Review: When Netflix’s Queer Eye team visited Louisiana School for the Deaf (BSL)

Back in 2022 I stumbled upon upon the ever popular Queer Eye series on Netflix. At that time I was in the middle of moving house and found that the series was the perfect antidote to stress and I soon became a huge fan.

If you’re not familiar with Queer Eye, the series follows the “Fabulous Five” advisors – Jonathan, Bobby, Karamo, Tan and Antoni – as they carry out a series of incredible makeovers with each episode focusing on a particular person who is in ‘need.’ The makeovers look at not only the persons dress sense, hair and beauty but also their diet, living space and mindset.

It’s a real feel-good series that advocates for self-love and self acceptance regardless of your sexuality, background or circumstance. So imagine my delight when I recently discovered that for one episode in the latest series the Queer Eye team worked with a deaf American Sign Language user at the Louisiana School for the Deaf!

Whilst I am usually sceptical when a mainstream programme features deafness – the Queer Eye team did NOT disappoint.

As soon as the episode begins, we see the fab five practising their ASL in the car as they head to meet Denton, a deaf sports coach and Athletics Director at Louisiana School for the Deaf (LSD.)

The group meet Denton with huge smiles, hugs and basic ASL before they check out his working space and meet the deaf football team that he works with. It becomes apparent that – just like in the UK – deaf schools in the USA are declining in numbers with Denton explaining how years ago the school had a pupil intake of around 300, yet today they have only 90 students.

Discussing why this is, Denton explained that when deaf children are born to hearing parents in the USA, most are encouraged to send their child to mainstream schools, use hearing aids or cochlear implants and are not encouraged to learn sign language.

However, Denton tells the fab five that it was at a deaf school that he personally found his deaf identity, confidence and passion for sport. The team instantly understood Denton’s passions for supporting the deaf community and his deaf pupils with Bobby agreeing that “even though this community may have declining numbers, it is still worthy of attention and respect and celebration.”

Denton admitted that his personal role model in life is his Dad who became a sports coach so that his deaf son would not miss out on anything when learning sports growing up. Denton’s parents also learnt fluent ASL, something that was not common practice for a hearing family at that time.

Denton expressed his huge gratitude towards his Dad yet after chatting to Karamo we see how Karamo picked up on the immense pressure that Denton often feels, being the only deaf role model for many of his football students.

Whilst the Queer Eye team gave LSD’s sports facilities a brilliantly cool makeover and updated Denton’s office and wardrobe, it was the acknowledgement of Denton’s commitment and efforts for the deaf community that was so impactful to watch.

Karamo tells Denton how he cannot carry the weight of the deaf schools potentially closing on his shoulders alone. He also affirmed that the hard work Denton does with his pupils was a testament to who he is and also shows the great influence that his own Father has had on him. Karamo very poignantly signs to Denton, “you need to trust yourself.”

There was also an incredibly moving part when – after receiving a hair cut and makeover from Jonathan – Denton decides to give Jonathan his very own sign name. Denton explains the reasons in depth for how the sign name was created and we see Jonathan being moved to tears as Denton accurately sums up Jonathan’s quirks, passions and mannerisms all in one sign.

There were also lots of laughs and emotional cheers throughout the episode as the team signed various phrases from ‘trust yourself’ to ‘yas Queen!’ The animated slides for the episode – which usually features written english quotes – was also replaced with signing hands, which I thought was truly beautiful.

The whole episode was a great example of how society can embrace and celebrate not only deaf culture but also sign language as we see the team interact directly, confidently and open heartedly with Denton and other sign language users at the school.

As the episode concluded, we saw how the team had worked with a series of sign language interpreters to ensure communication was always facilitated. The confidence that Denton had around the whole crew and cast – and in fact throughout the whole episode – just showed that when the right access is put in place, a person can really bloom.

I hope you check out the episode for yourself which is out on Netflix now, series 8 of Queer Eye. Enjoy!

By Rebecca A Withey