This is a list of television shows that significantly include LGBT issues and/or feature prominent LGBT characters or cast members.
Contents |
Dramatic series and miniseries
- see main article: List of dramatic television series with LGBT characters
Films
- see main article: List of made for television films with LGBT characters
Sitcoms
The following sitcoms include central LGBT themes or characters.
| Year | Title | Network | Character name | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 - | Sophie | CBC Television (Canada) ABC Family (US, 2009) |
Matt Scott Verner Bernard |
Jeff Geddis Ian Matthews Stéphane Demers |
Matt is an OB/GYN and lead character Sophie's best friend. Verner is his partner. Bernard is a waiter at the café where Matt and Sophie hang out, with whom Matt has an affair. |
| 2008 - | Sordid Lives: The Series | Logo | Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram Ty Williamson |
Leslie Jordan Jason Dottley |
Brother Boy likes to perform as Tammy Wynette and tries to escape from treatments to dehomosexualize him. Ty is an actor in Los Angeles coming to terms with his homosexuality. |
| 2007 - | Kick | SBS | Layla Jackie |
Nicole Chamoun Romi Trower |
Layla is a Muslim-Australian who lives with her conservative family and is unenthusiastically engaged to be married to a man named Sharif. But when she falls in love with fellow-fencer Jackie, she has to choose between following her heart or making her family happy. |
| 2007 - | The Sarah Silverman Program | Comedy Central | Brian Steve |
Brian Posehn Steve Agee |
Sarah's neighbors. |
| 2006 - | The Business | IFC | Terrence von Holtzen Wendell Cooper |
Matt Silver Neil Napier |
Terrence is an intern who in season 2 is promoted to Associate Co-head of the Animation and Historical Adaptation Department. Wendell is the company's accountant. In a sexually charged second season episode Terrence admits his repressed homosexuality and he and Wendell hook up. |
| 2006 - 2007 | Cover Girl | SRC | Mathieu/Veronica Justin/Joujou Newton/Lana Cherry Sundae |
René Richard Cyr Vincent Bolduc Frédéric Pierre Gilles Renaud |
Series focuses on four drag queens. |
| 2006 - 2007 | The Class | CBS | Kyle Lendo Aaron |
Sean Maguire Cristian de la Fuente |
Kyle is in a relationship with Aaron. He is a second grade teacher at an elite private school. |
| 2006 | Crumbs | ABC | Mitch Crumb | Fred Savage | |
| 2005 - | All About George | ITV (UK) |
Russel | Rory Jennings | |
| 2005 | It's Me...Gerald | Showcase | Gerald | Gerald L'Ecuyer | |
| 2005 - | My Name is Earl | NBC | Kenny James | Gregg Binkley | |
| 2005 - | The Office | NBC | Oscar Martinez | Oscar Nuñez | |
| 2005 - 2006 | Out of Practice | CBS | Regina Barnes | Paula Marshall | |
| 2005 - 2006 | Twins | The WB | Neil | Christopher Fitzgerald | |
| 2005 - | The War At Home | FOX | Kenny | Rami Malek | |
| 2004 - | Drawn Together | Comedy Central | Xandir Captain Hero Foxxy Love |
Jack Plotnick (voice) Jess Harnell (voice) Cree Summer (voice) |
Xandir is gay; Captain Hero is pansexual; Foxxy Love is bisexual. |
| 2004- | Entourage | HBO | Lloyd | Rex Lee | |
| 2003 - | Reno 911! | Comedy Central | Lieutenant Dangle Deputy Kimball |
Thomas Lennon Mary Birdsong |
|
| 2003 - 2004 | It's All Relative | ABC | Simon Banks Philip Stoddard |
Christopher Sieber John Benjamin Hickey |
|
| 2003 - 2006 | Aquí no hay quien viva | Antena 3 | Mauri Hidalgo Fernando Navarro Bea Villarejo Diego Álvarez Rosa Izquierdo Ana Abel |
Luis Merlo Adrià Collado Eva Isanta Mariano Alameda María Almudéver Vanesa Romero |
Stable gay relationship between main characters Mauri and Fernando. During a time they were broken up, Mauri had a relationship with Diego, who left him for another man and later regretted it. But by then Mauri and Fernando were together again.
