Yes, within canon Will doesn’t DRESS particularly feminine. But he is perceived as having feminine TRAITS, especially within the 80s. I think a lot of the confusion here is people not understanding where Will’s homophobic bullying came from. Many gay men who were bullied at a young age weren’t bullied because they showed attraction to boys, but because they were perceived as feminine. Feminine men are seen as gay.

Will is called a “fairy” in s1 which is defined as a derogatory term against effeminate men. This is CANONICAL confirmation that Will is feminine. The insistence that Will is masculine is incorrect and erases a very important piece of Will’s character. He’s GNC. He possesses both feminine and masculine traits, but leans more feminine.

Claiming that Will fans who say he’s feminine are being “stereotypical” and making “the gay one the girl” is ridiculous. We are not the ones saying sensitivity, shyness, and a damsel role are feminine. That’s just factually how society views those traits. We aren’t agreeing with gender norms, we’re explaining how Will fits outside of them. If you have an issue with making a gay character feminine, take it up with the writers who made him that way.

I agree that Will isn’t hyperfem in canon. If we were to keep closest to canon, I think Will would explore gender expression by dabbling in nail polish, maybe a little eyeliner and mascara, and lots of jewelry. But if someone wants to push his exploration even further into dresses, there’s nothing wrong with that. Will wore a purple robe that was akin to a dress. It’s not that far of a stretch to say he would wear dresses considering he already enjoys the way wizard robes look/feel on him.

And all this hullabaloo about “canon” is silly. Mike is canonically straight, yet no one has an issue with making him gay. They only seem to have a problem with fanon when it comes to a feminine gay man. Remember “making the gay one a girl?” Oh so they agree Mike is straight now? Interesting how Mike’s canonical straightness is only believed when it’s time to hate on FemWill. Hm.

Then they’ll say it’s heteronormative to make byler a mascfem relationship because it feminizes Will. How is putting a man in a feminine role heteronormative? How is making two men kiss heteronormative? That’s a misunderstanding of how queer relationships work. Mascfem and butchfemme relationships have always been subversive. In media, most queer ships are two feminine women and two masculine men. If you believe otherwise, you’re just wrong. I wish I lived in your world.

Most of this backlash against “stereotyping” is likely a dislike for people who are visibly queer. Are they stereotypes? Do they set back progress for existing? FemWill antis think they’re above gender norms for insisting that a gay man is super masc, but they’re actually just arguing “let men be masculine.” That’s why these conversations always end up at: “They’re both BOYS! Stop making him a GIRL!” Wearing feminine clothing or having a feminine personality doesn’t make someone a girl. That’s a homophobic and transphobic ideology.

And sexist. Because why is feminine Will ridiculed but not masculine Will? They yell about “stereotypes,” yet turn around and say Will is masculine because he shot a gun and killed some demogorgons. Who’s being stereotypical now? They only take issue with stereotyping femininity because society has negative connotations with it.

Feminine gay men already face enough vitriol from heterosexuals, they don’t need fellow queer people acting like they’re catering to heteronormativity. Notice how that makes no fucking sense? How is something heterosexuals DESPISE heteronormative?

If Will weren’t canonically GNC, maybe this would be a different conversation. Maybe it would be harmful stereotyping. But he’s GNC. He’s feminine. Not in clothing, but the idea of Will finding comfortability in femininity and exploring it outwardly is not a bad thing. In fact, he already has with more jewelry in the finale. Woah? Canon?

called nikki some variation of an ugly butch, making fun of her weight, her hair, her looks

hypothesized that will is going to die of AIDS because he was in a bar with another boy

repeated talking points about turning gay men into girls when discussions about will's traits come up

continuously dismissed robin's own journey as meaningless

when you start spewing the same homophobic, transphobic rhetoric as actual homophobes just because you were disappointed in a show that yes wasn't very good and/or dislike certain hcs while simultaneously being so sensitive about canon mike criticism to the point where you frame that as homophobic and misogynistic(!!!), you've lost the plot.

I haven’t had any time to work on art or even read fanfics.. so with the first free time I’ve had in a while, I decided to have fun with a Will the Wise sketch I had!

This cleric? sorcerer? outfit slays and is so fun to draw, and you can’t tell me Mike would not be head over heels for Will when he first saw him wearing this fit.

love comes in colors, i can't deny

chapter 5: tony the third is out now!

chance straddling the fence to help will up and over, hands on his waist. he drops down first, catching will in his arms next with a wink and a laugh as will nudges his cheek and climbs down.

the keep low, sneaking through some of the cars before blending in with the crowd at the snack bar. chance buys everything with a big grin and much protest from will.

chance has a handheld radio hidden in his letterman. will carries their snacks and drinks as they make their way over to a dark spot under some trees near the back- somewhere their radio wouldn’t risk getting them caught.

they brought blankets, of course, which they had no problem cuddling on. hiding in the shade at night means they could get away with a lot more in public than usual, too.

chance thought the drive in would make a horror movie more bearable. nope.

will loves the way chance pulls him closer, almost like a personal teddy bear, whenever he gets extra spooked. will presses a reassuring kiss to his jaw every time, too. they share actual, deeper ones, whispering sweet nothings in between themselves followed by teasing comments about the movie.

they genuinely enjoy themselves, not a care in the world the whole time. this was what it was like to love freely. it was nice. it was really nice…

hes eating boys, dont worry about it 🪦🍽🎀