Stranger Things’ LGBTQ+ Reveal Was Maya Hawke’s Idea

Stranger Things Season 3 saw Maya Hawke join the cast as Robin, the Scoops Ahoy! co-worker who also happened to be the object of Steve Harrington’s (Joe Keery) affection. However, what could have been a pretty stereotypical teen romance story took a bit of a surprise turn when Robin ended up coming out to Steve as a lesbian. The powerful scene is one of the most memorable of the season, but Robin wasn’t intended to be gay. That choice is one that Hawke made herself.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal (via Nerdist), Hawke revealed that Robin and Steve really were originally supposed to develop a significant romantic relationship, but as she and Keery began filming it became clear that the dynamic between the characters wasn’t romantic. So they brought it up to the showrunners.

“Throughout filming, we started to feel like she and [Steve] shouldn’t get together, and that she’s gay,” Hawke said. “Even when I go back and watch earlier episodes, it just seems like the most obvious decision ever.”

It’s not the first time that Hawke has expressed that Robin’s sexuality is something that developed as the season unfolded. Speaking with Variety on the red carpet during the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiere, Hawke explained that Robin’s sexuality wasn’t set in stone right away and developed over time, but it’s one that she’s very happy with.

“It was kind of a collaborative conversation, and I’m really really happy with the way that it went,” Hawke said.

She also noted at the time that part of that satisfaction with the direction her character went on Stranger Things is the impact she hopes Robin has on viewers.

“Sometimes we can have empathy for people on screen that we wouldn’t normally have empathy for in real life,” Hawke said about the scene. “If I can hope for anything it’s that maybe some people fell in love with Robin and that helped them fall in love with girls who love girls and boys who love boys,” she said.

What did you think about Hawke’s performance as Robin in Stranger Things Season 3? Let us know in the comments below.