BIRDS OF PREY IS PURE BISEXUAL DISASTER ENERGY

Toward the climax of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, Harley tumbles to the ground, having been hit by a car. She had been so close to helping Cass, to saving her from Black Mask. The car carrying Cass and the one that hit her speed away and she tries to get up. As she looks up from the pavement, perhaps hoping for a miracle, the irresistible Huntress arrives on her motorcycle.

Now, imagine time slowing. (Even though it doesn’t in the film, it does in my heart.) Harley looks up at Huntress with wide eyes filled with gratitude, surprise, joy, and a whole bucketload of attraction. Huntress flips up her visor and says, “Need

a ride?” She throws a rope to Harley, who is wearing roller skates, and Harley, surprised and delighted yet again, is happy to take advantage of the offer. Huntress peels out and the two carry on, resulting in not only saving Cass but blowing Black Mask to bits.

Birds of Prey made a big (casually) queer splash when it premiered earlier this year. The film features three canonically queer characters and codes three more c h a r a c t e r s as queer. In the

IS PURE BISEXUAL DISASTER ENERGY

From the lighting to the characterization to the use of set pieces, Birds of Prey embraces bisexuality and disastrous women, wielding that raw power to create an action film for the rest of us. If using your chaotic energy to break down society’s expectations of who you should be isn’t disaster bisexual energy, I don’t know what is.

opening animated sequence, Harley’s exes are shown onscreen — including one redhead who calls to mind a certain buxom botanist. At various points, Detective Renee Montoya works alongside her ex, District Attorney Ellen Yee. Huntress, with all her nervous energy and pointed glances, has been claimed by bisexual+ folks online (if you doubt me, just search bisexual and Huntress on Twitter). And Black Mask and Zsasz are pretty clearly lovers — creepy, messedup, jerkwad

lovers, but lovers nonetheless. But what really makes this film so great and so specifically queer is that it harnesses bisexual disaster energy — for the better. If you’re not bisexual (I’m so sorry), you may not know what bisexual disaster energy means. Well, it’s a bit layered and meta, but here’s the simplest definition: Bisexual disaster energy is a term coined by bisexual+ folks to describe our experiences of being messy, fun queer people. From not being able to sit in chairs “properly” to the overuse of finger guns to unseasonably cuffed jeans, bisexual disaster energy is the spontaneity of someone who doesn’t fit in a nice clean box. It’s a self-effacing way of saying, “We don’t have it all together, but we’re still fun.