LGBT Themes, Stories And Characters On TV

[possibilities]

I'm with you on this, but unfortunately I think it's a trend not just on TV but also in life. There seems to be a generation of people born waaaaaaaaay post-Stonewall, post-Anita Bryant, post a lot of other bullshit, who are taking their freedoms for granted and have zero idea of historical or cultural context. They don't identify with other people on the same demographic bases we do, and don't feel any pressure to analyze at their personal experiences in a larger context. It's all about it being okay, having permission, and that's really the end of it.

 

On one level, it means that people who fought for those freedoms have succeeded, but on another level, it's a failure that we have not communicated anything deeper than "we're not worthy of condemnation" to the masses. It's something that will have to be discovered and explored another way than by decriminalization, I guess! Right now, there are just a lot of people who seem to have a very casual sense of identity and truly don't get why anyone would relate to this issue in a more deeply-rooted or contextualized way. It's kind of a libertarian world view of "whatever you do is your individual business and has nothing to do with 'society' nor any implication beyond it being your right to do it."

 

I bet that over time, as more and more people live with these freedoms, the pendulum will start to swing a little bit more towards reflecting on what it all amounts to, other than just the freedom itself, and then people will start identifying more with whatever they discover they are, not just in a for the moment exploratory way, but after it settles into something they feel more deeply rooted and which they are passionately committed to.

[Rick Kitchen]

The new series "Gotham" is apparently setting up a past history between Barbara Keane, Detective Jim Gordon's fiancee, and Detective Renee Montoya.  I can't imagine Barbara's lesbian past will not, at some point, be revealed, but I do wonder if they'll ever label her bisexual.

[tobia]

I really appreciate House and Wilson being in a canonical asexual romantic relationship on House. Even though neither character is asexual, it is by far the best representation of romantic asexuality I've ever seen in media.

[possibilities]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/10/27/fall-tvs-lesbian-revolution/

This article is very excited about three new lesbian characters on network TV this season, particularly because they are not all white.

[Rick Kitchen]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/10/27/fall-tvs-lesbian-revolution/

This article is very excited about three new lesbian characters on network TV this season, particularly because they are not all white.

 

No mention of Renee Montoya from "Gotham"?

[joelene]

Any new fall season shows that have male LGBT characters besides How To Get Away With Murder? I hear there's one in The McCarthy's (is that what it's called?) but it doesn't sound like a good show (gay characters on network comedies always leave a lot to be desired anyways). The only other new shows I've started to watch, The Affair and Stalker (I know, I know, laugh away) are so far without any. And I've already plowed through Transparent.

[Rinaldo]

The McCarthys isn't a good show, but I don't see anything wrong with Tyler Ritter's character (so far). There are also Annie's two dads, both named Kevin (Dan Bucatinsky and Tim Meadows) on Marry Me; they're recurring characters, not on every week, though I'd prefer them to some of the supporting cast that are on every week.

[Wax Lion]

Wilson Cruz's character on Red Band Society is gay but that show is terrible and I don't think I've seen him in the last couple episodes.

 

In the original material, the lead character in Constantine is bisexual but the producers have been clueless when addressing that aspect of the character. Still, if the show does well enough to last a bit and get new showrunners, that might get fixed.

 

And not a new series, but The Millers added Sean Hayes as Margo Martindale's new bff.

[paulvdb]

Wilson Cruz's character on Red Band Society is gay but that show is terrible and I don't think I've seen him in the last couple episodes.

He was in this week's episode, but he is a minor character who is not in every episode and doesn't get a lot of screen time even when he is in an episode.

[Bruinsfan]

Michael Chiklis' character on American Horror Story is apparently a closeted gay man, and Dennis O'Hare plays a gay con man on that show.

[joelene]

Thanks! I watch AHS and that was a twist I didn't see coming. But you can always count on Ryan Murphy (to be both inclusive, amazing and terrible). Red Band Society does indeed look terrible so I will skip that. What a turnout for gay characters in new fall dramas it's been...

