Homosexuality in Daria

The bulk of this article deals with one of the most asked questions in Daria fandom: "Are Daria and Jane lesbians?" Do the sixty-five episodes, two movies and two canon publications imply or prove outright that either Daria or Jane are gay? For fanfic speculations on the same issue, see Slash.

Affirmative Arguments

The closeness of Daria and Jane's friendship is a two-edged sword. Generally, any two same-sex characters on television seen as having a fondness for each other's company are sometimes seen as gay (Kirk and Spock, Cagney and Lacey, Xena and Gabrielle, Starsky and Hutch, etc.). Daria and Jane seem to spend time exclusively with each other, at least for the first three seasons. We see neither of them spending any significant time with their opposite-sex counterparts at Lawndale High School until Tom Sloane appears. Curiously, even with "The Kiss" fresh in mind, the girls manage to go right back to being close friends again, a situation hardly ever known in real life.

Daria has a very accepting attitude toward gay issues, if you take her comments at face value when she meets Cupid and St. Patrick's Day in "Depth Takes a Holiday," to wit:

St. Patrick's Day: Not another step, lassie.

Daria: All right, I'll sign.

Cupid: What?

Daria: Your petition for an alternative lifestyles parade. Where's the pen?

Glenn Eichler said in a June 2005 interview that Jane could be "straight and curious," and left open the door to speculation for either character.

Negative Arguments

Jane Lane did NOT have sex with Alison in Is It Fall Yet? She also dated only boys during the series (Bobby "Big Head," Ethan, Tom Sloane, Nathan the retro guy, etc.). She even denies being a lesbian to Mr. O'Neill in "Jane's Addition":

Mr. O'Neill: Jane, have you considered homeopathy?

Jane: I'm going to stick with guys for now, but thanks for asking.

Daria and Jane both deny being lesbians as show hosts on MTV's Daria Day Marathon. Examine the following conversation they had between clips:

Daria: Okay, we're back with an online question from Brian H.

Jane: "Dear Daria, are you a lesbian? If so, would you be interested in acting in a film?" Wow.

Daria: Brian, I'm not a lesbian. But if you think you have to be a lesbian to play a lesbian, then you must think Tom Cruise drinks the blood of virgins.

Jane: Um, bad example.

Daria: Huh? Oh yeah, but you know what I mean.

Jane: I'm a lesbian!

Daria: You are not.

Jane: I know, but I want to be in a movie.

As another example, though one with a decidedly mixed message, is the conversation they had during MTV's Sarcastathon 3000, when introducing "Arts 'N Crass." Fan speculation on the two being lesbians was obviously well known to Daria's creators by the third season.

Daria: Welcome back to Sarcastathon 3000. Is it cold in here?

Jane: Come on out, Daria. The cartoon body is nothing to be ashamed of.

Daria: If I come out, it's just gonna feed those rumors about us.

Jane: Hmm, wouldn't want to do that. Okay, then. I'll just do this nude painting of you from memory.

In the same show, the next clip of the two shows Daria in a bridal dress and Jane in a tuxedo, introducing "I Don't."

Daria: Hmm. This is not exactly how I pictured my wedding.

Jane: You? I thought at my wedding I'd at least get to be the bride.

Daria: Stop complaining. They threw you a bachelor party, didn't they?

Clearly they like poking fun at the issue, but take pains to squelch the rumors.