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12 Shows with LGBT Characters

Want a show to watch, but also would like to see people who aren't straight as an arrow? Here are some ideas for your next binge.

By Anika WillisPublished 6 years ago 8 min read
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So, I have a lot of movies and shows that I love to watch, but I get really tired of seeing only straight people and straight relationships. Therefore, I love finding shows that have good LGBT characters. Here are some of the shows that I've found that have these good LGBT characters, for everyone who, like me, freaks out when they find these:

1. 'Orange is the New Black'

This show is excellent in its portrayal of LGBT women, allowing for the viewers to see what the lives of women in the situation at Litchfield's women's prison might be like. The major character is Piper Chapman, who was incarcerated after being essentially framed by her ex-girlfriend for a crime they both committed. Throughout the show, several other lesbian and bisexual women, even a transgender woman (played by Laverne Cox, by the way, which is fabulous) have major roles in the story, and the producers and actors don't make it feel forced. And they're going on 7 seasons, so it should last you a little while.

2. 'Supergirl'

Oh, how I love this show!! Kara Danvers, Superman's cousin who also escaped from Krypton, battles to save National City from alien threats hailing from across the universe. If you're a fan of shows like Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, or The Arrow (several of which are also on this list), then you will love this show anyway, for its strong female characters and accepting attitude. This accepting attitude is proven when Kara's adopted sister, Alex Danvers, comes out as lesbian in Season 2. It's a long and difficult process for Alex, but once she is able to tell people about that and be with her girlfriend, Maggie Sawyer, the other characters take her in and accept her just has they had before. Alex and Maggie's relationship also feels real in a lot of ways, from Alex's elation about finally having someone she really can love to their disagreements about very real issues that they both want to just work out. This show is an excellent watch, although currently only four seasons.

3. 'Grey's Anatomy'

LGBT characters in this show are scarce, but strong. The first one to show up is Callie Torres, who is forced to address her bisexuality after falling in love with Erica Hahn in season four. The two of them have a fling for a while, helping Hahn realize that she is gay. Then Hahn disappears without a trace, and Callie meets Arizona Robbins, a bright and bubbly lesbian who she quickly falls in love with, and they have a fantastic, real relationship for a lot of seasons. And although there are other LGBT people who are mentioned in the show (mostly women that Arizona go out with before/after her relationship with Callie), these are the only ones who really star in the show. Going on 15 seasons, this show should hold you over for a long while if you can get into it.

4. 'Doctor Who'

A classic that has been running on and off since the 1960s, the show as of late has begun to have a bit more LGBT representation than it originally did. Since the most recent reboot starting in 2005, characters such as Clara Oswald and River Song have been implied to be bisexual and omnisexual, mentioning relationships they've had outside of 'normal' heterosexual, same species relationships. There are also characters like Jack Harkness and Bill Potts who are explicitly LGBT, not to mention the coupling of Madame Vastra and Jenny, who are not only lesbian but cross-species. Beyond that, this is a fun show with deep meaning. The most recent reboot is going on 11 seasons and has many more that aired between 1968 and 1985.

5. 'Glee'

Seem obvious? Gay kids in a show choir? Well, it's still true. And it's still a fun watch, diving into issues that many high school kids face, including dealing with cliques, teen pregnancy, and what the heck teachers do when they're not teaching. With LGBT characters such as Kurt Hummel and Unique Adams, this show portrays how difficult it can be to be young and different in the world, but how those differences don't mean you have to be an outcast. All it takes is finding your niche and rocking your style. This show has six seasons.

6. 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

When I first started this show, my impression was that it was really cheesy, but I soon realized that it was really about finding your place when you don't fit the mold that you feel like you should. Buffy and her crew spend their time killing monsters and developing powers, in school, and trying to figure out who they are. So when Willow Rosenberg falls in love, very slowly, with Tara Maclay in season four, it is a big deal. This couple is one of the first lesbian couples to be portrayed on TV that wasn't meant for laughs, and it takes a long time to develop. However, once the rest of the crew finds out about Willow and Tara, they willingly accept Tara as part of the family. This acceptance is something that is much welcome in a world where these types of relationships are rarely shown on television. This has seven seasons.