Mauri also has a son by artificial insemination with lesbian best friend Bea, who had a relationship with a lawyer, Rosa, for a while. Afterwards, she had a wild night with Ana, who became lesbian for her and became a stable couple. |
| 2001 | The Ellen Show | CBS | Ellen Richmond | Ellen DeGeneres | |
| 2001 | Some of My Best Friends | CBS | Warren Fairbanks Vern Limoso |
Jason Bateman Alec Mapa |
Based on the film Kiss Me, Guido |
| 2000 | Normal, Ohio | FOX | William "Butch" Gamble | John Goodman | |
| 1999 - 2000 | Strangers with Candy | Comedy Central | Jerri Blank Geoffrey Jellineck Chuck Noblet |
Amy Sedaris Paul Dinello Stephen Colbert |
Jerri is bisexual. Jellineck and Noblet carried on a clandestine affair. |
| 1998 - 2006 | Will & Grace | NBC | Will Truman Jack McFarland Karen Walker |
Eric McCormack Sean Hayes Megan Mullally |
Will & Jack are gay. Karen's bisexuality is implied. |
| 1996 | Party Girl | FOX | Derrick | John Cameron Mitchell | Short-lived sitcom based on the 1995 theatrical film |
| 1996 - 2002 | Spin City | ABC | Carter Sebastian Heywood | Michael Boatman | |
| 1995 | Agony Again | BBC | Michael | Sasha Grunpeter | Short-lived sequel to 1979 sitcom "Agony". Jane Lucas's son, Michael, is gay. |
| 1994 - 2004 | Friends | NBC | Carol Willick Susan Bunch |
Jane Sibbett Jessica Hecht |
Carol is Ross's ex-wife, who realized that she was a lesbian. In 1996, Carol marries Susan, her partner, in network TV's first lesbian wedding |
| 1994 - 1998 | Ellen | ABC | Ellen Morgan | Ellen DeGeneres | In an ironic twist of fate, a show in which her character comes out ends the show and changed other parts of her real life, but she still continues successfully with comedy, acting and other activities. |
| 1994 - 1999 | The Vicar of Dibley | BBC | Frank Pickle | John Bluthal | |
| 1992 - 1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | HBO | Brian | Scott Thompson | |
| 1992 - 1997 | Martin | FOX | Shanaynay, Martin's mom |
Martin Lawrence | |
| 1991 - 1997 | The Brittas Empire | BBC | Gavin Featherly Tim Whistler |
Tim Marriott Russell Porter |
Tim and Gavin are a couple working at the leisure centre, who, though out, choose not to tell some people due to fear of being fired. Their homophobic boss is innocently oblivious to their relationship for seven years. |
| 1990 - 1993 | You Rang, M'lord? | BBC | Cissy Meldrum | Catherine Rabett | Cissy Meldrum is a main character within the series. She shows affection for her "chum" Penelope, while dressing in masculine clothing and engaging in activities that were thought of as male during the period (e.g. flying). |
| 1989-1991 | Doctor Doctor | CBS | Richard Stratford | Tony Carreiro | Openly gay brother of lead character Mike Stratford (Matt Frewer) |
| 1988 - 1997 | Roseanne | ABC | Bev Harris Leon Carp Scott Nancy Bartlett |
Estelle Parsons Martin Mull Fred Willard Sandra Bernhard |
In the final episode, Rosanne Conner revealed that the last season was a story she'd written. Her mother wasn't really gay but her sister was. |
| 1984 - 1989 | Brothers | Showtime | Cliff Waters Donald Maulpey |
Paul Regina Philip Charles MacKenzie |
Two heterosexual brothers cope when third brother (Cliff) comes out as gay. Donald is Cliff's gay neighbor. |
| 1984 | Dream Stuffing | Channel 4 | Richard | Ray Burdis | British sitcom about two unemployed girls who share a London flat. Their neighbour Richard was gay. |
| 1981-1983 | Love, Sidney | NBC | Sidney Shore | Tony Randall | The first prime-time television series to have a gay character as its central lead although the character was in the closet for all 40 episodes |
| 1979 - 1981 | Agony | ITV | Michael Rob |
Peter Denyer Jeremy Bulloch |
First British sitcom to feature a gay couple in a non-camp fashion. |
| 1977 - 1981 | Soap | ABC | Jodie Dallas | Billy Crystal | By the end of the series, Jodie was romantically involved with a woman. |
| 1977 | All That Glitters | Syndicated | Linda Murkland | Linda Gray | Linda Murkland was a male-to-female transsexual. |
| 1975 | Barney Miller | ABC | Marty Morrison Darryl Driscoll |
Jack DeLeon Ray Stewart |
Marty was a regular on the long-running television series, and Darryl made an appearance as Marty's lover. |
| 1975 | Hot l Baltimore | ABC | George Gordon |
Lee Bergere Henry Calvert |
The first gay couple on American network television. |
| 1972 - 1973 | The Corner Bar | ABC | Peter Panama | Vincent Schiavelli | Reportedly the first continuing portrayal of a gay person on American television. |
| 1972 - 1985 | Are You Being Served? | BBC One | Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries | John Inman | Although his sexual orientation is never explicitly stated, Mr. Humphries behaves as a stereotypical campy gay man. He often mentions having dinner or enjoying some other social activity with an unnamed "friend", and his coworkers at Grace Brothers all seem to believe that he is homosexual. |
Soap operas
The following soap operas or serial dramas include central LGBT themes or characters.
| Year | Title | Network | Character name | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 - | Brothers & Sisters | ABC | Kevin Walker Scotty Wandell Jason McCallister Chad Barry Saul Holden |
Matthew Rhys Luke Macfarlane Eric Winter Jason Lewis Ron Rifkin |
Kevin married Scotty in the season two finale of the show. |
| 2006 - 2007 | Watch Over Me | MyNetworkTV | Ryan Andre |
Omar Avila Casper Van Dien |
In this American telenovela, Ryan is the gay brother of the female lead. He has a relationship with cold and closeted assassin Andre. |
| 2005 - | Dante's Cove | here! | Almost every character, with the exception of Grace Neville | See cast list | Horror/supernatural-themed soap opera in which almost the entire cast of characters is gay or lesbian and many of whom are played by openly LGBT actors. |
| 2002 | Spyder Games | MTV | Ivan Carlisle Jeff Northcutt |
Byron Field Zay Harding |
Short-lived serial drama lasted 65 episodes. |
| 2001 - 2006 | Footballers' Wives | ITV1 | Hazel Bailey Conrad Gates Noah Alexander |
Alison Newman Ben Price Marcel McCalla |
Hazel was a lesbian sports agent. Conrad was bisexual. Noah was gay and sought out conversion therapy. |
| 2001 - | Paradise Falls | Showcase | Nick Braga | Cameron Graham | The grandson of the mayor, Nick, was engaged to a woman despite being a closet homosexual. The mayor, who dislikes gays, opposes the opening of a Bed and Breakfast designed for gay clients. The show often features sex and nudity for both straight and gay characters. |
| 2000 - | Verbotene Liebe | Das Erste | Oliver Sabel Christian Mann |
Jo Weil Thore Schollerman | Oliver has been out for awhile, recently he had a sexual encounter with Christian Mann. Christian fell in love with Olli and they have since been a couple. |
| 1999 - 2007 | Passions | NBC | Chad Harris Simone Russell |
Charles Divins Cathy Doe |
Chad began the show seemingly straight but was revealed as bisexual or possibly just gay in 2007, an aspect of himself he hates. Simone came out as a lesbian in 2005 and is open with it. |
| 1998 - 2003 | Dawson's Creek | WB | Jack McPhee Doug Witter Ethan Brody Tobey David |