[Rick Kitchen]

The McCarthys have a large family that absolutely accepts the gay son (apparently the youngest son) without question, but he still comes across as stereotypical.  His father and his brother are high school basketball coaches and huge sports fans, he knows nothing about sports and doesn't care.  He's his mother's bff because they love to watch TV shows together.

[Rinaldo]

he still comes across as stereotypical.  His father and his brother are high school basketball coaches and huge sports fans, he knows nothing about sports and doesn't care.  

Sounds just like me in my family. Neat! I've never gotten to be stereotypical before.

[joelene]

These days I mind a "stereotype" much less since all types, or many types at least, are out there representing. So if he's funny and gets good stories, then woho! Perhaps I'll give it a try if it doesn't get cancelled in the near future.

[joelene]

The wonderful Getting On is back! Including Patsy, the is-he-or-isn't-he but-really-he-is but-everyone-tries-to-ignore-it-including-his-kind-of-girlfriend closeted-but-obviously-gay nurse.

[Ankai]

There was an episode of the Canadian sci-fi show Continuum where the main character, a cop from the future, is working on a case in the year 207...I forget. Anyways, she says something about questioning some woman's wife and I am guessing that it was meant to come across as no big deal, but the way that the actress emphasized the word "wife" seemed to suggest either that she almost flubbed her lines and said "husband" instead or that the show deliberately wanted to make sure that the audience heard correctly...even though it is totally not a big deal.  

 

A similar thing happened in the latest episode of The Flash. One of the detectives asks the police captain to allow him to form a task force to track down the Flash...or something like that. In any case, the captain, who is apparently not taking this request seriously and pretends not to hear what the detective had said, decides to go on a tangent about how his...boyfriend...wants him to eat only healthy things, which is why he is eating what he is eating now. It was totally out of the blue and was delivered so awkwardly. But, you know, totally not a big deal.

[possibilities]

Ryan Seacrest Productions is producing a show that will air on ABC Family: “My Transparent Life” follows a teenager named Ben who learns that his parents are divorcing and his father is becoming a woman.

 

http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/abc-family-orders-transgender-docu-series-my-transparent-life-1201377263/

[galax-arena]

Wow, ABC Family is determined to set Pat Robertson to an early (not-so-early?) grave, aren't they? Haha. "A new kind of family" indeed. 

[ybrik]

Regarding the Flash mention, I think the show was trying for a subtle wink wink to comic fans. Captain Singh is gay in the comics and has a boyfriend who is also a somewhat known character. So I think it was supposed to seem casual but also be noticed for a tease for comic fans to expect this character and for noncomic readers it already lays groundwork.

Edited December 16, 2014 by ybrik

[capt planet]

Bryan Konietzko, Co-Creator of The Legend of Korra: Korrasami is Canon

 

 

You can celebrate it, embrace it, accept it, get over it, or whatever you feel the need to do, but there is no denying it. That is the official story. We received some wonderful press in the wake of the series finale at the end of last week, and just about every piece I read got it right: Korra and Asami fell in love. Were they friends? Yes, and they still are, but they also grew to have romantic feelings for each other.

 

An elegant, touching, and unusually substantive explanation for an epic series finale.

[Niuxita]

Was wondering what people's thoughts were on the turn the Rose/Luisa storyline took on Jane the Virgin. Personally, it's one of the things that made me stop watching the show because I was really bothered by the way the show treated its lone queer character just for soapy kicks, and last night's reveal wrt to Rose's character isn't helping matters. 

Committing one lesbian character and making the other the Big Bad Evil Drug Overlord is... not exactly the greatest track record.

Sigh.

[Jipijapa]

Blast from the past:  A gay mobster comes out to his father... in 1977.

 

 

The most interesting thing is that this wasn't even a major subplot of the episode - the gay mobster wasn't even the pivotal character. 

 

(Story does not have a happy ending: 

Dad has his son killed.

