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Gender Variety in David Rose’s Partners

Over the course of Schitt’s Creek, David enters sexual relationships with three people. The first, Stevie, is a woman and is one of David’s best friends throughout the show. Although Stevie is shocked by David’s attraction to her, as she thought he was gay, the two share a very passionate relationship before deciding they work better as friends. The second, Jake, is a man who also ends up dating Stevie simultaneously, before asking the both of them if they want to be in a polysexual relationship among all three of them. When explaining this dynamic to his sister Alexis, David explains that Stevie and he are not “sharing” Jake, that they are simply “dating him at the same time” because they are “sexually evolved human beings” (Levy, 2017). This shows David’s flexibility in relationships more than his sexual identity per se, though it is notable due to the fact that it portrays a fluid view of sexual relationships. The third, and last, is Patrick, a man who has never been in a homosexual relationship before but ends up falling in love with David. The two later marry. Throughout the show, David also makes references to previous relationships he’s had. When helping Patrick through the process of coming out, he references his own coming out story, saying that he “brought home this couple one day in college and just told [his] parents to deal with it” (Levy, 2019). This shows variety in David’s sexual partners before his move to Schitt’s Creek. He also states, when explaining his sexuality to Stevie, using a metaphor of red wine versus white wine as a portrayal of gender identity, that “a couple summers back, [he] tried a merlot that used to be a chardonnay” (Levy, 2015).

Description of Pansexuality

The way in which David’s sexuality is described, both by him and by others, is nonchalant. The first time in which his sexual identity is outwardly discussed in the show is when he explains it to Stevie after they sleep together for the first time. Using red wine and white wine as codes for gender, she explains to him that she “only drink[s] red wine” and that she was “under the impression that [he] too only drinks red wine” (Levy, 2015), to which David responds with his own explanation that in the past he has drank red wine, white wine, and the “occasional rosé” (likely referencing somebody of non-binary gender or intersex status) and that he “like[s] the wine and not the label” (Levy, 2015). One of the most notable aspects of this conversation is that between the two of them, it never comes up again. Stevie doesn’t require or ask for a lengthy conversation, she doesn’t ask for clarification, but rather she accepts his sexual identity and the pair move on with their relationship. The use of metaphor in this context helps give the moment a lighthearted and humorous approach. This differs from many other coming out moments depicted in sitcoms. Generally, coming out is shown as a stressful moment. In this scene, it is just treated as a conversation among friends. The frankness with which he tells Stevie about his pansexuality gives the moment weight, but the metaphor he uses lightens it.

Heterosexual Character’s Reactions

A similar conversation takes place later in the episode, when David’s father Johnny (played by Eugene Levy, Dan Levy’s father) explains David’s sexuality to Roland, the town mayor. Johnny tells Roland that David is “pansexual.” Roland quips back, stating that he thought that was a “cookware fetish” (Levy, 2015). Johnny explains the concept of pansexuality to Roland, and despite Roland’s prior misunderstanding of the identity, he states that “when it comes to the heart, we can’t tell our kids who to love” (Levy, 2015). This reaction perfectly encompasses the normalization of sexual identity in Schitt’s Creek. Although Roland is uneducated about pansexuality, he embraces David for who he is and does not respond with hate or ignorance, as would generally be expected in a sitcom portraying queer characters in a rural setting. Another example of this normalization is Patrick’s parents’ reaction to his and David’s romantic relationship. In “Meet the Parents,” Patrick shares his fear of coming out to his parents, explaining that he “can’t shake this fear that there is a small chance that this could change everything” and that they “might see [him] differently” (Levy, 2019). This is one of the rare times that the show acknowledges any sort of fear or adversity in regard to one’s sexual identity. However, when Patrick does tell his parents, he receives a kind response. His mom tells him that “if David makes [him] happy, that’s all we care about” (Levy, 2019). This further normalizes sexual identity and presents Patrick as supported and loved, regardless of his sexual orientation.

Visual Fluidity

David’s self-expression is very different from the other town members of Schitt’s Creek. He wears designer labels, almost exclusively in black and white, and maintains strict grooming protocols despite his lack of resources. The way he expresses himself physically also has an aspect of gender fluidity. He has a large interest in skin care and grooming, which although not gendered in and of itself is typically associated with women. He also often dresses in a way that combines both traditionally masculine and feminine traits. He is shown on multiple occasions wearing a kilt, including on his wedding day. He wears fun prints and patterns (though rarely straying from the black and white color palette) that could be considered feminine, like florals and stars. This type of gender fluidity in his appearance mimics his sexual identity in that they both exist on a spectrum. David does not exclusively dress masculine or feminine, just as he does not exclusively like men or women.