Kerr Smith Dylan Neal Adam Kauffman David Monahan Greg Rikaart |
Doug Witter's character constantly denied he was gay through most of the show but he finally came to terms with his relationship with Jack in the final episode of the series. |
| 1995 - | Hollyoaks | Channel 4 | John Paul McQueen Craig Dean Spike Kieron Hobbs Ravi Roy Kris Fisher Sarah Barnes Gina Patrick |
James Sutton Guy Burnet Tom Vaughan Jake Hendriks Stephen Uppal Gerard McCarthy Loui Batley Dannielle Brent |
John Paul and Spike dated briefly. John Paul and Craig had/have a sexual and emotional relationship, lately they moved to Dublin together. Kieron was the latest love interest for John Paul before the latter got back with Craig again. New character Ravi tried to kiss Russ (who is straight) and then admitted that he is bisexual. Kris is a cross-dressing bisexual. Sarah and Zoë had a drunken liaison together. Gina & Emily had a brief lesbian relationship, encountering homophobia from Darren Osborne when this was revealed. |
| 1992 - | Shortland Street | TVNZ | Jonathan McKenna (1993-) Maia Jeffries (2004-)]] Jay Copeland (2004-2007) |
Kieran Hutchison Anna Jullienne Jaime Passier-Armstrong | |
| 1992 - 1999 | Melrose Place | Fox | Matt Fielding | Doug Savant | Matt was the only regular character never to have a love scene. The one time he was set to kiss another man on-screen, FOX edited it out. |
| 1988 - | Home and Away | Seven Network | Christopher Fletcher/Ross Eve Jacobsen |
Emily Perry | Pippa and Christopher returned in 2003 for Sally's wedding to Flynn Saunders, during this appearance Pippa revealed that Christopher was gay. This revelation created additional tension when Christopher tried to kiss Seb Miller, after some dramatics Seb later explained it was all right for Chris to be who he is. After this was resolved Christopher returned home. Eve fell in love with Sarah Lewis and died in 2006 trying to get revenge for Sarah's death. |
| 1985 - | Neighbours | Ten | Lana Crawford Donna Freedman |
Bridget Neval Margot Robbie |
Lana kissed Sky Mangel (Stephanie Macintosh) several times before revealing that she was a lesbian and had feelings for Sky. Donna is openly bisexual. |
| 1985 - | EastEnders | BBC1 | John Fisher Ruth Lyons Colin Russell Barry Clark Guido Smith Queenie Price Joe Wallace Della Alexander Binnie Riberts Tony Hills Simon Raymond Fred Fonseca Derek Harkinson Sonia Fowler Naomi Julien Marco Bianco Charity Kase Christian Clarke Lee Thompson |
Dave Dale Judy Liebert Michael Cashman Gary Hailes Nicholas Donovan Jon Labonowski Jason Rush Michelle Joseph Sophie Langham Mark Homer Andrew Lynford Jimi Mistry Ian Lavender Natalie Cassidy Petra Letang Bart Ruspoli Morgan Crowley John Partridge Carl Ferguson |
EastEnders has used various homosexual characters to highlight gay issues since the 1980s, including homophobia, bisexuality, age of sexual consent, and HIV/AIDS among others.[1]
EastEnders was the first UK soap to screen a gay kiss in 1987, prompting outrage from viewers and the media who branded the programme "filth" and dubbed it "EastBenders".[2] There were even questions in parliament about whether it was appropriate to have gay men in a family show when AIDS was sweeping the country.[3] Despite initial negativity, the characters had a powerful impact on public attitudes, and the show's handling of Colin and Barry's relationship was deemed by many gay activists as something of a breakthrough.[4][5] Actor turned politician, Michael Cashman (Colin), believes the storyline started "the social change" in opinion towards homosexuals, which "happened alongside the legal reform" in the 1980s.[6] EastEnders has been at the centre of much controversy regarding their gay characters kissing on-screen. Aside from Colin giving Barry a chaste peck on the forehead in 1987, EastEnders screened the first mouth-to-mouth gay soap kiss in the UK in 1989 (Colin and Guido), leading some MPs to call for the programme to be banned.[7] EastEnders' first regular lesbian characters provided the soap with its first lesbian kiss in 1994, provoking more complaints than any other UK television programme that year.[8] This was followed by a "censored" kiss between Tony and Simon in 1996, which infuriated gay activists after the BBC cut the kiss from its original two seconds to a half-second, so they would not "startle" viewers.[9][10] In 2007, a lesbian kiss between bisexual Sonia and lesbian Naomi prompted 211 complaints to the BBC,[11] and in 2008, a kiss between gay characters Christian and Lee prompted 145 complaints from viewers who were "appalled by the display of homosexual kissing before the watershed [...] whilst young children are watching". The BBC released a statement saying: "We approach our portrayal of homosexual relationships in the same way as we do heterosexual relationships. In this instance, Christian is enjoying the first flush of romance and we've shown him being affectionate with his new boyfriend in the same way any couple would."[12] |
| 1982 - 2003 | Brookside | Channel 4 | Gordon Collins (1982-1987) Beth Jordache (1993-1995) Shelly Bower (1999-2001) |
Mark Burgess Anna Friel Alexandra Wescourt |
Always groundbreaking, particularly in the 1980s, Brookside was the first British soap to have an out and proud gay character in Gordon Collins. Middle class and well spoken, his sexuality was not the only thing that set him apart from his fellow residents on Brookside Close. Beth featured in the most famous Brookside storyline of all when she helped bury her father's body after her mother had killed him, however this character will be equally remembered for British television's first pre-watershed lesbian kiss. Viewers complained in droves, however it proved a turning point in the way gay relationships were handled on mainstream British television. Shelly arrived in 1999 and soon had a relationship with Lindsay Corkhill, who had always considered herself straight until she met Shelly. Shelly would leave in 2001 after admitting she had feelings for Lindsay's mother Jackie. |
| 1981 - 1989 | Dynasty | ABC | Steven Carrington (1981-88, 1991) | Al Corley (1981-82, 1991) Jack Coleman (1983-88) |
This show was groundbreaking in that it was the first American nighttime drama to have a core character as a bisexual. During the show's run, however, Steven's sexual identity became very muddled, as he became involved mostly with women; a few times, he would have relationships with men. By the 1991 reunion movie, however, Steven firmly declared himself as gay and was having a relationship with politician's son Bart Fallmont. |
| 1974 - 1977 | The Box | Network Ten | Lee Whiteman (1974-1976) Vicki Stafford |
Paul Karo Judy Nunn |
Lee was a high-camp television producer who was generally well liked and resepcted by the show's other characters, and was a popular character with the show's viewers. Vicky was a bitchy journalist who became popular cult figure among the show's fans. In the first episode of the series she engaged in a lesbian kiss. |
| 1973 - | The Young and the Restless | CBS | Phillip Chancellor III Rafe Torres |
Thom Bierdz Yani Gellman |
Philip came out in July 2009.
