Hello, everyone. I am a Hevans/Kum/Kam/Skurt shipper, who found a very interesting comment on The Great Debate page, written by an anon who took just about every point under the "Sam is Gay" side, and explained why, to their logic, it wasn't true. This is my rebuttal for the Sam/Kurt shipping side- and I invite any and all to continue the debate. I have copied the Anon's questions/comments, and rebutted each with a response of my own.
Honestly, I think a lot of the points under gay/bi are a huge stretch.
+ Honestly, I don't think they are, but we'll see- I'm going to try and write a rebuttal for each.
Auditions
1. They take a song that Sam sings in the shower, pull out a verse that he doesn't actually sing on the show, and claim that verse is a sign that he is gay. Two things to point out here. First, the verse that supposedly indicates he's gay is asking a DJ if he understands the pain the singer is in because of his girlfriend betraying him. Second, I sing "I kissed a girl and I liked it" in the shower, and I'm not a lesbian. Shower songs are sung because they're fun to sing, not because you need to find some way to express your sexuality.
+ I give you this point, Anon. That point was taken from an Analysis written on Sam Evans on Glee Forum- the First link. It was the opinion of the original writer that all the songs on the show are chosen for a reason, and so she chose to analyze the context of said song with those lyrics. I don't share this opinion, and I'm sure other people don't as well, but we welcome all bits of evidence that anyone cares to contribute. Be assured, however, that every single point up there is NOT "commonly accepted" amongst the Fandom. Continuing...
2. It is claimed that Sam answers Puck's comment about putting balls in his mouth defensively. It didn't sound defensive to me. It sounded like a joke. (and a well played joke at that)
+ More than defensive, it sounded questioning. Chord's expression is very interesting during this scene- he's watching Puck with a very wary look in his eyes. I suggest you rewatch the scene, if anything, but I am of the belief that Chord's method of portraying Sam plays a very large role in all these "hints" we have.
3. Sam says he doesn't want to join the glee club because he doesn't want to be treated the same way the other guys are. He just got slushied. I think it's more likely he's referring to that than being called gay. Even if he was referring to being gay, last time I checked, straight guys have as much of a problem with that as closeted homosexuals.
+ Actually, Anon, You are mixing two very different events. Sam doesn't want to join Glee in Auditions- Sam is slushied for the first time in Duets. Thus, your point is invalid. The reason Sam doesn't want to join Glee in Auditions is because Finn was the sort of "thread' between Football and Gleeclub- and seeing Finn be kicked off the team by Beiste scares Sam- as we all know, Sam wants Popularity. If there's been a single consistent thing about this character from Day one, it's been that want to get to the top. Here is a snippet of the First Analysis of Sam Evans, which I believe gives some very clear points with which, I, at least, can support as coherent evidence: 'Sam doesn’t show up for his glee club audition and Coach Beiste’s outburst is to blame. Sam struggles to put together a coherent sentence to tell Finn his reasons for not auditioning as he seemingly tries to weave away from the real reason he didn’t do it. The most poignant line comes when Sam tells Finn: “Do you know how everyone talks about you glee guys?” We, the viewers, know more than anyone else how discriminatory the guys in glee get treated by jocks such as Azimio and Karofsky. What’s one of the first remarks you think of when you remember the way Finn or Kurt gets bullied? They’re called gay for being in glee, and this is exactly what Sam is referring to. Sam goes on to say he’s “the new guy. That means I’m already on the outside looking in. I don’t want to start off three touchdowns behind.”' Glee club, New kid and....? What's the third touchdown? I, in my personal opinion, firmly believe that the "third touchdown" is related to his "secret to be ashamed of." Some have suggested it might be his Dyslexia, which he mentions in Auditions- but We rarely, if ever, see any of the Glee students working on Homework, or anything of the sort- so it's a very rare possibility that this quirk will actually come into play. It is possible, of course, but considering that 10 episodes have passed since then and not once has it been mentioned again, I feel safe in considering it null for the moment.
