Bisexuality

Bisexuality functions as both a personal identity and a political statement in the novel, tracing Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz's evolution from a state of anxious uncertainty to a position of defiant public pride. The narrative treats Alex's bisexuality not as a static fact but as a process of discovery, negotiation, and eventual embrace. It is the lens through which he reinterprets his past, navigates his present relationship with Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, and imagines his future. The concept culminates in a landmark public declaration that reframes his personal truth as a source of collective hope, making his bisexuality inseparable from the novel's larger themes of love, legacy, and political progress.

Identity and Initial Confusion

Alex's journey toward understanding his bisexuality begins with a moment of physical and emotional disorientation. After a fall that leaves him with a bloody knee, he retreats to his bathroom, stemming the bleeding with a Captain America Band-Aid, and feels the urgent need to create a list. This list, titled "Things he knows right now," becomes his attempt to impose order on a chaotic internal reality. The first item is a stark admission: he is attracted to Henry. The second follows logically: he wants to kiss Henry again. The third is the most destabilizing: he has maybe wanted to kiss Henry for a while, "as in, probably this whole time." This moment of self-inventory marks the beginning of his conscious reckoning with a sexuality that defies the simple categories he had previously assumed.

The confusion deepens when Alex tries to articulate his feelings to Nora Holleran. He describes his situation with a characteristic blend of humor and distress, noting that on a "fucking graphing calculator" it sounds like a "huge embarrassing crush." He traces his relationship with Henry from sworn enemy to friend to the ambiguous territory after a kiss, admitting he does not know what they "are." This leads him to a more fundamental question: "In terms of like, sexuality, what does that make me?" Nora's response is immediate and matter-of-fact, revealing that she had already assumed he was bi. Her casual question, "Did I skip ahead again?" underscores that Alex's identity was perhaps more apparent to others than to himself. His desperate reply, "Am I? Do you think I'm bi?" captures the vulnerability of a person seeking external validation for an internal truth he has not yet fully accepted.

Coming Out and Acceptance

The process of coming out moves from private confusion to intimate disclosure. In a moment of post-coital candor with Henry, Alex attempts to downplay the significance of their physical relationship, insisting they are still "whatever we were before, just, you know. With blowjobs." This flippant framing is immediately undercut by his next statement, delivered with a languid stretch: "I guess I should tell you, I'm bisexual." The casual delivery belies the weight of the confession. Henry's response, "Good to know," is followed by his own declaration, spoken as much to himself as to Alex: "I am very, very gay." This exchange is a mutual acknowledgment of their respective identities, a quiet moment of shared truth that solidifies their bond. Alex watches Henry's small smile, the way it wrinkles the corners of his eyes, and very deliberately does not kiss it, a gesture that suggests a new, more conscious awareness of his own desires and their significance.

Alex's coming out extends beyond his relationship with Henry to his closest circle. After a significant event, his phone buzzes with forty-seven texts, forty-six of which are from June Catalina June Claremont-Diaz and one from Nora asking about her white Chuck Taylors. Alex's reply, "your chucks are under my bed and henry says hi," is a masterclass in casual deflection, but it immediately triggers a call from June demanding to be put on speaker and told everything. This scene illustrates how Alex's personal revelation ripples outward, drawing his sister into the fold and forcing him to confront the social implications of his relationship. His decision to convince Henry to call Shaan Srivastava rather than face Zahra Bankston's wrath himself shows a strategic, almost playful approach to managing the fallout, a sign that he is beginning to navigate his new reality with confidence.

Public Declaration and Political Significance

The private acceptance of his bisexuality culminates in a public declaration of historic proportions. In his address from the White House on October 2, 2020, Alex frames his identity within the broader narrative of his life as "a child of America." He speaks of his Texas upbringing, his mother's note written on the back of a holiday memo from Vice President Biden, and his first speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. This personal history establishes his credibility as an American everyman before he pivots to the central revelation. He states, "The truth is, Henry and I have been together since the beginning of this year," and acknowledges the struggles they have faced in keeping their relationship secret. The speech reaches its emotional peak with the declaration, "I am the First Son of the United States, and I'm bisexual." This sentence fuses his public role with his private identity, making his bisexuality a matter of national significance.

The speech is carefully constructed to transform a personal confession into a political argument. Alex invokes the language of American idealism, comparing his love for Henry to the love of "Jack for Jackie" and "Lyndon for Lady Bird." He positions his relationship as a legacy choice, stating, "Every person who bears a legacy makes the choice of a partner with whom they will share it." He directly addresses those who share his fear, saying, "I see you. I am one of you." This rhetorical move extends an invitation of belonging to all who have hidden their identities, promising, "As long as I have a place in this White House, so will you." He concludes with a plea that his actions not influence the upcoming election, redirecting attention to his mother's campaign and the policy issues at stake. The speech is a masterful blend of the personal and the political, using his bisexuality as a bridge between his individual experience and the collective American story.

Integration into Family and Legacy

The public declaration of his bisexuality is not an endpoint but a beginning, as Alex integrates his identity into his family and his future. The first twenty-four hours after the speech are a blur, but certain snapshots stay with him. He is welcomed into Henry's family with a warmth that contrasts with the earlier tensions. When Henry introduces him to his mother, Princess Catherine, he says, "Mum, this is Alex," adding, as if it is not obvious, "my boyfriend." Princess Catherine pulls Alex toward her and kisses his cheek, thanking him for what he has done for her son. This moment of acceptance is mirrored in the larger political family. At the victory celebration on November 3, 2020, Alex watches Henry hesitate in the wings, always reluctant to step into the spotlight. Alex's realization is profound: "He's family. He's part of it all now, headlines and oil paintings and pages in the Library of Congress, etched right alongside." He yells, "Come on!" and Henry steps onto the stage, beaming, gravitating to Alex's side. Alex throws one arm around him and the other around June, with Nora pressing in at June's other side. This tableau of family, both biological and chosen, represents the culmination of Alex's journey. His bisexuality, once a source of confusion and fear, has become the foundation of a new, expansive definition of family and belonging, one that challenges traditional structures of blood and inheritance and embraces love in all its forms.