On April 24, 2009, Rafe was revealed to be Y&R's first gay character when Lily Winters attempted to set him up with Colleen Carlton, unaware that he is gay. |
| 1972 - 1977 | Number 96 | Network Ten | Don Finlayson (1972-1977) Dudley Butterfield (1973-1977) Robyn Ross (1973) |
Joe Hasham Chard Hayward Carlotta |
Don was a dependable lawyer widely popular with the show's other characters. He enjoyed several gay relationships over the course of the series, the most enduring with Dudley Butterfield, who was a camp and flighty caterer and fan of old films. In later storylines Dudley was revealed as bisexual and later embarked on relationships with women. Robyn Ross was Arnold Feather's (Jeff Kevin) showgirl girlfriend. When her transgenderism was revealed the character quickly left the show. |
| 1972 - | Emmerdale (Emmerdale Farm until 1989) | YTV/ITV | Zoe Tate (1989-2005)Jasmine Thomas Debbie Dingle | Leah Bracknell | Openly lesbian character in this long running British soap. Both Jasmine and Debbie are current bisexual characters on the soap, both having entered into a realationship together. |
| 1970 - | All My Children | ABC | Dr. Lynn Carson (1982-1983) Michael Delaney (1995-1997) Bianca Montgomery (2000-2005) Mary Francis "Frankie" Stone (2001) Mary Margaret "Maggie" Stone ( 2002-2005, 2007) Lena Kundera (2003-2004) Freddy Luper/Zarf/Zoe (2006-2007) |
Donna Pescow Chris Bruno Eden Riegel Elizabeth Hendrickson Olga Sosnovska Jeffrey Carlson |
Lynn Carson, the first gay character on daytime serials was introduced in 1982, although she never had a love interest. Lynn was written out after only one year. High school teacher Michael was the second gay character when he came out to his students. Michael was also written out after two years. The character of Bianca, played by Eden Riegel,came out in late 2000, and after a very long time, her mother, Erica Kane, started to accept it.
In 2003, ratings rose nearly half a percentage point when news was leaked out that Riegel (Bianca) and Olga Sosnovska (Lena) were to share daytime's first lesbian kiss. Maggie Stone came to Pine Valley in 2002 following the murder of her twin sister Frankie, who also was a love interest for Bianca. Maggie and Bianca developed a close friendship with undercurrents of much deeper feelings. They left Pine Valley together in 2005 for Paris, where they became lovers, both admitting on the show that they were in love with each other. Zarf is a male to female transgender character who fell in love with Bianca. Zarf, who was born Freddy Luper, has taken the female name Zoe. Bianca and Zoe left Pine Valley in April, 2007. Zoe returned to her home in London to record an album as a female rock star and complete her transition, Bianca, with her daughter Miranda, returned to Paris and their life there. |
| 1968 - | One Life to Live | ABC | Billy Douglas (1992-1993) Daniel Colson Matt Cavanaugh (2004-2005) |
Ryan Phillippe Mark Dobies Mark Solomon |
Months of story came to a climax in episodes in which Andrew Carpenter (Wortham Krimmer), who had been accused of having a sexual relationship with Billy Douglas, brought the AIDS Quilt to rest on the lawn of the Llanview Church. Billy was soon written out after only one year. Lawyer Daniel married Nora Hanen (Hillary B. Smith), but he was also a murderer who killed Paul Cramer (David Tom) and Jennifer Rappaport (Jessica Morris) to keep his affair with a college student a secret. He was caught and sent to prison. |
| 1963 - | General Hospital | ABC | John Hanley (1994-1995) Ted Murty (1997-1998) Lucas Jones (2004-2006) |
Lee Mathis Patrick Fabian Ryan Carnes/Ben Hogestyn |
|
| 1960 - | Coronation Street | ITV | Todd Grimshaw (2001-2004) Sean Tully (2004-present) |
Bruno Langley Antony Cotton |
First gay story in the show's 40+ year history. Previously paired with Candice Stowe (Nikki Sanderson) and Sarah Louise Platt (Tina O'Brien), Todd became very confused with his sexuality and kissed Sarah Lou's brother Nick; naysayers argue that the storyline was ill-formed and rewrites the character of Todd completely. Sean first appeared in the series as a friend of Todd. After Todd's departure, Sean moved in with Todd's family. The character is regularly slated by critics as being a stereotype and token character. |
| 1956 - | As the World Turns | CBS | Hank Eliot (1988-1989) Luke Snyder (2005-present) Noah Mayer (2007-present) |
Brian Starcher Van Hansis Jake Silbermann |
The first gay male character on American daytime soaps was seen on, arguably, the most conservative serial. The storyline in question was supposed to involve Hank going through the process of AIDS diagnosis, but the storyline was switched to his lover, Charles, who was not seen for most of the time Hank was on the show. Hank was then written out after only a year. Head writer Douglas Marland was praised for the story and the soap won the 1990 GLAAD Media Award. Luke is the son of popular couple Holden and Lily and came out to his parents in May 2006. He had had a crush on his best friend, Kevin Davis, for a while, but Kevin initially rejected Luke once his sexuality came out. After Luke saved his life, however, Kevin decided to accept him, though their relationship remained strained. In 2007, Luke met another intern at WOAK named Noah, who initally started dating Maddie Coleman before coming out to be with Luke. The couple are still together. |
Reality-based series
The following reality TV programs include central LGBT themes or cast members.
