house . Despite Omar being unarmed and wearing nothing but his bathrobe , the dealers abandon their entire drug supply to him , purely out of fear . Omar returns home with the cereal and drugs , and sits down to eat breakfast with his partner .
Omar ’ s partner in this scene is his newest boyfriend Renaldo , with “ Home Rooms ” being Renaldo ’ s first appearance in the series . A unique aspect of Omar ’ s personality is that Omar is one of the few characters in The Wire to enjoy committed relationships , having three serious boyfriends over the course of the series . In order , they are : Brandon in season one , Dante in seasons two and three , and Renaldo in season four and five . Omar remains monogamous with each of his partners , a departure from popular depictions of homosexual activity in early 2000s television . Such depictions often reinforced cultural stereotypes by linking homosexuality with sexual chastity or deviancy , very rarely presenting healthy and normalized relationships typical of the heterosexual model . In response to such stereotypical media depictions of homosexuality , “ a primary purpose of the critical application of queer theory has been to demonstrate how sexuality is culturally essentialized to inscribe heterosexuality as normal and all other sexualities as deviant ” ( Avila-Saavedra 6 ). However , The Wire subversively presents Omar ’ s homosexuality as anything but deviant . Unlike McNulty , Omar does not pursue casual sex , and his sexuality is instead expressed solely through these three relationships . This is especially noteworthy when contrasted with other African American characters in the series , as promiscuity is popularly seen “ as a defining feature of black masculinity ” ( Collins 162 ). Additionally , Omar demonstrates a romantic and tender nature towards his partners , with “ baby boy ” being his most frequently used term of endearment ; Omar ’ s tenderness towards his partners is portrayed a stark contrast with McNulty ’ s emotional ineptitude towards Elena .
It is important to note that Omar ’ s widely known queer sexuality does not detract from his masculine reputation ( Johnson Jr . 333 ). Instead , Omar arguably enjoys the most feared status out of any character in The Wire , as evidenced by the cold open of “ Home Rooms .” His mere appearance prompts civilians to clear the streets and yell , “ Omar comin ’!” to warn others . Additionally , Omar ’ s sentimentality towards his partners is not portrayed as a weakness that undermines his masculinity , but rather reinforces it . In the first season episode “ The Wire ” ( 7 / 07 / 02 ), Avon Barksdale , Stanfield ’ s primary rival in the drug trade , captures Brandon and tortures him to death , ultimately displaying his body as a warning to Omar . These actions are primarily motivated by retribution for a robbery Omar and Brandon commit in “ The Buys ” ( 6 / 16 / 02 ), an earlier episode in the season ; however , the excessive brutality
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