Pokemon james gay

In the 1990s, young people all over the world tapped into a larger-than-life franchise that continues to break records nearly 30 years later: Pokémon.

The Japanese media franchise began in 1996 with role-playing games and trading cards, eventually leading to the 1997 anime series.

By celebrating their risky fashion choices and describing their gender-swapped attire as “flashing passion” and “chic,” queer millennials felt safe to explore their own identities that may have differed from the norm.

Jessie and James’s unconventional hair colors fits into another queer stereotype.

But even out of their disguises, their bright hair—Jessie with ruby red and James with light purple—are now considered inherently queer.

Whatever Jessie and James’s genders and sexualities are, their queer attributes combined with their chemistry as man and woman paint them as bisexual icons. Ash has been known to admire Misty more insistently than most. People who feel different from societal norms, whether that’s in sexuality, gender, or lifestyle choices, like to make bold fashion choices, which include dying hair unconventional colors.

Its content appeals to all demographics, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or sexuality. Sometimes, they are played up for humor, giving bisexuals around the world that cheeky sense of humor that allows us to deal with pain through laughter. They are never strictly evil, they are just misfits and outcasts who just want to feel loved and successful.

Jessie and James fall into the Team Rocket organization because they had no other options.

Fan fiction interpretations even imagine them in a romantic relationship, although other fans are convinced that James is an asexual trans man.

He was renowned for his role as James in Pokémon, appearing in over 700 episodes since 1997 and in at least 15 films. There has also been some discussion surrounding a potential enemies-to-lovers trope for Harley and May, but a section of the fanbase seems to support the theory that Harley is interested in men.

Jessie Murrow - Lesbian

Another Team Rocket associate, Jessie is a part-time Pokémon contest competitor and a close friend to James and Meowth.

Harley and May are shown to have a rocky history that leads them to become rivals. Their queerness and otherness is what made them lovable and what, at times, even endeared them to Pokémon’s heroes.

Throughout the series, we never really worry that Team Rocket will succeed. However, unlike many other queer-coded villains, Jessie and James were never a true threat to the protagonists, instead developing complex backstories while their villainy is played up for humor. 

But today, they are also credited with giving millennials their bisexual awakenings, as we realize years later that we crushed on both Jessie and James.

In Episode 15, both dress as schoolgirls to trick Ash into going on a sea cruise. Jessie does fawn over men, yet also shows a fond admiration for the likes of Dawn and other successful women. Speculation on Ash's sexuality points to him being potentially bisexual, but romance could interfere with his plans to become a Pokémon Master, making sexual self-discovery an afterthought.

The most telling clue comes in an episode titled "The Fortune Hunters," whereJames dresses up in a form-fitting Moltres costume and says, "I am a flaming Moltres!" to which Meowth chimes in, "That outfit -- where’d he get it?" It's Jessie who finishes off, "I think that costume came right out of his closet." The phrase "coming out of the closet" is sometimes a term used to describe someone revealing their sexuality to someone else.

Here are some sexualities and identities commonly ascribed to Pokémon characters that are purely speculative, but generally agreed upon in the fan community.

Ash Ketchum - Bisexual

As the main protagonist, it was only a matter of time before Ash Ketchum was given his "non-canon" identity. In doing so, they often reversed genders, presenting a gender fluidity that was inspirational to queer kids.

There is also an episode that never reached English-speaking audiences at all, in which James wears fake breasts and mentions a fondness for drag.

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Harley - Gay

Harley makes his debut in the episode "A Cacturne For The Worse" dressed as his main Pokémon, Cacturne.