| Year | Title | Network | Cast member | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Logo | RuPaul and the contestants | RuPaul chooses from among nine drag queens to decide who will be "the next drag superstar". |
| 2008 | The Mole (U.S.) | ABC | Bobby O’Donnell (Season 5) | "The Mole" follows a group of 12 players as they try to figure out who among them is The Mole, a saboteur trying to keep them from winning money. |
| 2008 | Transamerican Love Story | Logo | Calpernia Addams Alec Mapa Andrea James Jim |
Dating show in which the transgendered Addams must select from among eight suitors, including Jim, who is himself transgendered. James is Addams' confidant and Mapa is the host. |
| 2008 | Make Me a Supermodel | Bravo | Ronnie Kroell (season 1) Jenny Shimizu (season 2) Chris Cohen (season 2) C. J. Kirkham (season 2) Shawn Nishikawa (season 2) |
Modeling competition show. Ronnie had a bromance with straight fellow model Ben DiChiara. C. J. is bisexual. Shimizu joined the show in season 2 as a judge. Shawn had been married to a man for eight years as of the taping.[13] |
| 2007 | A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila | MTV | Tila Tequila | Dating show in which groups of straight men and lesbian women vie for the affections of the bisexual Tequila. |
| 2006 - | Solitary | Fox Reality Channel | David "Number 9" | David was a 28 year-old member of MENSA who worked for a non-profit organization. He was the first to quit. |
| 2006 - | Work Out | Bravo | Jackie Warner Doug Blasdell Brian Peeler Jesse "JD" Jordan Rebecca Cardon |
Reality series following the life of a personal trainer. Warner is a lesbian, with long-time girlfriend Mimi. She employs various gay trainers throughout the series. During season 2, the heterosexual Rebecca has a brief relationship with Jackie. |
| 2006 | Chris & John to the Rescue! | OUTtv | Chris Carter John Simpson |
Best friends and self-proclaimed "culture aficionados" are out to save the world, one gay at a time. |
| 2006 | Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat | MTV | Ryan Kehoe Evelyn Smith |
|
| 2006 | Jacob and Joshua: Nemesis Rising | Logo | Jacob Miller Joshua Miller |
Jacob and Joshua are the openly gay pop duo Nemesis. |
| 2006 - | The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency | Oxygen Network | J. P. Calderon John Stallings Gabrial Geismar Duke Snyder Rodrigo de Carli Shaun McCarron Paul Anderson |
Stallings joined the agency in season 1. Calderon joined in season 2. Geismar and Snyder are confidants of series star Janice Dickinson. McCarron and Anderson are models who joined in season 3 and are boyfriends. de Carli joined in season 3. |
| 2005 | Open Bar | Logo | Tyler Robuck | Followed Robuck as he planned, built and opened a gay bar in West Hollywood, California. |
| 2005 | Real Gay | Logo | "Reunion show" featuring LGBT participants from many different reality shows. | |
| 2005 - | My Fabulous Gay Wedding | Global (s. 1) Logo |
Scott Thompson (season 1) Elvira Kurt |
Reality show profiling the wedding celebrations of gay couples. Logo aired repeats of season 1, retitled First Comes Love, then picked up the show with new episodes hosted by Kurt. |
| 2005 | Queer Eye for the Straight Girl | Bravo | Robbie Laughlin Danny Teeson Damon Pease Honey Labrador |
Spin-off of Queer Eye that made over women instead of men. |
| 2005 | Showdog Moms & Dads | Bravo | Ryan Pacchiano Brandon Kindle |
Behind-the-scenes eye on the competitive, quirky world of show dogs. |
| 2003 | Boy Meets Boy | Bravo | James Getzlaff Brian Austin Wes Culwell |
Relationship contest. |
| 2003 | Gay Weddings | Bravo | Scott and Harley; Lupe and Sonja; Dan and Gregg; Dale and Eve |
Two gay and two lesbian couples are followed as they prepare for their upcoming marriage ceremonies. |
| 2003 - | America's Next Top Model | The CW | Adrianne Curry (Cycle 1) Ebony Haith (Cycle 1) Michelle Deighton (Cycle 4) Sarah Rhoades (Cycle 5) Kim Stolz (Cycle 5) Leslie Mancia (Cycle 6) Michelle Babin (Cycle 7) Isis King (Cycle 11) |
Adrianne, Michelle, and Leslie are bisexual. Ebony and Kim are lesbians. Sarah was portrayed as fluid. Michelle said that she might be gay or bisexual. Isis is the show's first transgender contestant. |
| 2003 - 2007 | Queer Eye | Bravo | Kyan Douglas Ted Allen Jai Rodriguez Thom Filicia Carson Kressley |
Original name Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Wardrobe and home makeover show. |
