thinks you are trying to woo him (if you're not romancing anyone else on the ship). He tells Shepard that he's not interested, because the salarian sex drive is generally dormant outside specified mating periods. However, he remarks in the same breath that if he would ever get it on with a human, said human would be Shepard, regardless of gender. Furthermore, asari are apparently capable of awakening a salarian's dormant sex drive.
  • Guilty Gear's Bridget, famously.
  • Played with (maybe?) in Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Excellen Browning makes an off-hand comment on making an exception for Viletta Vadim. While Excellen is definitely straight, considering the kind of person she is and how the fandom actively portrays her, it's possible she isn't invoking this for laughs.
  • In Persona 3 Portable, Ryoji tells the Female Protagonist that he'd probably like her even if she were a boy. Makes the Ho Yay between him and the Male Protagonist make a lot more sense.
  • Possibly Kaz and Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker dating missions.
  • Adell from Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories makes it known that he's a fan of neither demons nor women (both a result of a past trauma relating to a Succubus). He makes an exception to both cases for Rozalin.
  • Played relatively straight in the light novel don't take it personally babe, it just ain't your story, when friendless loner Nolan reciprocates the advances of camp gay classmate Akira on the grounds that having someone that interested in him romantically makes him warm and fuzzy inside. As they gradually segue into a standard couple, whether this is a case of Type 1 or Type III for Nolan is left an open question.
  • Mizuhara admits to herself early on that she's in love with Toko, but doesn't want to mention it because neither of them are lesbians and thus the relationship has no real chance.

Web Comics

  • A bit of a theme in T. Campbell's comics, especially the women - Liz for Trent Reznor, Teri for Tatanya, Belinda for Liz, Penny for Aggie, Stan for Rich, Meighan for Tim, and Rumy for Ally. According to Word of God, none of these characters (except possibly Stan and now definitely Penny) are bisexual, so there's no need to go there.
  • Used to the point of ridiculousness in the otherwise excellent Arcana, where two of Uke Holden's semes love interests, Sloane and Dominic, both claim to be straight, and his former seme lover, Vincent, is only gay as a side effect of his vampirism. I wish I were making this up.
    • Arguably Justified in that Holden was imbued with a portion of Arcana's power as a child, the effects of which caused everyone he met to be attracted to him. Also, Vincent didn't turn gay as a result of his vampirism: he was just mentally taken over by Adonis.
  • There is an interesting subversion in Friendly Hostility. Collin claims many times he's Asexuality (he genuinely seems to hate people and can be down right misogynistic at times) and he just likes Fox but later he just realizes he's gay.
  • In "Boy Meets Boy", Cy is heterosexual except for his infatuation with his best friend Skids. This was confirmed by K. Sandra Fuhr
  • Toyed with here in Misfile.

Ash: (to Emily) Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wearing a girly bathing suit in front of you is one thing, but I don't want anyone else there. Especially not guys...

    • Ash is a guy currently trapped in a female version of himself, so it's not a straight application of this trope, but it's still something. Then again, I suppose the reason he doesn't want any other girls is because he's afraid he'd be checking them out, and they wouldn't know why.
    • Outright stated here.
    • The more straight example is Emily's feelings for Ash.
      • Although she might be outright bisexual (and only realizing it now). It's unclear at the moment.
    • Later on, Missi, who has spent nearly every comic since her introduction pining for Ash, admits that she doesn't even like girls... other than Ash.
  • A running gag in Least I Could Do is that Rayne, the ultimate womanizer, has a long running crush on Aragorn.
    • Also, a long-running gag on the relationship between Rayne and Noel states that the two, while unabashedly straight, are borderline gay for only each other.

Noel: Kate asked me if you were my soul mate.
Rayne: And what'd you tell her?
Noel: The truth. That yes, you were. And that I was only with her instead of you because she has girl parts.
Rayne: Sometimes I forget if we're gay or not.

      • I'd say Rayne is bisexual, as not only does he have the thing with Aragorn, there is also the Chewbacca spooning, and the three way where he was heavily implied to be the middle man.
  • In DAR! A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary this becomes quite central to the story's plot—see the entry for Erika Moen in Real Life, above.
  • Kim of Something*Positive shows clear attraction for Kestrel, though it's unclear if it's this trope or if Kim is just bi.
  • Lucas' feelings for Cadugan in Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic seem to fit this trope. It's possible Lucas is bisexual, and is only discovering this now as his long-running Slap Slap Kiss with Cadugan finally reached its happy conclusion. But he still seems to be attracted to women otherwise. As he tells his father's ghost here, "You want to know if I like boys. I don't know. I like that boy. Though I am still interested in women."
  • Hinted at in the relationship between Terinu and Matt.
  • Robin of Shortpacked described herself as "Straight. With an exception."[2]
    • This isn't strictly true of course, as Robin's first girl-crush was on Amber.
  • A non-romantic example in Orange Marmalade when Si-Hoo says he doesn't "bend that way" but says that he'll make an exception for Jae-min just so he'll "have him" - for his extremely tasty frog. Jae-min then tries to punch him in the face.
  • Might be a case between Spinnerette and Mecha Maid. Not yet confirmed by Word of God, but a lot of hints point to it.
  • In Homestuck, Jake seems to be considering this in regards to Dirk.
  • Keti from Footloose for An Calibairne... maybe. She's certainly bothered by being attracted to a girl, but the "creatrices" will rebuke any attempt to label her, and no one else in the strip is surprised.