)

Edited February 6, 2015 by Jipijapa

[blueray]

I think the best portray I've seen is  in In the Flesh, which the main character is probably gay. But it is not made a big deal and is mostly in the background of the show. From my experience many shows end up focusing strictly on that plotline instead of developing the character.

[Wax Lion]

 

Was wondering what people's thoughts were on the turn the Rose/Luisa storyline took on Jane the Virgin. Personally, it's one of the things that made me stop watching the show because I was really bothered by the way the show treated its lone queer character just for soapy kicks

 

For now, Jane the Virgin feels like one of those shows where the queer characters get to be a part of the ridiculousness. (And I'd question if Rose is really bisexual or a heteroflexible opportunist.)  I wouldn't say that Luisa is just a plot device, though the show could do more to keep the audience thinking about her motivations.

 

blueray, how much of In the Flesh have you seen? Things get a lot less subtle in the second season, at least with the main character.

 

That said, the first season was beautifully done. It's easily the best of zombie drama of the entire lot. It's got some really unforgettable characters.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Blast from the past:  A gay mobster comes out to his father... in 1977.

 

 

The most interesting thing is that this wasn't even a major subplot of the episode - the gay mobster wasn't even the pivotal character. 

 

(Story does not have a happy ending: 

Dad has his son killed.

)

 

I saw that episode the other day. We get MeTV here, and Rockford comes on at noon, and I was really surprised by the storyline considering that its a seventies show.

[Jipijapa]

There's another episode from the following year that features an obviously gay couple (two men), but their being gay has no bearing on the plot at all.  They are a pair of art collectors who get robbed.  This role could have been filled by any traditional straight couple.  This episode was more noteworthy to me than the other one, because it portrayed the men as being in a longtime relationship (15 years).  Although

it turns out that one of the pair was involved in the art theft, and was murdered by his co-conspirators,

, there was also a nice scene at the end where it was made clear that a loving gay relationship was nothing to make fun of.  

 

(The pilot episode of The Rockford Files is another matter, using "queer" as a pejorative - but that attitude is never shown in the rest of the series and in fact the show was quite gay-positive for its time.)

 

That was the big problem with gay characters on TV in the 70s or earlier: oh, they were obviously there.  But they were either (very offensively) shown as perverted killers (Police Woman had a notorious episode about lesbians along those lines, which was shown only once because of outcry from gay organizations), or more usually, as people you were supposed to laugh at.  Nobody took these characters' pain, or even their happiness seriously. 

Edited February 7, 2015 by Jipijapa

[selkie]

I want to say I remember a gay crime victim on Hawaii 5-O: Original Recipe and, this being Jack Lord's McGarrett, he was treated pretty respectfully even though you couldn't actually say he was gay on broadcast tv at the time. Lord was one of the more progressive guys in Hollywood, and since he had a fair amount of creative control on the show, McGarrett was very big on making sure that disenfranchised populations were seen as worthy of getting legal justice too.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Here's an interview with the writer of this week's episode of Murdoch Mysteries (in which

Dr. Grace begins a lesbian relationship (with a passionate kiss, no less) in 1902 Toronto

).

(Spoiler-tagged for anyone who's watching the show on the American schedule, and doesn't want to be spoiled.)

[Ankai]

The pirate show Black Sails had two of the four major female characters be bisexual during the first season and the second season has now made it three out of four. There have been a few complaints that such a male-driven show would have do this to the majority of its primary female characters while largely leaving the men out of it. The men either seem to be straight or their sexuality is never an issue. There had been speculation that maybe one character or another may be gay, but nothing was made official.