| 2001 - | The Amazing Race | CBS | Joe and Bill (season 1, 11) Oswald and Danny (season 2, 11) Gerard (season 3) Andrew (season 3) Reichen and Chip (season 4) Lynn and Alex (season 7) Patrick (season 7) John and Scott (season 9) Lauren (season 10) Tom and Terry (season 10) Kate & Pat (season 12) Mel and Mike White (season 14) |
Reichen Lehmkuhl and Chip Arndt were the winners of season 4. Season 11 (All-Stars) brought back previous cast members. Mel White is the gay father of the bisexual Mike White. |
| 2001- | Big Brother Australia | Network Ten | John Cass Andy Silva Gordon Sloan Nathan Morris Sahra Kearney Claire Bellis Jaime Cedra Jamie O'Brien Geneva Loader Rachael Burns David Graham Rob Rigley Lauren Clayton Zach Douglas |
John Cass, Nathan Morris, Jamie O'Brien, Claire Bellis, David Graham, Rob Rigley and Zach Douglas are gay. Andy Silva, Gordon Sloan, Sahra Kearney, Jaime Cedra, Geneva Loader, Rachael Burns, and Lauren Clayton are bisexual. |
| 2000 - | Survivor | CBS | Richard Hatch (Season 1, All-Stars) Sonja Christopher (Season 1) Brandon Quinton (Season 3) John Carroll (Season 4) Scout Cloud Lee (Season 9) Ami Cusack (Season 9, Season 16) Coby Archa (Season 10) Rafe Judkins (Season 11) J.P. Calderon (Season 13) Brad Virata (Season 13) Todd Herzog (Season 15) Chet Welch (Season 16) Charlie Herschel (Season 17) Spencer Duhm (Season 18) |
Hatch was the Season 1 winner. Calderon went on to become a model with The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency. Todd Herzog is a flight attendant and a Mormon and Season 15 winner. Ami Cusack tried out for The Amazing Race with her girlfriend and producers recommended her to audition for Survivor. She then makes a second appearance as a "Favorites" in Survivor 16: Micronesia. |
| 2000 - | Big Brother (UK) | Channel 4 | Nadia Almada Brian Dowling Marco Sabba Daniel Bryan Kitten Pinder Derek Laud Kemal Shahin Craig Coates Anna Nolan Richard Newman Michael Cheshire Ian 'H' Watkins Jackiey Budden Dennis McHugh Sara Folino |
Portuguese transsexual Nadia Almada won Big Brother 5 UK in 2004. Brian Dowling, an openly gay man, won the second series. Marco Sabba (series 5), Daniel Bryan (series 5, won third place), Derek Laud (series 6), Craig Coates (series 6, won fifth place), Kemal Shahin (series 6, also a crossdresser), Richard Newman (series 7, won fourth place), Michael Cheshire (series 7) and Dennis McHugh (BB9) are gay. Anna Nolan was the first lesbian seen on Big Brother (second place, series 1) while Kitten Pinder is also a lesbian and Sara Folino (BB9) is bisexual. Ian Watkins (Celebrity Big Brother 2007, won fourth place) is gay; Jackiey Budden (Celebrity BB 2007, first evictee) is a lesbian. |
| 2000 - | Big Brother (U.S.) | CBS | Bill "Bunky" Miller (Big Brother 2) Marcellas Reynolds (Big Brother 3) Will Wikle (Season 5) Ivette Corredero (Season 6) Dustin Erikstrup (Season 8) Joe Barber (Season 8) Joshuah Welch (Season 9) Neil Garcia (Season 9) Steven Daigle (Season 10) |
Bunky's husband at the time sent Bunky a letter during the show during Big Brother 2. Ivette's live-in girlfriend was interviewed on the show during Big Brother 6. Dustin and Joe were cast as hated ex-boyfriends on Big Brother 8. Joshua and Neil were originally "soulmates" on the show but Neil had to leave the House voluntarily due to urgent personal matters and Joshua selected formerly-evicted Sharon as his new mate. |
| 1996 - 1998 | All Rise for Julian Clary | Julian Clary | "Judge" Julian Clary hears "cases" of disputes between friends and neighbors. | |
| 1992 - | The Real World | MTV | Norman Korpi (New York) Beth Anthony (Los Angeles) Pedro Zamora (San Francisco) Dan Renzi (Miami) Genesis Moss (Boston) Stephen Williams (Seattle) Ruthie Alcaide (Hawaii) Justin Deabler (Hawaii) Danny Roberts (New Orleans) Coral Smith (Back to New York) Chris Beckman (Chicago) Aneesa Ferrera (Chicago) Simon Sherry-Wood (Paris) Karamo Brown (Philadelphia) Willie Hernández (Philadelphia) Tyler Duckworth (Key West) Davis Mallory (Denver) Katelynn Cusanelli (Brooklyn) J.D. Ordonez (Brooklyn) Sarah Rice (Brooklyn) |
20-somethings living together, some LGB roommates. While most gay, lesbian and bisexual cast members' sexuality were discussed or shown on the program, Coral didn't come out of the closet (as having a fluid sexuality) until years after her show had ended. Norman dated Charles Perez on-camera, which had the effect of outing Perez. Pedro Zamora dated Sean Sasser on the show and the two exchanged vows in an on-air commitment ceremony. |
| 1973 | An American Family | PBS | Lance Loud |
Specials, news, information and variety programs
The following televisions programs include central LGBT themes, characters or cast members.
