Margaret Thatcher was called many things throughout her long and storied career as a politician, but thirst-worthy wasn't one of them. That's not to say that Thatcher was not a beauty in her time (she was), or that women owe it to anyone to be considered beautiful (we don't).
But Thatcher's policies—which promoted racist ideas, sparked further nationalism and harmed countless marginalized groups—make her a tough pill to swallow.
Gillian Anderson, on the other hand, is widely loved as a person and an actor. She is also considered one of the most strikingly beautiful women in the world and has a particularly loud cheering section in women and femmes who love women and femmes.
That may be, at least in part, because Anderson has been open about her past relationships with women although she now more closely identifies as heterosexual.
When Gillian came out as having dated women in the past, she told the world that it was to honor a past partner of hers. The woman—who Gillian dated for an extended time when they were younger—had passed away after a long battle with brain tumors.
Up until her death, Anderson had not really mentioned her in the media to maintain her privacy. The woman did the same, declining to sell old pictures of the two together on the occasions that reporters were able to figure out who she was.
Anderson said of her former partner:
"She was a beautiful person who was very meaningful in my life and I wanted to honour her instead of hiding my experience."
So what happens when a well-loved bisexual icon (bicon?) is cast to play the history-making and divisive Iron Lady? A whole lot of sexual confusion on Twitter, that's what.
Netflix's award-winning series The Crown follows British monarch Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940's through to present time. As the show moves into yet another chapter in Her Majesty's reign, it is time to introduce new players.
Including Margaret Thatcher.
Take a look at the new trailer.
Shout out for that Princess Di reveal.
With such an incredibly talented cast already onboard for the show, casting Gillian Anderson seemed like a no-brainer. We know she can handle intense and nuanced material, and her commanding presence is appropriate.
The stumbling block for people here is that they love Anderson so much, but they loathe Thatcher to an equal degree.
Whatever confusion fans are feeling is something they're likely going to have plenty of time to process. Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-serving monarch in British history, and Margaret Thatcher was not only the first woman to be Prime Minister, but was the longest-serving Prime Minister thus far.
Thatcher held the position for over a decade, which means we should get plenty of screen time with Anderson.
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