Representation in media is a lot more important in our society than most people realize. The media influences our everyday lives, it creates role models and inspirations for all different types of people, or at least it should. Seeing someone on T.V. that looks like you, loves like you, and does what you wish you could do, has the ability to inspire people to follow their dreams and look beyond the limitations they are confronted with. The representation of LGBTQ+ characters has been very lacking over the years, to say the least. Many T.V. series create these characters as one dimensional in which their “queerness” is their only characteristic and make them completely expandable to the series so that they may be killed off as soon as they become an inconvenience. What makes the men on this list stand out is the fact that they’re more than their sexuality. Although they have a bit more representation than lesbians, gay and bisexual men in the media are still discriminated against. Bisexuality is still largely seen as a myth in boys and the bisexual characters on this list break that biphobic stereotypical mold. So please, enjoy our top gay and bisexual male T.V. characters list.
Jack McFarland, Will and Grace (1998)
Conceited, narcissistic, vain, shallow, flamboyant, and effeminate, Jack McFarland invented the gay man T.V. stereotype. Jack is a “starving” artist living in New York City who lives off his mother and his best friends, Will Truman and Karen Walker. He has countless lovers and romances. With each new love interest, he swears he’s in love and has found “the one” but ultimately forgets who the latest “one” is and moves onto the next “one” without a second thought. On paper, he can be kind of an off-putting character, yet he has this overwhelming charisma that makes you root for him. His persistence in making his theater show successful (although he sucks sooo bad) is inspiring. It is as if he cannot exist without expressing himself through art therefore he brings that into every aspect of his life: his friendships, his romances, his fatherhood, etc. It is Jack’s struggle and determination to succeed that make him so relatable to all different types of audiences. Also, Will and Grace is a sitcom which means he’s funny as heck and that adds likeability points.
Connor Walsh, How To Get Away With Murder
Connor Walsh is one of Annalise Keating’s best students. Throughout the series, he has served as the word of reason most of the time. At first, he was constantly trying to make the group act morally in the face of so many crimes, but eventually gave in to them. If you’re gonna do things wrong, do it right. He is very cynical which makes his first instinct to look out for himself, but most of all, for the man he loves, Oliver. After so many bad things happen, he tries to keep Oliver out of as much as he can and tries to move away and take Olive with him. But Oliver refuses saying they have to help their friends, so he stays for the man he loves. Connor is egocentric, cocky and would very likely walk over anyone to get what he wants. But, he is also loving, kind and would do anything to protect the people that he loves.
James Flint, Black Sails
Pirate Captain, James Flint, is smart, cunning, feared, driven and goal-oriented. He was once a respected and skilled Royal Navy Lieutenant named James McGraw. He was recruited by Thomas Hamilton to help move forward the royal pardons for pirates. James later began having an affair with Thomas’ wife, Miranda Barlow, and it was later discovered that he also had an affair with Thomas himself, and all three of them were okay with this love triangle. When Thomas’ father became aware of his son’s affair, he had him shipped off to a mental institution and exiled both James and Miranda from England. After his exile, James became a pirate and took upon the name of Flint. For ten years he built up his reputation in Nassau as one of the most feared and successful pirates. Later, it was said that Thomas committed suicide in the institution and James vowed to finish Thomas’ vision of pardoning pirates. Throughout four seasons it was believed that Thomas had died but it was all a farce as Thomas was indeed alive. James and Thomas were reunited in an open field in the season four finale, where they embraced and shared a kiss, much to fans excitement.
Kurt Hummel, Glee
Kurt Hummel is one of the original members of New Directions. His vocal range can rival that of any of the women on the team and has caused many disputes between the other powerhouses. But what makes him stand out is how out and proud he is about his sexuality, even in the face of bullies who assault him on a daily basis. He came out to his father, who was very accepting, on the fourth episode of the series; making his life and sexuality a very important plot point. He struggles to fit in at school as well as in the glee club at first. He struggles to find love and acceptance for a long time. But eventually he does. Kurt finds love and makes friends and thrives against all the odds stacked against him McKinley High. His story is and has been an inspiration for many young boys who have struggled the same way and see in him a possible future if they just stay true to who they are and don’t give in to the mean words of bullies and ignorant people.
Captain Raymond Holt, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Captain Raymond Holt stands against every single gay stereotype on T.V. It almost feels like the writers, Dan Goor and Michael Schur, sat down with a list of all the stereotypical qualities of gay men, looked up the antonyms and wrote Holt based on those. He shows little to no emotion. He is serious, well mannered and spoken, proper, and strict. In his backstory, we learn the reason for this. He is a black, gay man in a predominantly white and straight workforce. Holt has had to work twice as hard as anyone to get the respect of his colleagues and to prosper in his career. This is evident when he is briefly transferred out of the nine-nine and the station is put in hands of other captains who are not even half as equipt for the job as him, yet hold the same title. He is relentless in the race for Police Commissioner because it has been his goal since he joined the police force and he knows he can affect real change. Holt also has a beautiful, monogamous and steady relationship with his husband that demolishes the “playboy” status of homosexual men.