Web Original

  • The Saga of Tuck mostly averts this. Travis is attracted to Valerie, but it's revealed that he thinks she's a transsexual, either post-op or on her way, which would make him straight but unprejudiced (as he knows.
  • Sara from the Whateley Universe, alias Carmilla, is probably a subversion of this. She only has one male member of her "harem", but that was actually rather unwilling. He tried to rape her... she prevented it by saying 'Okay'. (She'd be a 6 on the Kinsey scale.)
    • Carmilla may not count, since she's basically a demon of lust, and is changing from 'human het male' to 'hot demon babe with lust aura who is still uncomfortable about dating guys' to whatever she'll be in a few centuries.
    • Also from the Whateley Universe is Gateway, AKA Molly. Molly, before meeting Chou, never thought of girls in a romantic way and isn't attracted to girls, apart from Chou.
  • Yusketeer members Yusiko and Yukito seem to have this relationship, he has said he would go heterosexual for her.
    • But he told me I WAS SPECIAL!
  • The Mad Scientist Wars has two somewhat unique examples of this. One is Xerox, who is now married to Jess 'The Chimera' -- a shapeshifter. Regardless of wether she's shifted to a boy or whatever he's cool. The other is Cool Old Guy (s) Dr. Viktor and Dr. Io, who may both be this for each other...
  • From the Global Guardians PBEM Universe: You should be very clear on this: Fiona Richards is not a lesbian, and has, in fact, dated and even had sex with several different men. Its just that she's madly in love with Margaret Shaw. She doesn't find any other woman attractive at all. And she wants you to be very clear on that.
  • Although both straight, both Harry and Ron in A Very Potter Musical show overwhelming love for Zefron. Lord Voldemort also misses his *cough* bromance with Quirrel after he gets back together with Bellatrix. Despite trying to get both him and Quirrel laid earlier on in the musical.
  • Both Doug and Lewis like pushing the idea that the otherwise straight Linkara has a big crush on The Nostalgia Critic.

Western Animation

  • Originally, Smithers on The Simpsons. One of the creators referred to him at one point as "Burnsasexual."

Burns: Nonsense! Dogs are idiots. Think about it, Smithers: if I came into your house and started sniffing at your crotch and slobbering all over your face, what would you say?
Smithers: [pause] If you did it, Sir?

    • Thanks to Flanderization, newer episodes depict him as all-out gay, sometimes with camp tendencies.
      • It is implied that he was dating John (from Homer's Phobia) at some point.
  • Ray Gilette from Archer is quite Camp Gay but he's still willing sleep with Lana since, as he puts it, "no one's that gay."