Duets
1&2. Several people think that Sam might be gay. Actually, two people think that: Kurt and Quinn. Mercedes never actually expresses any conviction that Kurt might be right. She just sort of goes along with it. Kurt thinks that Sam is gay because of his appearance (but later questions that once he actually starts talking to the guy). It's possible Quinn may have A. noticed Kurt hanging around Sam and Sam not seeming to care and B. the same things about his appearance Kurt noticed.
+ Yes, Kurt and Quinn separately assume that Sam is Gay. However, I doubt that Mercedes DISAGREES with Kurt, because she never says so. We know that Mercedes has very strong opinions- had she definitely not agreed, she would have said something. It's true that Mercedes has been displayed to not have the best gaydar in the world, so It's possible that that is also why she kept quiet, assuming that Kurt knew better than her- besides, it's entirely plausible that she just doesn't find Sam all that interesting, although that's a bit of a stretch. Continuing- Kurt does assume Sam is gay because of his appearance, but there's something else there as well. As a Bisexual female, I can tell you that most of the time, it's easy to know when you meet someone else who is of "your same calling"- it's commonly known as Gaydar. I know someone might then say- "Well, then how did Kurt not realize that Karofsky was gay as well?" And that's easy to answer- because until this season, the interaction between Kurt and Karofsky was limited to a homophobic word and a slushie to the face. Hate and fear have a great way of clouding the mind and closing it to possibility- as the violence escalated, so did Kurt's negative feelings toward Karofsky- and it convinced him that the abuse was because he was Gay (which, in a way, it is.) Anyway- Returning to the rebuttal. You are right that Kurt begins to question if Sam truly is Gay or not once they begin speaking- but that's only after Sam displays no knowledge of Musical Theatre. Kurt, up to this point, has never met any other Gay individual- and it's easy to see that he assumes that most of them are like himself. He has no point of comparison- so he wonders, out loud, if Sam really is Gay because he doesn't know "Gay things." This is one of the wonderful points in Pro-Gay!Sam arguments- Sam would break many, MANY stereotypes on Gay culture by being "The Dude who just happens to also/to like dudes." As for Quinn's assumption of Sam being Gay- I, personally, have a VERY strong belief that everything we see on the show is shown for a reason. Why? Because this is television- simple as that. As viewers, we can only gather information from what we are shown. We all assume that before or after Glee, New Directions is going to classes, doing homework, taking tests, doing chores, eating dinner, etc.etc. The writers know that we, as an audience, will assume such things to fill in the blanks of the events they show us- the events which are pivotal to the Episode's theme/the overall storyline. With the subject of Sam's sexuality/General Homosexuality in the air (Remember: Finn and Sam also had a conversation about living in the world of those who were intolerant to "two dudes" singing a duet together earlier in the episode), why then would we NOT see Quinn's moment of "Oh. He's Gay." in reference to Sam? If anything, it would have proved a pleasant suprise for the future relationship when he indeed debunked that in her head, and thus opened her to possibility. But no- Instead, out of literal nowhere, Quinn automatically assumes from Sam's very honest reaction to "having a secret to be ashamed of" by saying, "So you ARE gay." And that's the clincher- where did that knowledge come from? How long has she been thinking it? And considering that it happens toward the END of the episode, AFTER "Lucky", there was still enough doubt in her mind to believe that this boy, who by then had already told her that she has pretty eyes, asked what planet they were on, and held her hand during a performance- was Gay.
3. Sam looks away from Quinn when he says he's not gay? This is evidence? The guy looks away from her a lot when he's talking about himself. It's more likely that, coming from an all boys school, he's just not comfortable talking with girls. Also, for everyone claiming that the editors would have chosen these things for a reason and there are lots of takes to choose from, remember that this is a tv show, not a movie. There's not as much time as you would think there is for each and every take. Furthermore, unless the director was thinking, "Hey, he's looking to his left! I think that's what you do when you're lying. The audience is going to think he's lying! (because of course, everyone in our target audience knows that you look to the left when you lie)," there would be no reason for him to direct Chord not to do that in different takes.
