Netflix’s Alexander The Great docu-drama has caught the ire of a conservative social media commentator who accused the streaming platform of turning the former Greek king gay.
The firestorm began on Monday when X (formally Twitter) social media account End Wokeness – which is well-known in far right conservative circles – took to the microblogging site to air their grievances regarding Alexander: The Making Of A God.
The account wrote: ‘Netflix made a new documentary about Alexander The Great. Within the first 8 minutes, they turned him gay.’
It also posted a video of two men kissing from the docuseries – Buck Braithwaite who played Alexander along with Will Stevens who played Hephaestion – and the promotional poster.
However many historians over the years have indicated that Alexander The Great had sexual and romantic relationships with men as many believed that he was bisexual.
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 1 Netflix 's Alexander The Great docu-drama has caught the ire of a conservative social media commentator who accused the streaming platform of turning the former Greek king gay](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932415-13053007-image-a-17_1707252345782.jpg)
Netflix ‘s Alexander The Great docu-drama has caught the ire of a conservative social media commentator who accused the streaming platform of turning the former Greek king gay
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 3 The firestorm began on Monday when X (formally Twitter ) social media account End Wokeness - which is well-known in far right conservative circles - took to the microblogging site to air their grievances regarding Alexander: The Making Of A God](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932429-13053007-image-a-16_1707252337230.jpg)
The firestorm began on Monday when X (formally Twitter ) social media account End Wokeness – which is well-known in far right conservative circles – took to the microblogging site to air their grievances regarding Alexander: The Making Of A God
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 5 It also posted a video of two men kissing from the docuseries - Buck Braithwaite who played Alexander along with Will Stevens who played Hephaestion - and the promotional poster](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932459-13053007-image-a-15_1707252326204.jpg)
It also posted a video of two men kissing from the docuseries – Buck Braithwaite who played Alexander along with Will Stevens who played Hephaestion – and the promotional poster
End Wokeness’ post was met by tons of scrutiny including those who share similar beliefs to the right-leaning account.
One commenter wrote: ‘I hate wokeness, but hear me out: there’s a good chance he was at least bisexual because, well, that was kind of the Greek thing to do.’
End Wokeness did not stand down from their beliefs as they retorted: ‘It’s still unproven speculation and should definitely not be shoved into the first 8 minutes.’
Others took aim at the account trying to place the blame on the streaming giant.
One X user wrote: ‘I don’t think it was Netflix that made him gay.’
This is not the first time Alexander The Great has been depicted as bisexual as his sexuality was shown that way in 2004 film Alexander where the conqueror was played by Colin Farrell.
Netflix dropped Alexander: The Making Of A God. on January 31 as it told the story of his transformation from an exiled young man who is obsessed with defeating the mighty Persian Emperor Darius which helped him conquer the known world in just six years.
In it there were interviews with historians and dramatic reenactments from Alexander The Great’s life including focus on his sexual orientation.
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 7 End Wokeness' post was met by tons of scrutiny including those who share similar beliefs to the right-leaning account](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932433-13053007-image-a-18_1707252533364.jpg)
End Wokeness’ post was met by tons of scrutiny including those who share similar beliefs to the right-leaning account
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 9 End Wokeness did not stand down from their beliefs as they retorted: 'It¿s still unproven speculation and should definitely not be shoved into the first 8 minutes'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932439-13053007-image-a-19_1707252555148.jpg)
End Wokeness did not stand down from their beliefs as they retorted: ‘It’s still unproven speculation and should definitely not be shoved into the first 8 minutes’
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 11 80932445 13053007 image a 20 1707252577075](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932445-13053007-image-a-20_1707252577075.jpg)
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 13 80932441 13053007 image a 21 1707252579958](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932441-13053007-image-a-21_1707252579958.jpg)
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 15 80932437 13053007 image a 22 1707252582103](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932437-13053007-image-a-22_1707252582103.jpg)
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 17 80932443 13053007 image a 23 1707252584603](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932443-13053007-image-a-23_1707252584603.jpg)
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 19 80932447 13053007 image a 24 1707252587361](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932447-13053007-image-a-24_1707252587361.jpg)
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 21 80932431 13053007 image a 25 1707252590002](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932431-13053007-image-a-25_1707252590002.jpg)
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 23 Many took to the comments section to challenge the account's claims](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932435-13053007-image-a-26_1707252592528.jpg)
Many took to the comments section to challenge the account’s claims
In the first episode Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones of Cardiff University in Wales says that same-sex relationships were normalized in the Greek world.
History graduate at the University of Manchester in England Alexandra Birch previously wrote of the era for The Manchester Historian: ‘ Sexual orientation was not the defining factor in sex, rather the role that each participant played: the dominant, higher-class, older partner took an active role, and the younger, lower-class partner took a passive one.
‘Nonetheless, homosexual men of the same class experienced social stigma as the passive role was more effeminate. As Macedonian king, Alexander could partake in sexual relations with anyone, so long as he maintained the dominant role.’
A major reason people believe that Alexander The Great’s sexuality is not completely clear is due to the previous scholars who have erased LGBT references in previous eras including the Byzantine and Victorian periods and even modern times.
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 25 This is not the first time Alexander The Great has been depicted as bisexual as his sexuality was shown that way in 2004 film Alexander where the conqueror was played by Colin Farrell](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932417-13053007-image-m-29_1707252839534.jpg)
This is not the first time Alexander The Great has been depicted as bisexual as his sexuality was shown that way in 2004 film Alexander where the conqueror was played by Colin Farrell
![Netflix Docu-Drama on Alexander The Great Sparks Controversy among Conservatives: Commentator Claims it Portrays him as Gay, Despite Historical Evidence of his Relationships with Men 27 A major reason people believe that Alexander The Great's sexuality is not completely clear is due to the previous scholars who have erased LGBT references in previous eras including the Byzantine and Victorian periods and even modern times (the Alexander Mosaic is sown circa 310 BC)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/06/20/80932461-13053007-image-a-28_1707252609928.jpg)
A major reason people believe that Alexander The Great’s sexuality is not completely clear is due to the previous scholars who have erased LGBT references in previous eras including the Byzantine and Victorian periods and even modern times (the Alexander Mosaic is sown circa 310 BC)
George Washington University professor Athena Richardson wrote: ‘Even in a culture that accepted bisexuality, Alexander and Hephaestion’s relationship was an outlier and thus treated differently.
‘My research shows how this same-sex relationship was erased, censored, and altered to fit norms of subsequent cultures.
‘Ancient biographers may have conducted censorship to conceal any implication of femininity or submissiveness in Alexander that this relationship dynamic might suggest. As a result, subsequent cultures would have hidden the relationship too.’
Alexander: The Making Of A God is currently streaming on Netflix.