New Hunger Games Prequel Reveals New Gay Couple In The Series

The release of the latest Hunger Games prequel has revealed a new gay characters in the series.

Sunrise On The Reaping was released earlier this week, with fans quick to spot the inclusion in the first chapter of the book.

While it’s not the first time any character has been openly identified as LGBTQIA+ in the series, fans are praising the inclusion.

New gay characters in The Hunger Games series

Sunrise On The Reaping is set several decades after the previous prequel The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes.

Focussed on the fiftieth iteration of the games and the famous “Quarter Quell” twist the story follows that of Haymitch Abernathy.

Haymitch famously appeared in the first three books/films as a previous winner and mentor to Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.

As readers settled in for this latest installation of the series they picked up a clear mention of the personal lives of one of the characters.

The latest book introduces us to Haymitch and his one true love Lenore Dove.

He reveals to readers that Dove was adopted by Clerk Carmine Clade, who featured in the previous prequel as a fiddler in the band with Lucy Gray, the central character to the story.

Clerk was played by the long haired Konstantin Taffet in the film adaptation of the book.

Photo shoot at The Hunger Games premiere at Zoo Palast, Berlin and the results on Getty Images! 💚🕊️🐍🎻🍿 #TheHungerGames #ClerkCarmine #ClerkCarmineClade #CC #CCC #autograph #KonstantinTaffet #TheCovey #CoriolanusSnow #TomBlyth #LucyGrayBaird #LucyGray #RachelZegler #Lionsgate pic.twitter.com/VKSRAK9H2o

— Konstantin Taffet (@konstaffet) November 14, 2023

Haymitch mentions in the story that Clade is in fact in a relationship with another man, stating “I once told Lenore Dove I thought [Clerk] just hated love. That’s when she revealed he’d been together some thirty years with the fellow in town who replaces busted windows.”

He goes on to reveal however that the relationship is something the pair still have to keep from many.

“They have to keep it quiet because loving differently can get you harassed by the Peacekeepers, fired from jobs, arrested even” he states.

Whilst Clade doesn’t appear to approve of Haymitch’s relationship with his daughter, Haymitch reveals his support of the couple regardless.

“Given his own challenges, you’d think Clerk Carmine would be a champion of our love — I’m certainly supportive of his — but I guess he thinks Lenore Dove could do better.”

haymitch abernathy an lgbt ally #sunriseonthereaping pic.twitter.com/8SI7qU5PhK

— ivy ❄️ (@ohhhhhherewegoo) March 18, 2025

Clerk and his boyfriend are not the only queer couple in the story, the series also includes openly gay nightclub owner Pluribus Bell and his boyfriend Cyrus as well as Barb Azure Baird who is mentioned as having a girlfriend. 

#sunriseonthereapingspoilers #sotrspoiler #sotr GAY PEOPLE CANON IN THE HUNGER GAMES LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO

— Katie🪸 (@K8eLand) March 18, 2025

gay character within this first 15 pages of Sunrise on the Reaping!??? oh the book is getting a 5 stars from me !!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 #sunriseonthereaping pic.twitter.com/FoojDyAUJ8

— niallnochill (@ni_alln) March 18, 2025

#sunriseonthereapingspoilers I SQUEALED I’ve been needing queer characters in thg for too damn long pic.twitter.com/3hIPA71Tmh

— ◟ wade / peeta ₊ sotr spoilers (@butchbojack) March 21, 2025

sunrise on the reaping minor spoilers
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clerk carmine being gay coded heals me pic.twitter.com/IU7Ac7nLyN

— ผู้ละแสงหมายเลข 1 (@kroqqodyle) March 18, 2025

While there has been no direct announcement for future prequel series, with many characters from the initial series being mentioned in Sunrise On The Reaping its clear there are plenty of other stories still to be told in the series.

There is however a release date for the film, which will be released on November 20, 2026.