+ It is entirely plausible that Sam is uncomfortable speaking with other girls- but when his actions and body language are compared to how Sam reacted to Quinn throughout the rest of the episode, it's not a fair point. Sam displays interest in Quinn- He's shy, but sweet, and very honest with his compliment on her eyes, and with his method of trying to woo her before he attempts the kiss or even during Lucky. Even at the beginning of the date, We can see that Sam is trying to be funny with his McConaughey impressions, trying to impress Quinn- it's only when she asks him if that's worked "on the girls where he's from" does his whole expression and body language chance- it's almost a shut down as he admits, sheepishly, that He went to an all Boy's school. This immediate change of behavior from animated, excited Sam before the "personal questions" to uncomfortable, quiet Sam is apparent- there is something about his past life that makes him shut down so, and it's something -very- big. So much so that, while he's spent the whole episode looking into her eyes (because he finds them pretty), it as this moment, when he admits to having a secret he's ashamed of and she exclaims "So you ARE Gay?" that his eyes refuse to meet hers, and he instead looks away, from side to side. You don't have to be an actor to know the different between a heartfelt, honest denial- and the denial Sam gave. Watch that scene again. Watch his expression, his body language- and tell me if that sounded truly sincere to you. As for the directing of the scene, I wholly agree with you that the Director got the take he wanted in the method he wanted Chord to portray it- we simply have different ideas on what that means. Had Ian (who directed Duets) wanted a different reaction, we would have gotten it- but no. Ian, it should be mentioned, is known for writing the "deeper" Glee episode - and thusfar is the only director to have given Sam a "personality" (Geeky, likes astronomy, etc) versus the Sam we've gotten with Brad or Ryan- which basically just wants popularity. (Except for Furt- which is big ups to Ryan.)
4&7. (I'm looking for that clip right now to see what actually happens because I don't remember it...)
+ No Rebuttal for a no point.
5. How is the possibility that he might have gone to Dalton a sign that he's gay?
+ This theory has now been debunked, and I'll be sure to remove it- but it was speculated that Sam might have come from Dalton, and had history with Blaine. You also have a point that it is not proof for his sexuality, so I will remove this point and grant you this point.
6. Sam's disappointed when Kurt cancels their partnership. Possibly because he thinks Kurt has a great voice? I mean, wasn't that the exact reason he gave Finn for why he thought singing with Kurt was a good idea?
+ It is possible, and it is also what he told Finn- but you are forgetting the locker room shower scene. After Kurt dissolves the partnership, Sam immediately frowns, asking him "Did I do something to offend you?" It is obviously more than just "He has a good voice." Even after Finn tries to warn Sam away from the duet, Sam insists that he will continue because his word means something in his world, nonwithstanding the opinions of everyone else. What happened to the Sam, at the moment (who is the only Sam we've known so far) who will think of himself and his popularity and reputation first before any sort of "promise" given to anyone else? After all, Sam had no problem "breaking his word" to Finn when he didn't show up to Glee in 'Audition'. Right after this, Sam gets slushied, and is helped by Quinn- how easy, considering his attraction to her, could it have been to ask her to be his duet partner, and break it off with Kurt- he just got slushied after all. He was called Lady lips, and experiences first hand the bullying Glee club suffers- all of which would have sent him running from Glee to save his precious reputation. But no- He stays on with the duet with Kurt- and it's Kurt, in the end, who breaks it off. Sam has already met Quinn- Sam has already established an attraction for Quinn- this should have been a godsend, if anything- He's being released from his word, and he can go for her. But no- the first thing he asks Kurt is "Did I do something to offend you?" He -cares-. It's as simple as that. We see Le Jazz Hot- and the smile Sam gives Kurt as he's clapping with the rest of Glee- and THEN, finally, he goes after Quinn. Was it Sam trying to assure himself that Kurt was alright, and thus finally felt it was okay to move on to Quinn? We don't know, but the point is that Sam cares.