| Year | Title | Network | Character name and/or Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 - | The Big Gay Sketch Show | Logo | Julie Goldman (Season 1 - ) Stephen Guarino (Season 1 - ) Jonny McGovern (Season 1 - ) Kate McKinnon (Season 1 - ) Michael Serrato (Season 1) Paolo Andino (Season 2 - ) Nicol Paone (Season 1 – )[14] |
Gay-themed comedy sketch show produced by Rosie O'Donnell. |
| 2006 - 2007 | The Megan Mullally Show | MyNetworkTV | Megan Mullally | Talk show. Mullally acknowledged her bisexuality while appearing on Will & Grace. |
| 2006 | I've Got a Secret | GSN | Billy Bean Frank DeCaro Jermaine Taylor Suzanne Westenhoefer |
Revival of the classic game show with, coincidentally or not, an all-gay panel. |
| 2006 | Inside TV Land: Tickled Pink | TV Land | Hour-long special on the history of homosexuality in classic TV programs. | |
| 2005 - | Iron Chef America | Food Network | Cat Cora | Cat Cora is one of the show's Iron Chefs. She is also a lesbian. |
| 2005 - | The House of Venus Show | OUTtv Pink TV |
Mark Kenneth Woods, Michael Venus, Dickey Doo and drag queen Cotton | All gay-themed sketch comedy show. |
| 2005 | Real Gay | Logo | "Reunion" show featured dozens of LGBT reality participants. Hosted by Kim Coles. | |
| 2005 - | CBS News on Logo | Logo | Jason Bellini | News programming produced in partnership with CBS |
| 2005 - | Wisecrack | Logo | Stand-up comedy series featuring LGBT comics. | |
| 2004 - | The Brini Maxwell Show | Style | Ben Sander as Brini Maxwell | Drag queen with home and hobby tips |
| 2004 | How Gay are You? | Sky1 | 'Lighthearted' look at whether it is possible to be 'too gay'? | |
| 2003 - | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | syndicated | Ellen DeGeneres | Talk show hosted by DeGeneres. |
| 2003 | Totally Gay | VH1 | Trev Broudy (Narrator), Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Rupert Everett, Barney Frank, John Cameron Mitchell | Documentary about the mainstreaming of LGBT culture in the U.S. |
| 2002 - | The Suze Orman Show | CNBC | Suze Orman | Orman is a financial adviser and television personality who has written a number of books. She came out publicly in 2007. |
| 1998 | In Through the Out Door | Showtime | Jaffe Cohen Elvira Kurt Lea Delaria Bob Smith Suzanne Westenhoefer |
Sketch comedy special. |
| 1997- | The View | syndicated | Rosie O'Donnell | O'Donnell joined the cast in 2006 and left in 2007. |
| 1996-2002 | The Rosie O'Donnell Show | syndicated | Rosie O'Donnell | O'Donnell came out shortly before leaving the show. |
| 1996 - 1998 | The RuPaul Show | VH1 | RuPaul | Talk show hosted by drag queen. |
| 1995 - 2001 | 10% QTV | Rogers Television | LGBT newsmagazine; first continuing LGBT-themed series in Canadian television history | |
| 1994-1995 | The Charles Perez Show | syndicated | Charles Perez | |
| 1993 - 1999 | Turning Point | ABC | "For Better or Worse: Same-Sex Marriage" aired November 7, 1996. | |
| 1992- | In The Life | PBS | monthly LGBT news magazine. | |
| 1987 | CBS Schoolbreak Special: What If I'm Gay? | CBS | Todd Bowers (Richard Joseph Paul) | |
| 1986 | The Truth About Alex | HBO (US) | Alex Prager (Peter Spence) | After school special-style drama. |
| 1980 | Gay Power, Gay Politics | CBS | Episode of CBS Reports purporting to explore gay political clout in San Francisco but was criticized for focusing on the seamier aspects of gay life. | |
| 1979 | ABC News Closeup: "Homosexuals" | ABC | ||
| 1967 | CBS Reports: The Homosexuals | CBS | Hal Call Frank Kameny Jack Nichols Gore Vidal |
Hosted by Mike Wallace. Several anonymous gay men were interviewed for the program, which concealed the men's identities by seating them behind potted palm trees. |
| 1961 | The Rejected | KQED (TV) | One hour documentary produced by local public television station. |
Live action series with occasional LGBT themes or characters
Some television programs would have a single episode with LGBT themes (a.k.a. the gay episode) or a LGBT character who made an occasional appearance in the series. See also List of television episodes with LGBT themes.
- Babylon 5 - Throughout seasons 1 and 2 a lesbian relationship is strongly implied between Talia Winters and Cmdr. Susan Ivanova. This relationship was confirmed during the third season.
- Battlestar Galactica - Admiral Helena Cain is seen engaging in a lesbian relationship with a Cylon model Number Six known as Gina. Mr Gaeta and Mr Hoshi are revealed as having been in a gay relationship during Season 4.
- Boston Public - Drama revolving around high school teachers and students. Gay, bisexual and transgender students made occasional appearances.
- Firefly - The Companion Inara accepted male and female clients. An unaired episode that took place at a brothel had both male and female prostitutes.
- Law & Order - (Serena Southerlyn played by Elisabeth Röhm) The character was on the show from 2001-2005, and hints were dropped about her sexuality, but she only came out at the end of her last episode, Ain't No Love. Numerous cases have included gay victims, gay suspects and gay issues.
- Once and Again was nominated for the GLAAD Media Awards.
- Sex and the City - Carrie's friend Stanford Blatch is gay, as is Charlotte's friend Anthony. Samantha had a bisexual experience.
Animated series with LGBT themes or characters
 |
This section lead paragraph does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007) |
Animated series mostly aimed at young children, e.g. Saturday morning cartoon, often shy away from homosexuality or transsexuality, and when a character has any sort of romantic attachments it is always shown as being heterosexual. However, occasionally LGBT themes or characters do sneak into certain episodes in hidden or coded ways. Animated series aimed at a more mature audience often have more explicit LGBT characters.