Real Life

  • Truth in Television. Sexuality is not three separate, box-like categories-it's a scale, and some psychologist believe even a scale is too simplistic a view. Straight people can very easily be heterosexual but bi-romantic, just as gay people can be homosexual but emotionally attracted to someone of the opposite gender. It is also not unheard of for someone in the gay community to grow up believing themselves to be straight only to find a Closet Key later in life. Sexuality is fluid (but not as fluid in real life as it is in fanfiction).
  • As noted in the Asexuality article, some non-aromantic asexuals who aren't averse to sexual contact would gladly have sex with non-asexual romantic partners for the sake of said relationship even if the act itself may not have the same significance or appeal as it would to sexual individuals.
    • On a related note, there are some people who identify as being in the "grey area" between sexual and asexual - Grey-asexuals, who experience sexual attraction, but for less people than your average person would, and Demisexuals, who are basically the embodiment of this trope. A demisexual can feel sexual attraction - but ONLY for people who they have a strong emotional connection with, whether it's a romantic relationship or a platonic one. So demisexuality can literally be summed up as a mix of Asexuality and If It's You It's Okay.
  • One recent fad was making short lists of famous persons to half-jokingly clear with your significant others, where if the opportunity arises (ahem), there will be no blame laid (ahem) if you decide to sleep with that person. Unsurprisingly, one of the most common people listed is George Clooney. Not so unsurprisingly, he appears on a large number of ostensibly straight men's lists. For the girls, if it's Rachel Weisz (or Angelina Jolie), it's okay. For lesbians, it's usually Johnny Depp or John Barrowman.
  • In fact, it's Johnny Depp for a considerable number of straight men - he may be the male version of Angelina Jolie in that respect.
  • Similarly, the Internet meme "Everyone Is Gay For Bridget" invokes the trope.
  • Celebrities seem to like this trope. First there was Anne Heche with Ellen DeGeneres (as indicated in the page quote) and then there was Lindsay Lohan with Samantha Ronson. Although Lindsay was more or less openly bisexual before that, so less so than you'd think.
    • Everyone is lesbian for Rachel Maddow.
  • Erika Moen is a journal-comicker example - angst included - of the gay-to-straight version.
  • Louis C.K. has a bit in one of his comedy routines about how he couldn't suck another man's dick, as they always "bum him out" when seen. He goes on shortly after to admit he would sleep with Ewan McGregor, who evidently he's actually met.
  • I'm a retired military man and Harley rider and I'm secure in my heterosexuality and I have to say "Damn, I've got a man-crush on Mike Rowe!"
  • Numerous podcasters, including female ones, have a huge crush on Flo, the girl from the Progressive Auto Insurance ads.
  • Two words: David Bowie.
  • The late, great Heath Ledger.
  • Daniel Tosh has a bit where he claims that even straight men should be turned on by the sight of Brad Pitt and David Beckham getting it on.
    • It's considered perfectly straight to be turned on by Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. It's also straight to be turned on by any athlete or action star; in fact, you're seen as less manly if you aren't.
  • Extremely gay advice columnist and podcaster Dan Savage admits that there is a butch woman firefighter in Seattle who he would sleep with, given the chance.
  • The famously lesbian Melissa Etheridge has said she might be open to switching sides for Bruce Springsteen. She's also on record as saying she wouldn't kick Brad Pitt out of bed either.
  • Ultimate platonic example: Dogs will put up with a crapload of things from their owners that would warrant severe consequences if another dog or a stranger tried it. Most of the time it's harmless things like putting up with ugly sweaters and doing wacky things for treats—but this may also lead to literal Kick the Dog moments. Luckily or unluckily, The Dog Bites Back eventually.
  • Subverted in the case of lesbian separatists. Lesbian separatists consider men abhorrent. Of course, men who were specifically victimized by the white male power structure are an exception. American Indians are considered the ultimate exception, due to this and a supposedly matriarchal culture.
  • Alan Shore. Not even James Spader - Alan Shore.
  • Finesse Mitchell noted that when Jennifer Aniston hosted SNL, back when she was still married to Brad Pitt, Pitt was very friendly and polite with everyone, and during the noise of the finale, had to lean in to thank Finesse for being so nice to them...and that for about five minutes afterward, Finesse thought he was gay. (He's also told a story that attending a Prince concert can turn him from a straight black man to a white woman, or possibly a gay white man.)
  • Natalie Portman seems to have this effect on quite a few women. In fact, both Katy Perry and Anne Hathaway have admitted to having girl crushes on her.
  • Sean Connery and Morgan Freeman. That is all.
  • Stephen Fry ended up discussing this when he was a guest on the Rob Brydon Show. A man from the audience asked him, "Stephen, you've managed to make a lot of straight men feel gay for you. My question is, have you ever found a woman attractive?". His answer? "Yes, I have." Stephen then proceeded to explain that he's "90% Gay", and that he once almost asked out the make-up artist he had when working on Blackadder, before realising that co-star Rowan Atkinson was interested in her, after which he graciously stepped aside. (Rowan ended up marrying her, and upon finding out at the wedding, she told him that she would most certainly have gone out with him on a date if he'd asked her before Rowan had).
  • The various pony confession blogs have received numerous confessions from otherwise straight men being gay for Braeburn or Big Macintosh, otherwise gay men being straight for the Mane Six, otherwise straight women being gay for Rainbow Dash, and otherwise lesbian women being straight for Braeburn or Big Macintosh. This is to say nothing of the asexuals who find themselves attracted only to characters from the show.
  • It's not that hard to find posts that more or less read: "I'm a lesbian, except for Chris Colfer."
  • A fair number of fans of Hannah Hart from My Drunk Kitchen identify as Hartosexuals.
  • HLA Hart, widely considered one of the greatest Jurists of the 20th Century, was thought to be gay - at least until he fell desperately in love with his wife, Jennifer. It is stated by some of his biographers that Jenifer was the only woman whom he harbored sexual feelings for.
  1. ↑ The character's "human" sexual preferences are left somewhat ambiguous except that she is very sexually aggressive.
  2. ↑ The exception being Leslie, whom she'd just broken up with.
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