8. Why is it unlikely that dying his hair is his real secret? Kurt apparently has a talent for being able to tell when people dye their hair, and he calls him out on it. Is it so unlikely that he really does dye his hair? Plus, he has been denying it for the whole episode. Why would he do that if he wasn't ashamed of it?
+ It's possible that to a 16 year old boy, dyeing your hair could be the biggest shame of your life so far. But before I address this, I'd like to point out that Glee, in fact, has been known to use Symbolism/Metaphors to show the personalities or desires of it's characters before. Rachel's use of Gold stars is, as a she said: "...it’s a metaphor. And metaphors are important. My gold stars are a metaphor. For me. Being a star." Other characters have similar symbolism which relates to their personalities/desires: Sue always wears a tracksuit, a whistle, and adores her trophies- these are symbolism of her need to be in control, to dominate, to win and be a "champion". Quinn's hair, even more so than just being something required by the cheerios, is used as a metaphor for her "power" and "Popularity"- when she has lost it all, and only has glee club, her hair is worn down- a symbol of her "downfall" from popularity- one of the first scenes we see with her in Season 2 is her "fixing her ponytail" before walking down the hallway- the HBIC is back, and she's letting it show. With the idea that various characters have a few defining symbols, let's take, for a moment, that the issue of Sam dyeing is hair is not just, about a crappy dye job. Sam says he dyes his hair because he wanted everyone to think of him as some surger guy- because when he found out he was moving, he wanted to change his appearance to come off as a different kind of person. Why? What was Sam so ashamed of in his past, of who he used to be, that he decided he needed to go ahead and dye his hair? Let's take that further- what is it about Sam's past that makes him have this need to be popular, to be on top- to have the protection, as he says in RHGS or NBK (I forget which), that being popular means- that no one can fuck with you. By dyeing his hair he's hiding away traces of his past self- and that, right there, is what makes it so suspicious that it's ONLY the hair that he's ashamed of. Sam himself says he wanted to change, he wanted to be someone else- the hair is a coverup for a real secret- the secret of what made this boy want to change so badly. He denies it the whole episode because, in a way, the hair symbolizes to him that this "new" Sam is not a perfect mask- it means someone can see that he changed something of himself.
9. Kurt thought Sam was gay because he thought he died his hair. He also thought Sam wasn't gay because of his lack of knowledge about show tunes. He's still only batting one out of two there.
+ To be honest, I'm not sure of what you are trying to point out at all. Kurt thinks Sam is gay because of the way his hair is styled- if anything, he spends the entire episode trying to get Sam to admit that he's dyed his hair, nothing more. I've already given my point on showtunes- Kurt, up until this point, has not met any other gay guys, and so probably assumes that he and other gay men share the same thoughts or ideas. Sam's lack of knowledge in that area does not mean he is or isn't gay- simply that he's not into showtunes. I'd also like to point out that Kurt, in the end, was right about Sam's dye job, which means the chance of him being right of other things isn't so far-fetched at all.
10. Sam mistakes Mars for Venus. That's a sign that he's gay? I mean, seriously, look at that scene. Sam points at a planet makes a cheesy pick-up line about the planet of love. Quinn corrects him, saying it's the planet of war, not love, and his expression changes. Why does his expression change? Is it because he's thinking about a random saying and is afraid his closeted sexuality is showing through? Or is it because the girl he's hitting on just shot down his pick up line? One of those is a stretch. The other isn't.
