Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ follows the ups and downs in the lives of the teenagers in Moordale as they explore their sexuality and identity. The protagonist of the show is a boy named Otis Milburn, who discovers that he has a knack for giving advice even though he himself is not as sexually active as his peers. Things change when his paths cross with Maeve Wiley, and the rest is history.
The fourth and final season of the show takes Otis and his friends to Cavendish College after Moordale Secondary is shut down. Eric, especially, takes to the new school and its people and quickly finds his community in Aisha, Roman, and Abby, with the latter two engaged in a complex but inspiring relationship. SPOILERS AHEAD
Trans Characters Abbi and Roman Create a New Chapter in Sex Education’s History
When Eric comes to Cavendish College, he discovers it’s nothing like Moordale Secondary. Here, everyone is open about their sexuality and gender, and they don’t have to hide from anyone. Instead, they encourage everyone to be true to themselves and celebrate their differences. This leads him to immediately form a friendship with Abbi, who introduces him to her group called the Coven.
Abbi is the most popular girl in school, like Ruby used to be in Moordale Secondary. She is trans and proud and always has a positive outlook towards things. She encourages her friends to be positive, too and has a policy of not focusing on negative things and emotions, which includes gossiping behind people’s backs. She is in a relationship with Roman, who is trans-masculine.
When Roman came out to his family, he received their love and support. They helped him get top surgery from private healthcare when the waitlist turned out to be too long and uncertain. For Abbi, things weren’t so easy. When she came out to her family, they were not as understanding as Roman’s family. Things got so bad that Abbi had to leave her family. She believes that religion played a role in setting this mindset for her parents, who are Catholics. Still, when Eric comes up with an idea that means working with the church, she is not opposed to it.
When Abbi left her house, Roman and his family opened their home to her. She has been living with them ever since. They have been in a relationship for a few years now, and everyone sees them as a perfect couple and roots for them whenever things get tough between them. They are also influential in a way that anyone associated with them would immediately see a spike in popularity, something that Otis realizes after he serves as their sex therapist to boost his credibility.
While Abbi and Roman love each other very much, the latter reveals that they haven’t been intimate in a while. Abbi refrains from having sex and doesn’t talk about what’s bothering her. Her perpetually positive outlook also becomes toxic for Roman and Aisha, but eventually, they discover it is related to her fear of being abandoned. Her family rejected her when she talked about her true feelings, which made her feel scared and alone. So, whenever a dark or negative feeling passes her brain, she represses it and forces herself to look at the positive side.
Abbi reveals that she fears that if she says something negative, her friends might abandon her. However, they reassure her that they will never abandon her no matter what happens. This helps her break out of the toxic positivity she’d been holding on to for so long and voices her true feelings on the subject, even if the people around her might not like it or agree with her sometimes. This honesty also solves the problem between her and Roman and strengthens their relationship.
Read More: Is Cal Non-Binary or Trans in Sex Education?