| Year | Title | Network | Character name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 - present | Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World | Logo | Rick Brocka Steve Ball Kirsten Kellogg Dana Bernstein Chuck Masters Evan Martinez |
Series focuses on a group of gay and lesbian friends living in the gay village of West Lahunga Beach. |
| 2005 - present | American Dad! | Fox | Greg Corbin Terry Bates |
Stan's neighbors and local news anchors Greg Corbin and Terry Bates are a couple. |
| 2007 – 2008 | Code Monkeys | G4 | Clarence | Clarence is a flamboyantly gay African American man who composes music for video games. |
| 1986 – 1989 | Dragon Ball | Fuji TV | General Blue | General Blue, a soldier of the Red Ribbon Army, is completely gay and he can't be attracted by Bulma. All references to homosexuality have been censored in Western adaptations of the anime. |
| 1999 – 2002; 2005 – present | Family Guy | Fox | Jasper Bruce Herbert Gym Teacher |
Brian's cousin Jasper is gay and married his Filipino boyfriend. Bruce the performance artist is a gay man who has a mustache and speaks with a southern accent. Herbert is an old, gay pedophile who lives near the Griffins and has a crush on Chris. Meg's gym teacher is a lesbian, and her partner gave birth to Bertram after artificial insemination with Peter's sperm. |
| 1999 – 2003 Fox 2008–present Comedy Central |
Futurama | Fox | Enos Fry | Enos Fry, believed to be Fry's grandfather, had strong homosexual tendencies, at one point wondering why boys are supposed to like girls. |
| 1994 – 1997 | Gargoyles | Syndicated,ABC | Lexington | According to the show's creator, the character "Lexington" is gay. |
| 2000 – 2004 | InuYasha | Animax, Nippon TV, Yomiuri TV | Jakotsu | The character Jakotsu is a member of antagonists known as the Band of Seven. He is openly gay and frequently flirts with his male opponents, especially InuYasha and Sesshomaru. |
| 1997 – Present | Pokémon | TV Tokyo | James Harley |
The main villains of the show, Team Rocket, are often seen in cross dressing disguises. In a banned episode in North America, Team Rocket enters a bathing suit contest. James, the male member of Team Rocket, sports a bikini with inflatable fake breasts. He has also worn several other outfits, such as a ballerina tutu, Southern bell-style dress, and a kogal outfit with make-up. However, at times he has shown signs of affection towards his partner, Jessie, suggesting he is more likely bisexual. In recent years, a new character, Harley (May's rival) speaks with a feminine voice, noticably wiggles his hips when he walks, has cross-dressed (though, like James, this was only to gain an advantage over his enemy) and has complimented Jessie on how "fabulous" her dress is. Scenes deleted in America have shown him openly flirting with May's (all-male) friends. |
| 2002 – 2004 | Queer Duck | Showtime | Short-lived animated series, originating as a Flash cartoon and moved to Showtime. Inspired a direct-to-DVD film. | |
| 1992 – 1997 | Sailor Moon | TV Asahi | Zoicite Fish-Eye Zirconia Sailor Uranus Sailor Neptune Sailor Starlights |
Zoicite, one of Queen Beryl's henchmen, was a gay man, but was changed into a woman in the English version. The same was done with two other villains, Fish-Eye (also a gay man and a transvestite) and Zirconia (originally a woman, but a man in the English dub), who appeared later in the series. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are a lesbian couple (they are referred to as "cousins" in English). The Sailor Starlights are male in human form, but become female after transforming. |
| 1989 - present | The Simpsons | Fox | Waylon Smithers Patty Bouvier |
Waylon Smithers is heard riding a float called "Stayin' in the Closet!" during Springfield's annual gay pride parade in the 2002 episode Jaws Wired Shut. Patty Bouvier is a lesbian who came out in the 2005 episode "There's Something about Marrying" |
| 1997 - present | South Park | Comedy Central | Big Gay Al Mr. Stotch Mr./Ms. Garrison Mr. Slave |
Big Gay Al and Mr. Slave are gay and married. Mr. Stotch, (Butters's father) is technically bisexual. Mr. Garrison was a gay man in seasons 1-8, until season 9 when he had a sex change and became Mrs. Garrison, becoming a lesbian in season 11, confusing his identity further. Mrs. Garrison became a man once again in season 12. |
| 2000 - 2004 | Static Shock | WB | Richard "Richie" Osgood Foley | After the series ended, the creators stated that Richard "Richie" Osgood Foley was gay, but that it could not be addressed on the show. |
| 1996 – 2000 | Superman: The Animated Series | Kids WB | Maggie Sawyer | In the animated series that aired in the late 1990s, Maggie Sawyer appeared in a few episodes and was seen with another woman who fans of the comic books would understand as being her girlfriend. |
| 2003 – 2006 | Teen Titans | Kids WB,Cartoon Network | The Brain Monsieur Mallah |
Brotherhood of Evil villains the Brain and Monsieur Mallah are lovers in their modern DC Comics appearances; the animated series, however, gives no indication of such a relationship. |
| 1992 – 1997 | X-Men | FOX Kids | Mystique Northstar |
In the 1992 - 1997 animated series, Mystique (who is bisexual) and Northstar (who is gay) both appear in the series although no mention or suggestion is made of their sexual orientation. |
| 2000 – 2003 | X-Men: Evolution | Kids WB! | Mystique Destiny |
The bisexual Mystique appears as a recurring villain but the only hint at her orientation is when Destiny, who was her female lover in several comics, is described as her "best friend." |
See also
- List of dramatic television series with LGBT characters
- List of television episodes with LGBT themes
- List of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-related films
- List of gay, lesbian, or bisexual figures in fiction and myth
- Transgender in film and television
- Queer culture
References
- ^ "Coming out on screen", BBC. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "Once upon a time in the East", The Independent. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "Without prejudice", The Guardian. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "Gay weddings on The Archers!", Outfront. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "EastEnders star turned MEP to hold gay marriage", Pinknews.co.uk. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "Gay rights. Job done?", BBC. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "Tipping the Velvet", BBC. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "Broadcast Concerns 1994-1995", Broadcasting Standards Council. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "Great soap shocks", The Independent. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "THE MAINSTREAMING OF GAY CULTURE?", PeterTatchell.net. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "211 complaints to BBC over gay EastEnders storyline, but do the public care?", Pinknews. URL last accessed on 2007-10-05.
- ^ "'Enders receives complaints over gay kiss", Digital Spy. URL last accessed 2008-10-09.
- ^ Make Me a Supermodel season 2, episode 1
- ^ Jonny McGovern, Linda James, Martin Beauchamp. Gay Pimpin' with Jonny McGovern Podcast accessed on 2009-05-12
External links
- About Gay Movies: Compendium of LGBT-themed movies and television series. With reviews, pictures, wallpapers, forum, glbt filmfestivals, gay movie history, sweepstakes and more
- Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Television Characters: Compendium of English-language LGBT-related television; current as of 2001.
- Queer TV Database (404 not found / site closed) an online listing of lesbian, gay and bisexual characters in TV shows broadcast in the UK and Éire
- TV Gayed, GLAAD's weekly guide to what's leasbian, gay, bisexual or transgender on television
- Where We Are on TV, GLAAD's overview of diversity on television
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