+ Actually, re-watch the scene. No- first, go back to the scene where Sam walks into the Glee club, and introduces himself. See that book he's holding? Yup- it's an astronomy book. Dyslexia, for reminders, is "a broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's ability to read." The fact that Sam is holding a book on Astronomy is telling that he, indeed, is -very- interested in Astronomy. It's a thing to be proud of- a subject that interests him so much that he's willing to struggle through a book on the subject to learn more. The moment we join him and Quinn in the astronomy room, He's telling her (and the audience) just how much he -really- likes Astronomy. "I love Astronomy. Something about all the space makes my problems seem kind of small." (Sidenote: What problems? The problem of dyeing his hair? Or the problem of what caused him to dye his hair, to move, to want popularity?) He then proceeds to point out the planets- attaching to them the significance that one is the planet of love, and the other is the planet of War. It's significant that he mixes them up- because he is obviously well-versed in Astronomy and Astrological meanings- so then, why point to the wrong planet? Why NAME the wrong planets? The expression change is a realization that he confused planets that, according to his knowledge, he shouldn't have confused them. This is things he -knows-. Perhaps it's -not- related to his sexuality in the getgo- but it definitely wasn't just some random pick-up line which was convenient because they were in the astronomy room. Quinn even mentions that Sam asked her to meet him there- which means he'd planned the spot, and planned the pick up line- so what went wrong?
11. Sam looks uncomfortable around the girl he's been hitting on all episode. Ergo, he must be gay. Or maybe he hasn't had a lot of experience dating and is uncomfortable around girls. That's possible, considering he says just that...
+ Actually, more than uncomfortable, Sam has been SHY around the girl he's been hitting on all episode. He's struggling to grab her attention, to impress her- like any boy would do. If anything- there is no reason for him to be "uncomfortable" around girls at all- simply shy and goofy and awkward, if anything. The only moment where he acts TRULY uncomfortable is when she asks if he's gay, and they talk about his past. Rewatch- and tell me it isn't true.
12. He says if he'd been embarrassed like her, he'd transfer to the moon. This doesn't mean he transfered because of something embarrassing that happened to him (there are plenty of other reasons to transfer schools, and I may be misremembering, but I thought he said his family moved), and even if you do make that leap, there's still another HUGE leap to make before you can say that he was embarrassed because people were calling him gay.
+ Which is an interesting point- because Families DO move- but generally for a reason. "My dad's job got moved, so we moved with him." "We found a better house." "We moved because of A, B, and C." Instead, Sam offers NO explanation to why he moved- only that when he found out that they were moving, he took the chance to dye his hair and hope that he would seem "cooler" and people would think he was "a surfer or something." The pauses he gives when telling Quinn about his past (the very little he tells, if anything) are indicative- there is something there that he's holding back, something he doesn't want to talk about. Even if it isn't his sexuality- it's undeniable that Sam has been telling us, the audience, from the very start, that there is something to hide. He desperately searches for Popularity, and refuses (in most cases) to do anything that could harm his chances at being on top. He changed his hair, and is incredibly obsessed with his image- All signs that there is something psychologically driving him to be an image of himself that he's put in his head, so that, as he says, "no one can fuck with [him]." Let's imagine it this way- what plausible reasons could cause an entire family to move, transfer schools, and cause a boy to want to change his image and gain social security in his high school so he can't be messed with? Something happened- simple as that. There is a reason for all this, and it hasn't been revealed yet.
13. It's very possible that he smiles at the irony of being at an all boys school, but then gets serious because of the fact that being at an all boys school has made him uncomfortable around women, like he is in that moment.
+ It's also possible that it is not that being at an all-boys school has made him socially awkward around women (Not uncomfortable- compare his attitude toward Quinn earlier in the episode when trying to woo her to this moment when they begin to speak of his past), but that mentioning that he was at an All-boy's school brings back unpleasant memories that he'd rather not discuss. This is speculation on both your and my parts, so I'd say that the point goes to neither.
14. An awkward laugh could indicate that he's shocked the two people [Quinn and Kurt ]guessed correctly. Or it could be that he's confused about why people are guessing incorrectly. Let's face it. Both are awkward situations.
+ I am glad, Anon, that you recognize that this point could validly go both ways- although I'd like to point out that when Kurt says that maybe Sam really is straight, Sam at first says "What?" with the awkward laugh, looking at Kurt immediately.
