20 groundbreaking LGBTQ+ characters

Cate Blanchett gives a haunting and beautiful performance in Todd Haynes’ Carol, the film adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt. Her forbidden relationship with the young woman Therese is the heart and soul of the film, and though they have their difficulties, they ultimately manage to find their own form of happiness. This film conveys the powerful message that Cold War LGBTQ+ life wasn’t always miserable and tragic; people found ways of surviving and thriving despite the oppressive culture around them.

Heartstopper is in many ways the very definition of a feel-good show, with its sweet depiction of the high school romance of Nick and Charlie. Just as importantly, however, the show engages with the complexities of both characters. Nick is remarkable for being a bi character who makes no apologies for who he is, while Charlie struggles with an eating disorder. Their love helps them both to grapple with their various struggles, and the show deserves a great deal of credit for exploring some of the more fraught territory associated with queer teenage life.

Roseanne broke barriers in a number of ways, and it’s worth pointing out that it also featured a senior citizen who also happened to be a lesbian. Beverly Harris’ coming out in season nine was a bit shocking, but the series deserves credit for showing the extent to which coming to terms with one’s identity can happen at any stage of life. Sadly, this particular development has been thoroughly retconned, both within the original show and in The Conners, but the show at least deserves some credit for bringing attention to an oft-ignored part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Ryan Murphy’s series Pose might just be the best thing the veteran showrunner and producer has created. Beautiful and poignant and richly told, it follows several trans women and other LGBTQ+ folk as they find shelter in the ball culture of the 1980s and 1990s. Of particular note is the character of Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista, portrayed by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, who shines as a trans woman living with AIDS. She is a marvel of a character and, no matter what struggles she goes through, she always comes through for the members of her found family.

The Last of Us is, first and foremost, a post-apocalyptic series in which civilization has collapsed thanks to a fungal pandemic. However, one of the more moving storylines in the first season revolved around Bill and Frank (played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett), two men who found love and companionship among the ruins of their world. Their story is aching, poignant, and even deeply tragic, and it demonstrates the extent to which love finds a way to thrive, even in the midst of the apocalypse. 

Glee was remarkable for many reasons, not the least of which was its willingness to contain a number of different sexualities. Naya Rivera gives a particularly poignant and powerful performance as Santana, and one of her key narrative arcs is her relationship with Brittany and her process of coming to terms with the fact that she is gay. It’s still remarkable to see an LGBTQ+ Latina person in media of any kind, and Rivera deserves a lot of credit for making this character so nuanced and compelling.

HBO’s Somebody Somewhere was one of the network’s sweetest and most heartfelt series, and the key relationship in the show was that between main character Sam and her best friend, Joel (portrayed by Jeff Hiller). What’s remarkable about Joel is that he is an LGBTQ+ Christian for whom faith remains a key part of his identity. He doesn’t feel complete until he rejoins the church that he left. It’s a refreshing bit of representation, and Joel’s story is a reminder that many LGBTQ+ individuals have found a loving and welcoming home within various religious traditions. 

Ted Lasso was one of those series that steadfastly avoided taking a hard stance on any political or social issues. A notable exception to this was the character of Colin Hughes, who, in the third season, is shown to have been closeted all along. Colin’s story is symbolic of the many struggles that LGBTQ+ athletes face as they try to keep their careers while also being honest and authentic with themselves. Thanks to Ted Lasso’s general optimistic ethos, Colin finally gets his own slice of happiness. 

When the audience first meets Patrick Brewer in Schitt’s Creek, he appears to be straight, but it’s soon clear he has very strong feelings for David. Indeed, a key part of his story is his recognition that he might not be as straight as he always thought. The show handles this with delicacy and nuance, and it is truly heartwarming to see him finally come to terms with who he really is and find his true love in the person of David. It’s also fitting that the show ends with them getting married and starting their life together.

Memorably and hilariously portrayed by Daniel Levy, David Rose is one of the primary protagonists of Schitt’s Creek. Early in the show’s run, it’s revealed that he is pansexual and that he is drawn to many types of people, regardless of their gender. The revelation of his pansexuality is an important landmark in the representation of LGBTQ+ people in popular culture, and the fact that he is so accepted by both his family and the small town of Schitt’s Creek is a heartwarming message for queer folks everywhere and a reminder that small towns can be little slices of LGBTQ+ heaven.