 

In the previous episode, the show revealed a gay male character...or bisexual, it is unclear at the moment. I am putting spoiler bars over this part of the post only because 

he is the main character of the show, Captain Flint. Not a new character, not a side character, not the best friend, not a co-lead in an ensemble. He is the central character, and pretty much the whole story revolves around his actions. I am pretty sure that very few of the viewers had any idea. After all, he had been hanging out with a woman for quite a bit during the first season and had sex with her at least once, but I kind of remember the scene being more awkward than anything else. This reveal came during a backstory that had been going on during this season about when Flint, then called McGraw was working with this other man named Hamilton to help stamp out piracy. It appeared that he began an affair with the man's wife, but the real romance was between the two men, with the wife sort of willing to sacrifice her own reputation to protect her husband. The man's father found out, sent him to an insane asylum, and exiled both the wife and McGraw. At some point, McGraw changed his name to Flint and became a pirate. Hamilton might be dead, but it is not clear. So...the a slight twist on the standard tragic story that might have came across cliché had it been revealed in the pilot or second episode...but the thirteenth? I don't know...that seems kind of brilliant to me. Has a show ever held back like this involving the sexuality of the central character...aside from Ellen?

Apparently, this was planned before the show began filming, so it is not a just another simple case of the showrunners having not thought about it and just throwing in a gay character to appease critics from certain sections. Now, granted the scenes of male homosexual activity have not been quite as...graphic...as the lesbian ones...so I guess that that is a "wait and see" thing for the show at the moment. Perhaps we shall find out tonight when the next episode airs...maybe not, but maybe.

[joelene]

I know next to nothing about Black Sails (though I'm aware it is a show that exists) but this has made me want to watch it! Please feel free to share how it unfolds!

Is everyone aware of Cucumber? I've been liking it a lot even if I detest one or two characters but the latest episode, episode six, was brilliant. Easily the best hour of television so far this year. It focused solely on Lance, one of the main characters, a black gay man in his 40's.

Cucumber's sister show, Banana, is good too. There has been stories about a lot things under the LGBTQSPHZXY umbrella between the two shows so far.

Edited February 28, 2015 by joelene

[galax-arena]

In the previous episode, the show revealed a gay male character...or bisexual, it is unclear at the moment.

What made me roll my eyes was how the male side of the fandom exploded at the reveal. It's okay for the girls to get some same-sex loving, because girl-on-girl is ~hot (rolling my eyes), but ewwww get the icky gay cooties away from the macho pirate dudes! 

[Ankai]

What made me roll my eyes was how the male side of the fandom exploded at the reveal. It's okay for the girls to get some same-sex loving, because girl-on-girl is ~hot (rolling my eyes), but ewwww get the icky gay cooties away from the macho pirate dudes! 

The worst were those complaining about "values" as if the girl-on-girl stuff would not be completely unacceptable as well by those so-called moral standards.

[joelene]

I went on imdb to see some reactions and I love all these "WHY DOES EVERY TV SHOW AND MOVIE HAVE TO HAVE GAYS ENOUGH OF THIS AGENDA" posts. And here I am having trouble finding gay characters and I'm actively looking.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I went on imdb to see some reactions and I love all these "WHY DOES EVERY TV SHOW AND MOVIE HAVE TO HAVE GAYS ENOUGH OF THIS AGENDA" posts. And here I am having trouble finding gay characters and I'm actively looking.

 

I don't think its an agenda, by any means, but as a part-time participant in the Supernatural fandom, I know that people do get ideas in their heads and then refuse to let go of them. Up to and including talking about how the writers/actors are homophobic when their dream ship doesn't happen.

[ApathyMonger]

Is everyone aware of Cucumber? I've been liking it a lot even if I detest one or two characters but the latest episode, episode six, was brilliant. Easily the best hour of television so far this year. It focused solely on Lance, one of the main characters, a black gay man in his 40's.

Cucumber's sister show, Banana, is good too. There has been stories about a lot things under the LGBTQSPHZXY umbrella between the two shows so far.

 

There's a forum for it here: http://forums.previously.tv/forum/1412-cucumber-banana-tofu/ I like it a lot; some of the Banana episodes have been great.

 

It starts in the US on Logo in April, for Americans.

[joelene]

I don't think its an agenda, by any means, but as a part-time participant in the Supernatural fandom, I know that people do get ideas in their heads and then refuse to let go of them. Up to and including talking about how the writers/actors are homophobic when their dream ship doesn't happen.