Rocky Horror Glee Show 1. There is a very literal and obvious meaning to this line in the show (which has nothing to do with Sam's sexuality). It wasn't cryptic or anything. The only reason people would read more into this is because they want to find reasons for Sam to be gay.
+ I'm guessing that you've taken it as him literally saying, "In order to keep Quinn, I have to play the part [Rocky]"? Because otherwise I don't see how this is "literal and obvious." And to debunk that, the conversation at that moment was totally centered on appearance- he must look "play the part." in order to keep Quinn. What part? What role must he take on in order to keep Quinn (and his popularity?)- That of the hot, "abulous", jock boyfriend? We've already seen that Quinn does not appreciate Sam's sense of humor or knowledge of "geeky" things- so does this mean that playing the part involves blocking a part of himself? To stop being himself to play the part? Even if it ISNT about him being Gay, it's definitely worth noting that once again, Sam is telling the audience that he is trying to change and conceal a part of himself.
2. Is June well known for being gay pride month? When people think of June, is the first thing that comes to their mind, "gay pride"? For me, it definitely isn't. The first thing that comes to my mind is: Summer, ergo hot. June and July are popular months to use in TV when characters are in calenders, which leaves us with a 50/50 chance of him being in June. This seems like more of a coincidence to me than anything.
+ It very well could be. This point is pure speculation, as there is no proof in the show that non-supportive Mckinley would make a choice because it is "gay pride" month- then again, it could be a cruel joke. But seeing as we never saw a moment when it was deemed to be so, and Sam said it in passing, I give you the point.
Furt 1&3. Do I even have to talk about how Sam proposing to Quinn being a sign that he's gay is a stretch? He likes Quinn. He's a high school boy. Sometimes they're a but compulsive. Furthermore, Quinn has been through a lot and Sam knows that. Maybe his proposal was just his attempt to give her a bit of stability in her life. Maybe it really did come from a genuine place of caring for her and not from a desire to hide his sexuality.
+ It may be a stretch to him being gay- but it definitely shows that Sam is desperate, with a CAPITAL DESPERATE to keep Quinn. He's known her for six weeks- and if we're thinking of normal teenage boys, many have a problem with commitment and even generally dating- whilst our boy Sam is getting on his knees after a month and a half of "dating" (because, remember- Quinn says they aren't dating, and Sam confirms this at the beginning of Furt. In fact, he tells Finn that "He's working on it too" - getting Quinn to be his girlfriend, right after saying that he's "on the cusp of being one of the most popular guys in school" and that being on top means "no more teasing, slushie facials." Furthermore, right before his proposal, they're meeting in the astronomy room and he points to the galactic mobile (which he names as such) and says, "These galactic mobiles aren't the stars of Mckinley...We are." Again- a reference to his desire to be on top, to be above. It's interesting to note that he no longer says that the stars make his problems seem smaller- instead, he's trying to reach their level, comparing Quinn and himself to them. Yes, Sam knows what's happened with Quinn. We're not sure how, just as it was never explained how he knew Finn in Auditions, but the conversation in Duets let no doubt that Sam is indeed well informed. Let me repost the proposal: "Look- my shoulder's healed, I'm gonna be the quarterback again soon, and you're already the head cheerleader." This is what he says in response to Quinn's sound of derision to his "I think I love you." Sam may care for Quinn- but honestly. Instead of trying to tell her WHY he loves her, he begins to, once again, talk about Popularity, about their social statuses. Quinn tries to talk sense into him- "We've known each other for six weeks. Stand up, you're freaking me out." When he says he wants to marry her, he tries to convince her with the following: "If you accept, this ring will symbolize my promise to you to be true. To never pressure you to do anything more than kiss. To listen to your problems, to tell you when you have food in your teeth, or eyegunk. To come over to your house whenever you need something super heavy moved around. I promise to make you feel proud when you point down the hall and say 'that's my boyfriend.' I promise to do all those things without ever trying to sound like Matthew McConaughey. ....I really care about you, Quinn. And I want us to be together. " He's promising to be faithful, to never pressure her, and to be there for her. That's sweet, and it does show that he cares- and then he says he's going to make her proud, and never do his imitation again. We are brought back to "playing the part"- the part he feels he must play in order to make Quinn 'proud' and thus keep her, even if it means sacrificing a part of his personality for her. All of these things are very sweet- but why a marriage proposal? He pauses, then blurts out that he thinks he loves her- but at the end of this very honest, sweet proposal, he says he really cares about her, and wants them to be together. It sounds like he started off with this concept of love- realize he couldn't truly support it, and instead promised to do things which both friends AND lovers could do. He could have easily given her this speech without a ring to prove it- without a marriage proposal. But he does. Why? What was this extreme motivation to take six weeks to marriage in this boy's mind? Because he's -desperate- to keep Quinn, simple as that. I won't deny that Sam cares about Quinn- he obviously does. It'd be stupid to deny that he doesn't care about her at all. But attempting to give her stability through a marriage proposal, in -high school-, is highly improbable- they've known each other for six weeks. A month and a half. A month and a half where he went from liking her eyes to wanting to marry her- with only a makeout scene in between this time shown to the audience as proof of their "relationship."
2. He's insecure. Therefore he must be gay. Again, stretch.
+ It is most definitely a possibility. If it is not his sexuality, there is nevertheless something there that causes a deep insecurity, which makes him go to extreme measures- proposing marriage, for example.
4&5. Sam fights a lot more for Kurt and smiles when Kurt thanks him. This could mean he's gay! Or it could just mean that he likes Kurt as a friend and doesn't see him being gay as a big deal (which seems to be indicated in how he responds to Finn trying to convince him not to do the duet in Duets). Sam steps up as a leader in that episode, and it's important to note that he has been trying to be a leader at that school for some time for the sake of his popularity. In this episode, he's more interested in dating Quinn than popularity in general, and he takes a step to be the leader in a way the pleases Quinn (who was the person who asked him to do it in the first place).
+ Okay, anon. Let's take a step back. Deep breath. Alright. Sam, admittedly, if NOT gay (which I personally, at least, refuse to believe until Kurt gets his real endgame relationship, and by endgame I mean one where he doesn't fall in love in four episodes) is incredibly tolerant of homosexuality versus the rest of the glee clubbers. (Although, I'd like to point out that he never says he doesn't see Kurt's homosexuality as a big deal- he instead questions Finn, almost accusatorily: "didn't think you had a problem with gay dudes.") Sam has been trying to leader because, as we have discussed before, he feels that being popular and being on top will grant him an impenetrable protection- something which Finn and him ALSO discuss. As for him being "more interested in dating Quinn that popularity in general", I'd have to disagree- because Quinn pops up in the conversation Sam and Finn have before the proposal scene as a secondary thought to the overlying idea that Sam's telling Finn- he's working to become the most popular guy in school. When Finn says "Especially since you can't even get Quinn to be your girlfriend." It becomes almost an attack- You can't even get Quinn to date you, how are you gonna be the most popular guy in school? Also- Your last point is NULL. We are, in fact, shown in the scene where Rachel gets the Glee girls with football boyfriends, that Quinn DENIES that she and Sam are dating, and so will NOT ask him to fight for Kurt. Look at the fight scene itself- Only Mike and Artie approach Karofsky. Sam is at his locker, not particularly paying attention- he leaps into action when Karofsky pushes Mike and Artie. He is not a part of the group defending Kurt- which can only mean that Quinn did not ask him to interfere. It's interesting to note that Mike later notes that he was "like an animal" when fighting Karofsky- and sure enough, the glare he's sending Karofsky when they are pulled apart is scathing. There is real hatred there- which, if we think logically, makes no sense. No interaction besides a slushie to the face has been shown between Karofsky and Sam- yet something obviously set him off. The surface reason is most definitely that the Glee guys are getting pushed by this bully- but it's more than likely that Karofsky's bullying sets off a reaction inside of Sam, reminding him of something else (that mysterious past, possibly) that makes him want to fight back. Remember- Sam wants to be popular so he doesn't have to take shit. It makes sense to assume that he wants this because he HAS taken shit, and he doesn't want to anymore. The point is- Sam interefered of his own volition, which is what later impresses Quinn- because SHE DIDN'T ASK HIM TO STEP IN AND DEFEND KURT. So your point is invalid.
