Hmm. What about the people who don't "interpret" Dean as straight, but rather "accept" that he is? They wouldn't have metas about why he's straight because they may not be "interpreting" anything in the first place? I interpret Dean as flexible, Sam as bi, and Cas as ace, and I'm aware that my "reads" are based on my own personal experiences and projections, but I accept tptb intentions (or lack thereof, I suppose). If they were to say "yep, this character is this," I'd accept that too.
Thereâs nothing wrong with accepting what youâre told about a character by the author/creator.Â
For example, I accept that it was J.K. Rowlingâs intention for Dumbledore to be gay. However, I will never forgive her for giving us that information outside of the universe, after the fact, instead of in story.
The thing is that everything you take from any story is interpretation.Â
For example:âFor sale: baby shoes, never worn.â is a complete story written by Hemingway.
What you take from this story is purely interpretation. Did the mother miscarry? Did they place the child for adoption? Was the child stolen? Did a fever take the child before they were old enough to wear the shoes? Â Was the child, perhaps, born without feet? Possibly the child was born into a hillbilly home where shoes arenât a necessity and Grandpappy wants to sell the ornate gifts from Auntie Richness who lives in upstate New York so he can make more shine?
Hemingway gives you the bare bones of the story, what you take from it is entirely up to you. Youâre allowed to accept what other people tell you they think itâs about, or what they think the story is saying. Youâre even allowed to respect that Hemingway later said heâd written the piece about a news article that detailed a family listing baby items for sale in the local paper after the death of their child.
Stories are crafted not just to shovel information at you but to be experienced and the stories that we relate to the most are stories that tell us our own experiences.
Iâve never encountered a demon or vampire. Iâve never loved my brother the way Dean loves Sam. Iâve never felt the kind of fear or confidence either of those men feel on the regular but I see myself in Dean when he has moments that arenât exactly heterosexual. I see myself in Dean when heâs bumbling and tripping over himself after heâs been flirted with by Aaron.  I see myself in Dean when heâs saying âI donât swing that wayâ with a coy smile that says âwell, i donât swing your way, anyway.â I see myself in Dean the way he has trouble making friends and then clings to the ones he does have. I see myself in Dean. I see my own bisexuality acted out by Dean and it makes me go, âwait, wait? Is Dean? Like me?â
because for 30 years, I thought I was straight and I canât help but see my own confusion played out in Dean.Â
So yeah, thereâs no issue is taking exactly what the show says it is intending to give to you. Thereâs no issue in taking what the creators say and going âThis is it for me.â If thatâs your thing, you do you. However, yâall need to recognize and respect that the creators, the actors, the story is giving me something else than itâs giving you and that my story is just as valid as yours.