610: Make It Bert So Good with Lea Robinson
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Attention FRUITS! Somehow it is 2023, and we still don’t have a renewal announcement for A League of Their Own. We ride at dawn.
This week Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out with actor Lea Robinson (@le_robinson_) to talk about their role as Uncle Bertie on Amazon Prime’s series A League of Their Own.
If you somehow have not yet had a chance to watch ALOTO, do so right now or be prepared to hear some spoilers from Season 1. There are so many wonderful things about this series, but the hands down absolute best is just how incredibly GAY it is. We are so used to being tossed crumbs of queer content or being reduced to side characters (or suffering some horrible tragic ending if we are the main characters), but ALOTO changes the playing field by making nearly every character queer.
You’re likely not only to see yourself represented, but also to see your friends and the lives of other people in the community represented who you may not typically see in your daily life. It doesn’t even matter if you like baseball or not, you will feel seen. This inclusive representation is one of the huge draws that has queer people all around the world resonating with the show.
ALOTO does a fantastic job of providing representation both on screen and behind the camera and it really feels like it’s by queer people for queer people. We talked to Lea about their role as Bertie, a trans man who is living his best possible life for the time period. Bertie is so incredibly gender-affirming to see on screen. He is always sharply dressed, holds himself very confidently, and lives life largely unmasked being his authentic self. While Uncle Bertie is estranged from much of his family, he is overall happy with his life and himself as a person. His story shows not only Max that life can work out for trans and nonbinary people, but also the audience.
To be able to see Bertie strut by in those fabulous suits that he makes himself is life-affirming for an audience of queer, trans, and nonbinary people who truly understand the courage it takes to be authentically yourself in a world where being yourself is demonized (and in those days, criminalized). He lives proudly and is a beacon of hope for everyone struggling with their sexuality and gender identity.
Follow along on Twitter: Lez Hang Out (@lezhangoutpod) and answer our Q & Gay at the end of every episode. Leigh Holmes Foster (@lshfoster) and Ellie Brigida (@elliebrigida). You can also join us on Facebook.com/lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram (@lezhangoutpod).
