Why do people love Barb so much? This article distills a lot of doubtful people's feelings about one of the surprise fan favorites from Stranger Things, the new Netflix show that has lit up the internet. Many characters have become fandom darlings and, since the show is generally a good time, people are talking about!
But Barb's super stardom is unlikely mainly because she vanished from the show within the first two episodes out of eight and (spoiler) don't do a google image search of what happens to her.
Here she is, in all her ruffled-collar, freckle-faced glory.
This is not the first reasons-to-admire-and-adore-Barbara-Holland article so I will keep my addition to this conversation short and sweet.
I love Barb for a lot of reasons but a big one is that she's gay. WHAT? You may say. How do you know?? Well, friend, for a long time there have been sneaky gays in media and they are often called 'queer-coded characters'. Feel free to look back on many Disney villains (Scar, Ursula, Jafar) and realize that they were not as straight as you may once have thought. Lots of people felt a strong kinship with Barb because they saw her as a young, not-straight girl. I, as a high school weirdo, round person, and gay was over the moon to see a person on TV who reminded me of me. And I am far from the only person whose gaydar went off when I met Barb.
You're free to say what you want about Barb and her impact or importance but please keep in mind that part of the reason she's stirring up so much excitement is that viewers feel they share something with her. The hashtag #WeAreAllBarb popped up as people, straight and every other color of the rainbow, celebrated their kinship with Barb.
Shannon Purser, that actress who plays Barb, said, “If I can help anybody with my character, or feel loved or less alone, that is the best feeling” in an interview when asked about the specifically LGBT enthusiasm over her role. Creators have said they will give Barb justice in the second season. People are hoping this may be a breaking point in the 'Bury Your Gays' trope that has made gay (and particularly lesbian) tragedy routine in media for so, so long.
Why do I love Barb so much? Her loyalty, her willingness to support her friend, her conflict between helping Nancy realize this guy's no good and respecting her friend's independence. And I love her because she represents a part of me I didn't think I'd see on TV. 
((Please bring her back I love her and I need more angles of her haircut so I can steal her look okay thank you))