7. 'Once Upon a Time'

Bringing together characters from many classic fairy tales as well as popular movies, such as Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, Peter Pan, and Disney's Frozen, this doesn't seem like a world that would be too accepting of people who are LGBT. Despite that, there are several who show up in later seasons, including Mulan, Dorothy, and Ruby. And these characters are incorporated into the world just as their straight peers, with love stories and lives relatively equivalent. It is a fun story with seven seasons, that will help you go back to your childhood with classic story characters in a new setting.

8. 'American Horror Story'

This is a wild horror show that plays a completely different story line each season. While there are very few consistent characters due to that, the show has no qualms about adding many LGBT characters throughout the seasons. One consistent LGBT character is Lana Winters, a gay woman incarcerated in the asylum in season two, who consistently shows up as a reporter throughout the seasons, with the awful situations they depict being her specialty. Other strong LGBT characters throughout the show include Chad Warwick in Murder House, Stanley and Del Toledo in Freak Show, Liz Taylor, Will Drake, and the Countess in Hotel, and Ally and Ivy in Cult. While this show is terrifying, as the name suggests, it is well worth coming back for the upcoming eighth installment, Apocalypse. It is full of suspense and forces people to face the worst parts of themselves.

9. 'The Flash'

Barry Allen and his crew battle super humans using their own superpowers in a show that is remarkably diverse, which is a good reason alone for this show to gain recognition. Its LGBT representation, unfortunately, is rather scarce, Police Captain David Singh, Barry's boss, shows up fairly often, and every so often they will run into a villain who at least seems to be LGBT, and there are rumors that there will be another LGBT character introduced for upcoming season five. This is an exciting show, full of acceptance and excitement.

10. 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'

A modern show, all about finding your way in a world you don't know, features Kimmy Schmidt, surviving in New York City after being found trapped in a bunker by a cult for ten years. It presents a view of one way to be gay in New York in the form of Titus Andromedon, Kimmy's roommate and best friend. He struggles with finding work and finding love, eventually falling for Mikey, who he dates for a while, then fights to win back after they break up. Through Titus, we meet several other gay characters, including a coworker and an ex-boyfriend and his husband. Titus' attitude toward the world and his sexuality is hilarious, adding another layer to an already fun show. It currently has 4 seasons.

11. 'Arrow'

This show focuses on the Green Arrow, a rich, reserved vigilante with excellent bow skills. Although it has strong connections to the Flash, its diversity is not as wide. It does have several strong LGBT characters, however. These include Sara Lance, who is bisexual but prefers women, and several of the women she dates during the show, Nyssa al Ghul and Ava Sharpe, although Ava is featured in Legends of Tomorrow. There is also Curtis Holt, also known as Mister Terrific. Characters like these bring some diversity to the show and make it even better than it already was. This show has six seasons.

12. 'Firefly'

Think of this as a space cowboy show. Mal Reynolds leads his small crew of pirates and castaways across the universe, looking for work, legal or not, and often running from the law and other people who hate them. Both in this show, which only ran one season, and the movie it is based on, Serenity, the majority of the crew doesn't spend much time on sexuality. However, it is clear all except one are solidly straight. Inara Serra, a 'companion' by trade—somewhere between a geisha and an escort—is clearly bisexual, hiring herself out to both men and women throughout the show. Because she chooses the clients she is with, it is obvious that she does this because she likes both men and women. The fact that the crew is accepting of this makes it clear that this is a normal thing in this universe. Beyond that, this is a great watch, and won't take very long, but I would suggest watching both the one season of Firefly and the movie that goes with it, Serenity.

There we go! Obviously there are a lot more shows out there with LGBT characters, but if I made a list of all of them, I probably would never publish this. So please, go find a new show, a new favorite character, a new favorite relationship!!

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About the Creator

Anika Willis

Hi everyone! I'm here, writing about things I enjoy and honing my writing as I do so. Enjoy my articles!

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