Oberyn Martell, Game of Thrones
Oberyn, of House Martell, was the Prince of Dorne and became a fan favorite on the show when we first saw him enjoying the company of both men and women in a brothel. He and his lover, Ellaria Sand, a bastard from Dorne, both enjoyed exploring their sexuality and were comfortable with being in an open relationship. Oberyn fathered eight bastard daughters, also known as the Sand Snakes, four of whom Ellaria is their mother. His knowledge of poisons and his warrior-like fighting skills earned him the title of the Red Viper from Dorne. And after what felt like a lifetime, Oberyn finally got the chance to avenge his sister Elia’s death when he fought her murderer, Gregor Clegane. Unfortunately, he died in the battle as The Mountain crushed his skull. Fans were left wanting more of Pedro Pascal as his portrayal of Oberyn Martell was just remarkably unforgettable.
Cyrus Beene, Scandal
Cyrus Beene was so well written that the audience went from rooting for him after being underappreciated and underestimated by Fitz to hating him when he tried to take down Mellie and Olivia. His character arch is so beautifully done that the person introduced on the first episode is so different from the person with which the series ends with and it’s all done so seamlessly that it feels like the only possible outcome. He started off loyal and dedicated to Fitz. He did whatever was necessary for his president to succeed. He gave his all to the White House at the his own expense. Cyrus’ mistake was letting his ambitions get the best of him. He tried to go from kingmaker to making himself King and it did not go well for him. His hunger for power and lack of patience were ultimately his downfall. And also, he’s gay.
Ian Gallagher, Shameless
Confident, smart, driven and caring are some of the few characteristics that best describe Ian Gallagher. Fans grew increasingly intrigued in Ian’s life when it was revealed that he and bad-boy Mickey Milkovich were hooking up. As any other relationship, these two went through hell and back in order to maintain their relationship sane. But with a big family like Ian’s and a criminal family like Mickey’s, there was bound to be obstacles and drama in their path. Mickey was arrested on multiple occasions and the pair eventually broke up. In the midst of their relationship, Ian was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, something he inherited from his mother and it brought problems to his daily life. After a while, he managed to keep it in check and later became an EMT, not before he took up a gig as a stripper at a gay bar. He is seen having a relationship with multiple men on the show and even a transgender male character named Trevor. Ian is soon arrested after he blew up a car while acting like Jesus Christ. To fans surprise, Ian’s cellmate ended up being ex-boyfriend Mickey, talk about soulmates.
Julian De La Mora, The House of Flowers
Julian De La Mora is just like any other typical, spoiled, rich kid. He’s selfish, arrogant and dramatic af. Julian is seen having an affair with his family’s financial advisor, Diego Olvera. When his girlfriend, Lucía, sees a porn video of Diego, Julian and another man, she threatens to make it public if he didn’t propose to her and made things official between them. Julian proposes but immediately regrets it and takes it back as he realizes that the person he wants to marry is Diego, not Lucía. After proposing to Diego and coming out to his family, Julian and Diego’s relationship seems to go great, with Julian moving in with his fiancée and all. Everything eventually goes downhill when Julian cheats on Diego and he runs off with the money Julian’s family was going to use to get their father out of jail. Even though Julian started off spoiled and selfish, he ultimately learned his lesson with Diego’s betrayal.
Lafayette Reynolds, True Blood
Lafayette Reynolds appears throughout the whole of True Blood as a flamboyant and iconic queen. He confronts homophobia time and time again with grace and, depending on the level of discrimination, with violence. He’s the kind of friend you would want always on your side. He’s courageous, brave, outgoing and free-spirited. Being a medium is not as easy as some shows make it seem. Lafayette, being a medium, went through hell and back. He lost his boyfriend Jesus due to the chaos surrounding the town of Bon Temps, which involved vampires, witches and ghosts. Lafayette’s life is also not an easy one, with his mother in an institution, a dead boyfriend and his only other living relative turned vampire because of him, he was forced into a dark corner where he thought he didn’t have anyone there for him. It all changed when he met James, Jessica’s then boyfriend, and later became an item. Even though his life fell apart in shambles, Lafayette persisted and emerged stronger than ever. Fans were saddened by the news of actor, Nelsan Eliss’ death back in 2017.
These are the kings and queens we love the most! If you have any suggestions for more gay and bisexual male characters, feel free to comment and let us know which ones are your faves!