6. Sam giving Quinn gifts so as not to lose her means he's gay? Again, stretch.
+ Not so much. It's interesting that he gave her a physical representation of their relationship- a ring, of all things. No other couple, save for Rachel and Finn, have had a symbol to represent their relationship- Rachel wears a necklace with Finn's name on it. Now that they both have broken up, we see Rachel taking off the necklace. The presence of a physical object means we get a representation of the the couple with the object- and gives leeway to a storyline involving the item itself. Mike and Tina, Tina and Artie, Brittany and Santana, Brittany and Artie, Puck and Santana- none of these couples have had any sort of symbol to signifiy their relationship. Puck and Quinn have Beth- who more than an object is a being who ties them together ever stronger than a simple object. The point is, anon, that it IS significant that a gift was involved, even if it's not likely to be because "Quinn was straying", but instead to assure that Quinn was physically being represented as "his".
7. Saying Kurt and Mercedes separating Sam and Quinn in a dance indicates that Kurt and Sam will eventually start dating makes about as much sense as saying that it indicates that Quinn and Mercedes will start dating....
+ It is a stretch- but that is the point of speculation. The interesting point is, as always- WHY, again, are Sam and Kurt being placed together? In NBK they sing next to each other for "Stop! In the Name of Love/ Free Your Mind.", and are sitting next to each other in "Start me Up / Living on a Prayer". Casual as it is, we had scenarios where they kept ending up next to each other, even if there was no interaction- and in this episode, we see a mutual respect when Kurt thanks Sam for stepping, and Sam offers to protect Kurt (with the rest of the guys) in the club. We keep getting these scenarios- and here, it is Kurt and Sam once more, with Quinn and Mercedes in the mix, dancing together for that brief moment. Why not Tina and Mike? Why not Artie and Brittany? Why not Puck and Santana? Why THEM, again? That's the question. It may be a stretch, but it's based on facts- we always, somehow, see glimpses of them being placed together.
Special Education 1. All this proves is that we can't trust anything Murphy says, including all those things listed later that indicate Sam might be Kurt's boyfriend.
+ Exactly. Murphy can't be trusted, because for the most part, the opposite has happened. I'm supposing your also referring to "Charice isn't gonna be on Glee" (which was denied by Charice, not Murphy) and the other spoilers, such as "He's gonna be on the football team, Quinn is gonna play a part in Kurt's romance, His name is gonna be Sam (given by Chris Colfer, not Murphy), He's been cast and he's a blonde with big lips (given by Jane Lynch and not Murphy.)" So far, none of these have been confirmed or uncomfirmed, because Kurt's endgame boyfriend has not been revealed (please don't say Blaine. If we end season 4 with Klaine still happening, I'll back down), and we therefore cannot compare facts.
2&3. Sam and Quinn separating isn't a sign that Sam is gay unless the reason they are separating is because she thinks he is gay. There is nothing here to indicate that she thinks that.
+ I will give you this point, Anon, in the sense that it has nothing to do with Sam's sexuality- but I will also point out the fact that Sam and Quinn's relationship is full of cracks such as these, and will probably lead to the downfall of the couple as a couple. Without Quinn, what will Sam's purpose be? It's a slippery slope question- but I will remind everyone that we've been told in recent storylines that Sam's storyline is going to become HUGE and VERY IMPORTANT in the next half of the season- so we'll just have to wait and see.