As awful as it might have been, Homelander could have made the same threats to Starlight, as she too is a Supe, so why did he choose Maeve instead? It’s actually a pretty simple answer; it’s because she’s bisexual.

After all, remember that Homelander is the one who forced the Brave Maeve persona onto her — she never wanted to be out but was forced to be after he had outted her on live television. Granted, he claimed that she was a lesbian, but that act of violence irreparably damaged their already-crumbled partnership. In this latest episode, he even says that he respects “what” she is, not who she is.

Unfortunately, this also has a solid basis in real-world statistics. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, nearly 75 percent of bisexual women have experienced some form of sexual violence other than rape, including reproductive coercion, in their relationships. Even more horrifically, 87.5 percent of bisexual women reported in the survey that their perpetrator was a man.

Although paraded around by Vought as the hero fighting for LGBTQ rights and equality, Maeve is under constant threat by Homelander for the nearly-sole reason that she is attracted to other women. That, and the fact that she dares to be bisexual after the two had broken up. Homelander’s treatment of Maeve is deeply rooted in the need to control those who he considers lesser, a sentiment shared by abusers and those who enable them.