Gay characters in shows


20 All-Time Best Gay Characters in TV History

When casually watching a new series, it is not uncommon for there to be at least one character that represents the LGBTQ+ community. Many shows that target a teenage or young adult audience get advantage of this inclusivity to represent people of different sexual orientations. It is incredible to see this community getting the representation they have always deserved, but as we all comprehend, this was not always the case in our world, allow alone the entertainment industry.

While the s was a historical turning point for LGBTQ+ individuals in America, the s can claim several pivotal moments for queer characters and actors in Hollywood. The very first openly gay character to make it into a television series, though he was not made a regular, was Archie Bunker's longtime comrade, Steve, in All in the Family. The episode is respectfully titled "Judging Books by Covers," and Steve comes out to his bigoted and homophobic companion. Within the next few decades, several writers and producers tested the waters by including gay and les

GLAAD&#;s annual &#;Where We Are on TV&#; report was released this week, and was a bit bleak. We&#;re losing characters across scripted broadcast programming, and of all LGBTQ characters counted across broadcast, cable and streaming networks, 36% won&#;t be returning due to cancellations, the miniseries/anthology format, or a character dying or otherwise exiting the show. We&#;ve talked a lot around here about how much these cancellations are f*cking our community, and recently listed more than 52 shows with lesbian and bisexual characters cancelled after one season.

But you wouldn&#;t know how desperately our community needs more LGBTQ+ characters on television from doing what I do every month, which is google all kinds of combinations of new exhibit names and networks to figure out if they&#;re going to be showcasing LGBTQ characters. This is something I have to do to write the monthly streaming guide. And while those searches often turn out useful information, they also deliver, inevitably, a Reddit thread or Quora thread of people complaining about there being too many LGBTQ c

TV Shows with LGBTQ+ Characters and Leads

Last updated: July 17,

Characters on television are more diverse than ever, and there's been a notable rise in the number of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters, reality stars, and talk show hosts. Series that feature diverse characters (Glee, The Fosters) as well as real-life inspirations and LGBTQ+ icons such as Laverne Cox and RuPaul continue to pave the way for even more representation on television. From the hilarious shenanigans on Modern Family to Ellen DeGeneres reminding viewers to "be kind to one another," these must-see TV shows (and stars) celebrate diversity and spotlight the LGBTQ+ community in positive, relatable ways. For more fantastic LGBTQ+ stories, check out our lists of books and movies with LGBTQ+ characters.

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Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Television Characters

by David A. Wyatt
Copyright © David Wyatt

[version=12 February ]

For several years now I have been trying to compile a list of television programs that hold included gay/lesbian/bisexual characters as a part of their regular (or semi-regular) casts. Many shows possess `dealt' with sexual orientation in a single episode or story line, but just how many have included gay, lesbian or bisexual characters on a regular (or recurring) basis? This is the list I have. My intention is to keep the list to network and widely-syndicated entertainment shows in the English language.

To be listed a character should have appeared in at least three episodes and be explicitly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Effeminate (but not gay) male characters, manish (but not lesbian) female characters, and gender shifting science fiction characters are generally not listed. For the purposes of this list, a character is described as `recurring' if he or she has appeared in at least three (3) episodes.

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