There was a time when there were no open LGBTQIA+ characters on television, but now more than ever shows are diving headfirst into what it means to be navigating your sexuality, celebrating it, discussing it with your family, and living a rich life. Here are a few you should check out if you haven’t already. Once you start you won’t be able to stop, so get ready to clear some time for some epic binge watching.
1. Faking It
Initially you may think Faking It is just another surface level high school comedy that doesn’t really get at any serious issues. However the further you get into the show the more in depth the show gets. Amy questions her sexuality and realizes she may be bisexual. Karma is still trying to figure out her sexuality, Shane is a very openly gay character, and Lauren is revealed to be intersex. Laverne Cox, an openly transgender woman (who also plays a role in OITNB), also stars in a couple episodes and we see the characters navigate romantic feelings for each other, family issues, drugs, drinking, and so much more, all while trying to get through high school.
2. Orange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black tells the story of Piper Chapman, based on her real life story of being taken from her upscale life in New York City to a women’s federal prison. Laverne Cox and Samira Wiley are among several actresses that identify in their everyday lives as openly LGBTQIA+, as well as in the show. Piper, Alex, and Big Boo all identify in the show as openly lesbian and bisexual and navigate dealing with their relationships inside and outside of prison, their pasts, drugs, fights, lying, cheating, and so much more.
3. Archer
Archer is all about a crazy cast of characters who work for ISIS, The International Secret Intelligence Service and then the FBI, and at times go completely rogue. They go on missions, manage relationships with each other, use a copious amount of substances, and always have witty things to say to each other. This show goes overboard in so many ways and sexuality is absolutely one of them. Most of the characters explore relationships with each other and those they meet on the job. Ray is openly gay, Pam is bisexual, and Woodhouse is said to have had a relationship with another man in the past but we are unsure of what his current feelings are or how he identifies. Though this show is animated and out of control there are many aspects of it in respect to romantic relationships, friends, and family that are very real.
4. The Fosters
The Fosters follows the lives of the Foster family, an interracial lesbian couple raising a blended family of their biological, adopted, and foster children. The series has received favorable reviews from critics for exploring a wide array of LGBTQIA+ themes; it won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series, the GLAAD Vanguard Award for executive producer Jennifer Lopez, and the Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout Television Show. Stef and Lena must deal with Stef’s patrol ex-husband and Brandon’s father and figure out their own relationship while keeping track of their kids and all that is going on in their lives.
5. Awkward
Awkward is about a cast of characters including Jenna, Tamara, Matty, Jake, Sadie, Lissa and other intermittent characters navigating high school and getting into college. They deal with issues of suicide, drinking, drugs, relationships, family, fraud and so much more. Theo and Cole are an openly gay couple in the show constantly causing drama and havoc and spicing things up. Tamara is shown having a sexual tryst with another girl but mostly has relationships with other men. She calls herself “hetero-flexible” and is open to just about anything as long as her friends are by her side.
Comment below with your favorite character from one of these shows!