The Unicorn Scale: We Are Who We Are

By Muhammad Modibo Shareef

December 04, 2020

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Photo credit: Image/HBO

I am a firm believer that out of all the sexual orientations, bisexuality is the most synonymous with freedom. My statement is not a slight at other sexual orientations, but when considering the rigid binary (straight or gay) that we live in, being bi puts you in a state of liberation. June Jordan, the late legendary writer and activist said it best when she said,

Bisexuality means I am free and I am as likely to want to love a woman as I am likely to want to love a man, and what about that? Isn’t that what freedom implies?

I recently finished watching the HBO series We Are Who We Are and the title of the show is more prophetic than a teaser. This intoxicating series plays with the idea of freedom and sexual fluidity, forcing the audience to see beyond conventional identities.

Luca Guadagnino, the acclaimed filmmaker who directed Call Me By Your Name, is the man behind We Are Who We Are. The Italian auteur's series is a coming-of-age drama that focuses on two teenagers, Caitlin Poythress (Jordan Kristine Seamón) and Fraser Wilson (Jack Dylan Grazer). The show takes place on a fictional American military base in Chioggia, Italy. Although numerous movies and shows explore teenage angst around sexual identity, Guadagnino's series manages to tell a familiar story in an unfamiliar way.


The audience witnesses two teenagers experience the exciting and excruciating process of figuring out who they are. However, the setting of the series makes their journey of exploration a bit peculiar. As I mentioned, Caitlin and Fraser live on a U.S. military base in coastal Italy. Circumstances force the pair of protagonists to figure out their sexual identity and desires in an environment that is hypermasculine. Did I mention that all this takes place during the 2016 United States presidential election? Guadagnino takes the played-out narrative of teenage angst and identity to a whole other level, and, hence We Are Who We Are examines the sexual and daunting lives of the youth in ways never done before.

Caitlin at the center looking at the camera while her class mates surround her very closely.
Image/HBO

What I Liked:

Alluring cinematography, good storytelling, and an excellent performance by the cast (Spence Moore II, who plays Caitlin's older brother, was sublime) were just some of the things that I appreciate about We Are Who We Are. However, I was caught off guard by how well the series depicts the complex nature of learning about yourself. Based on their behavior, no one can deny that Caitlin and Fraser are bi. Nonetheless, it's not easy to make this distinction from the start because the show prevents the viewer from fully knowing Caitlin and Fraser’s sexualities. Therefore, the audience and protagonists are simultaneously figuring things out.

Fraser is your typical artsy and quirky kid who seems to hate the general crowd just as much as he hates feeling isolated. Throughout the show, we can see that he is attracted to the same sex, but Fraser also develops a strong bond with Caitlin that overshadows everything else. The show also introduces Caitlin. She has a boyfriend in the beginning, but she also desires women. Caitlin's boyfriend eventually breaks up with her, which amplifies her bond with Fraser and pushes Caitlin to explore herself. Fraser and Caitlin complement one another because they understand each other's experiences. The pair's journey of self-discovery, or self-uncovering if I'm to use a less cliché word, includes feverish crushes, sex, and exploring gender identity. Both the sexy and painful moments are visceral for the audience, thanks to Guadagnino's sensory filming techniques.

Caitling and Fraser run in the street during the night with concerned expressions.
Image/HBO

Throughout most of the season, the viewer might think that the relationship between Fraser and Caitlin does not go beyond the platonic. But the season finale ends with them sharing a passionate kiss that runs almost a minute long. The closing scene reveals the underlying attraction that always existed between the two characters. We Are Who We Are ends with two bi characters embracing one another after anchoring each other in exploring their identities and attractions. The smile that Fraser and Caitlin exchange after the kiss indicates a moment of euphoria, comfort, and freedom.

Caitlin and Fraser pressing their heads together sitting at a train sharing headphones.
Image/HBO

What I Didn’t Like:

Looking back, I can tell you that the words gay and lesbian are prevalent in the show's dialogue more than the term bisexual. The scarcity of the term is a curious matter because I can count at least six bi characters in the series; I just chose to focus on two of them in this article. Like most television series and movies, We Are Who We Are underuses the word bi, which reflects society's diction and ideas in regards to sexuality.

The Rating:

Although the word bisexual is not heard enough in We Are Who We Are, we certainly see a whole lot of it play out on screen (in a realistic fashion as well). Therefore, Luca Guadagnino's series gets four unicorns.

4 unicorn head emojis

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