Explain to Lin-Manuel Miranda why LGBTQ+ representation is important

    Lin-Manuel Miranda is the writer of the critically acclaimed musical Hamilton, which is favoured by so many people around the globe. The musical paints a fairly accurate picture of the life of the founding father, and has few historical inconsistencies. One of them is the relationship between Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens.

    The musical has numerous topics to adress, and it is certainly admirable that it manages to do so in a very clear way, making it easy for the audience to understand. And while lots of the plot is based in politics and the war, a part of it is also very much about Alexander Hamilton's relationships - with his friends, enemies, and lovers. Miranda does a miraculous job portraying Alexander Hamilton's love for his wife Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, and the friendship he had with Marquis de Lafayette. However, one aspect that hasn't been done justice is, as stated above, the portrayal of John Laurens' relationship with Hamilton.

    Their real-life relationship in history was very clearly romantic, and the only reason it hasn't been called such is because of the fear of homophobic backlash, or the homophobia of the historians themselves. On stage, their relationship has more affectionate undertones than the one between Mulligan or Lafayette and Hamilton. However, never has Laurens sung about why he has to keep his and Alexander's relationship private because of the unaccepting society of the 18th century, while Angelica Schuyler Church got to mention her affections for Alexander numerous times.

    The point of this petition is to contact Lin-Manuel Miranda and possibly others who have been part of the process of writing the lyrics for the musical, specfically Act I, sit down with them, and calmly explain why the way the musical erases Laurens' and Hamilton's relationship is harmful to the lgbtq+ community. Talk about erasure of queer relationships in history, and what could have been done to prevent this erasure in the musical itself.

    By no means is this meeting or this text meant to be hurtful to anybody who had been part of creating Hamilton: an American Musical. It is truly a masterpiece my many standards, and this petition is just an opportunity for me, a member of the lgbtq+ community, to express something that has been harmful to my people. The musical celebrates the 'writing back into the narrative' of people of colour in history, and while that is without a doubt important, it is also important to not forget about other minorities who have been central parts of the story.
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