Rainbow Dash being gay/bisexual didn’t just come out of left field though.
If anything she’s shown less attraction to stallions beyond friendly teasing in Soarin’s case as the seasons went by but has had a ton of tease with Pinkie, Fluttershy, Twilight, Spitfire, hell even Rarity and Applejack. She was willing to eat a disgusting pie made of garbage after finding out she hurt Pinkie by not liking pies, (Secrets and Pies) went through hell and back to convince Fluttershy to fly in the tornado, (Hurricane Fluttershy, which is coincidentally my favourite episode) seems to like spending time with Spitfire (various.) (when was the last time she spent time with Soarin beyond a group thing?), has a cute rivalry with Applejack (various again), and even had some tease with Rarity when the student six wondered how they could be friends with Rarity willingly joining in Dashie’s buckball game (the end in friend), and Rainbow Dash willing to dress in a Megara outfit for somepony she could not stand to make Rarity laugh. (Sparkle’s Seven) There’s only two males in the series she’s shown potential attraction to, and one of which is likely married, the other is Soarin but like AppleDash that ship has been decreasing in popularity and she doesn’t have the same admiration for him as she once did. It’s more like she’s been doing her own thing. Either she’s asexual and just has AJ as a roommate, or they didn’t want to die alone, especially after what happened to Granny Smith and coincidentally hooked up. I mean, yes, Rainbow could have been with Spitfire or Rarity, or Twilight (the last two I especially ship) but it’s less pandering to the base and more to Ashleigh Ball who ships the two. Like Fluttercord, I think there was going to be a scene where Rainbow kissed Applejack, but it was cut for time constraints and they didn’t want to rock the anti-LGBTQ boat more than they already did with Scoots’ aunts and LyraBon.
@Infrayellow
I get your point, and I partly agree, some of the people behind the show have some pretty questionable political views, it wasn’t implied properly before, I also get that you don’t like the ship. But i think you realy need to close both eyes to brushing their interactions in the final episode off as casual friendly. Besides that, the little thing you just wrote would be a great appledash fanfic.
@Lupin Quill
Those can be explained other than “they’re fucking lmao”, like maybe Granny Smith died and Dash has been living with AJ to help, and they grew closer as friends in that time or something. But I personally don’t even view those seasons as part of the FiM continuity anyways, so its whatever.
@Background Pony #AB44
I think it’s due to politics as evident by how politically motivated these writers are on Twitter, as well as some leaked emails. Pulling lesbian ships out of nowhere is nothing new for the cartoon industry anyways. Appledash has been decreasing in popularity over the years because of a lack of episodes focusing on those two, and while I think any kind of inter-mane6 ship is dumb there were way better and more popular ones they could’ve teased. I really dont think it was done with the fandom in mind.
|| But of course, the people who parade themselves on hating stereotypes had to make the tomboy gay and AJ was a little TOO traditional for today’s standards. /minirant ||
@Infrayellow
I sail this ship since the beginning, I might be biased due to all the appledash fanfics I used to read. But I guess that’s kinda the point, they left it up to the fans to fill the blanks. Saying this is only there due to politics is pretty lazy. People care about this stuff, why is it so bad that they get tossed a bone? Of course, it’s pandering, but I don’t think its political pandering.
@Background Pony #AB44
Walking next to each other doesn’t mean they’re a couple dude. Unlike something like fluttercord which was built up over multiple seasons, this was lazily teased last minute out of nowhere for the sole purpose of pandering to people who will eat up LGBT crap no matter what, even if it’s lazy and forced.
Saying AppleDash isn’t canon is kinda like saying YonBar isn’t canon. Of course, they didn’t spell it out in the show, but arguing against it would do nothing more than make me look like an idiot.
@Lupin Quill
I feel like that’s desperately reaching. Pinkie Pie didn’t show interest in males throughout the show either and look who she ended up with. This was always a show about friendship anyways, not romance so there is very little reason for them to focus on stuff like that.
@Background Pony #9FAB
Not quite completely out of nowhere. But I see where you’re coming from.
There were some subtle hints, like AJ having something to confess to Rarity at the end of Simple Ways that she didn’t quite get out, or both mares rejecting the advances of stallions (not that anyone in their right mind would give Zephyr the time of day.)
As for whether or not we should have known sooner (if indeed you decide to see them as lesbians), it being none of our damn business what someone else’s romantic orientation is is a pretty powerful statement.
@Background Pony #0709
Just like Lyra and Bon Bon. They’re such gooood friends they even got married. Totally not a romance!
Why do people have such a hard time accepting non straight canon ships? I wouldn’t have shipped Rainbow with AJ either but you Soarin x Rainbow Dash shippers can’t get over your girl not being het?