Modern Family more than lives up to its name. In addition to being a very funny show in its own right, it offers a fascinating glimpse at the changing nature of the American family. Cam and Mitch are the series’ representative gay couple, and while they might spat and feud at times, it’s clear that their relationship is founded on true love. Their relationship/marriage and their adoption of their daughter Lily demonstrate the extent to which gay couples had, during the time of the show’s production, at any rate, truly become a part of the broader American family.

Ryan Murphy’s Glee might have outstayed its welcome in its last few seasons, but there’s still no question that Chris Colfer’s Kurt Hummel was a breath of fresh air in terms of LGBTQ+ representation. An undeniably talented singer, Kurt had his fair share of struggles, ranging from coming out to contending with his relationship with his ultimate one true love, Blaine. While not every storyline lands as effectively as it could, this doesn’t diminish the impact that Kurt and the other characters who populate Glee’s universe have had on TV and American culture more generally.

Laverne Cox burst into fame thanks to her Emmy-nominated performance in the hit TV series Orange is the New Black. Her Sophia Burset is unapologetic in her trans identity, but there’s no doubt that she goes through quite a lot during her time on the show (just like most of the other inmates). The powerful and haunting humanity of Cox’s performance allows the viewer to feel for her as she experiences the types of microaggressions and abuse that trans women routinely face within the confines of the US prison system. 

Sean Hayes earned himself a place in the pantheon of great TV actors when he portrayed Jack McFarland in Will & Grace. Unlike Will, who has the privilege of passing for straight, Jack is unapologetically and flamboyantly gay, and this is precisely what makes him such a powerful figure in terms of representation. Moreover, McFarland’s performance is textured and nuanced, and he often lets the viewer see that, beneath the exuberance and the cattiness, there is also a very vulnerable person looking for love and friendship just like anyone else.

The late Andre Braugher gave what is arguably his best performance in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, in which he played the stoic and no-nonsense Captain Holt. Holt was a truly groundbreaking figure in terms of LGBTQ+ representation, for he was a Black gay cop working for the NYPD. While Holt could be quite cold and distant at times, it’s clear that he loves his husband, Kevin, and some of the series’ most moving storylines revolve around them trying to navigate the fraught waters of their relationship. As if all of this weren’t enough, Captain Holt is also one of the funniest characters on the show.

Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight remains a truly powerful piece of filmmaking, exploring the fraught intersection between Black and queer identity. The central character is Chiron, played by different actors at three different points in his life. In each case, he yearns for a sense of connection and love in a world that all too rarely offers either. His journey is wrenching to watch, but in the end, he does find that love and affection he has so long sought. It’s precisely the fact that it has taken so long that makes it all the more poignant and affecting. 

The sitcom Will & Grace was a true trailblazer, bringing openly gay characters into the living rooms of millions of people during the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. Eric McCormack’s Will Truman is one of the most notable gay characters in TV history. Will may not be flamboyant, and his journey to self-acceptance is a long one, but he’s still someone that everyone can relate to, which explains why he has remained such a potent reminder of the importance of representation in the world of popular culture. 

Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain  remains one of the director’s most heartbreaking films, and much of the film’s pathos stems from Heath Ledger’s performance as the tormented Ennis Del Mar. Unlike Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist, Ennis struggles throughout the film to reconcile his love for Jack with the expectations their world has of men like him. Ennis remains a groundbreaking queer character in large part because his struggles are so similar to those of other rural LGBTQ+ people, both past and present. 

Susan Harris has a true knack for creating comedies with a social conscience. In her series Soap, for example, she gave the character Jodie Dallas, one of the most notable gay characters of the 1970s and early 1980s. Portrayed by Billy Crystal, he was a study in contradictions, for while he was in some ways a stereotype, he also had a number of important storylines and arcs. There was also something remarkably poignant about Crystal’s performance of the character, so it’s easy to see why he would remain such an important character in terms of on-screen representation. 

The character of Ellen Morgan looms large in the history of LGBTQ+ representation. The character, who was memorably played by Ellen DeGeneres, came out in “The Puppy Episode,” which coincided with DeGeneres’ public coming out as gay. Being groundbreaking often comes with a downside, which DeGeneres can attest to. Before her legendary eponymous talk show, DeGeneres was shunned by the industry. Even though Ellen's ratings declined in later seasons, DeGeneres and the first show she headlined deserve credit for being so willing to be open in a still very homophobic era.