I know these people could never rationally defend their opinions and statements. Homophobes never can (and racists and all of the haters) and I've yet to encounter anyone who isn't a hypocrite.

And I know about the Cucumber board. Active poster here :-)

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I know these people could never rationally defend their opinions and statements. Homophobes never can (and racists and all of the haters) and I've yet to encounter anyone who isn't a hypocrite.

 

Oh well, of course. And admittedly, that example is not only unprovable at its base, its also the most egregious one I could think of right off the top of my head. OTOH, neither extreme side ever has to prove anything, all they have to do is lob whatever out there as if its a grenade, then wait for it to explode. Places like this are the exception, since there's a basic code of conduct in place to adhere to. But I don't think it makes someone a hater of any stripe to point out that all shipping is in the eye of the beholder, that what one person sees as Twu Wuv could be to someone else just a very close friendship.

[joelene]

But I don't think it makes someone a hater of any stripe to point out that all shipping is in the eye of the beholder, that what one person sees as Twu Wuv could be to someone else just a very close friendship.

Oh I don't think so either.

[Chaos Theory]

I like to play but it makes me a little weirded out when people get upset when their favorite non cannon gay/lesbian pairing doesn't become cannon. See SwanQueen hell the entire Rissoli $ Isles show for God sake.

[galax-arena]

I don't know about calling them haters - that word doesn't seem accurate - but I do roll my eyes when it's something like Korra and Asami, when Word of God even confirmed that that they were together and it's obvious that they didn't actually kiss because it was still a Nickelodeon children's cartoon, which means you can't get away with much or else you'll be accused by parents of promoting the homosexual agenda. But suuuuure, keep insisting that Korra and Asami are just really good friends lol.

I like to play but it makes me a little weirded out when people get upset when their favorite non cannon gay/lesbian pairing doesn't become cannon. See SwanQueen hell the entire Rissoli $ Isles show for God sake.

What kills me is when they try to conflate their ship with a bigger fight for LGBT social justice. It would be more believable if they were willing to rally around other possible queer ships for their canon, but that's hardly ever the case. Sterek is all about Sterek. SwanQueen is all about SwanQueen. If you mention another possible ship, they'll bend over backwards to explain why it's just not as valid/progressive as theirs.

 

There's nothing wrong with shipping what you ship because it gets your motor running, and nothing more. You don't have to blow it up into some huge progressive cause.

[Chaos Theory]

Although Rizzoli & Isles is a bit gaybaity. Whether that is intentional or not is what is debatable.

[galax-arena]

Whether that is intentional or not is what is debatable.

I don't watch the show, but I'm pretty sure I recall an interview with the cast members and maybe the producers saying that they definitely play it up?

 

I know Jamie Chung said that she played up Mulan's attraction to Aurora on OUAT before she had any idea that the writers were going to go there, so the people who shipped Sleeping Warrior before it was made (sorta) canon definitely weren't delusional, haha.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

As someone who cut an entire relationship out of whole cloth based on a single two or three minute scene, I definitely know the pull of, "What if...?" But as galax-arena says, there's a big dividing line between that and turning it into a Big Social Issue if it doesn't become canon. Not to be flip, but its like, Take a step back from the TV if you're that involved.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Cobalt Stargazer

[Chaos Theory]

I know way back when.....I was watching Xena and the show went from subtle in the first few seasons to overt to just fuck it and let's just make them a couple. And I think EVERYONE was in on it.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[Wax Lion]

 

What kills me is when they try to conflate their ship with a bigger fight for LGBT social justice. It would be more believable if they were willing to rally around other possible queer ships for their canon, but that's hardly ever the case. Sterek is all about Sterek.

 

Unlike Destiel, I think charges of Teen Wolf queerbaiting had some valid issues.

 

After using the ship to campaign for an award (Teen Choice?) they isolated the characters in separate storylines. The series' original gay character was always on the sidelines and he was eventually replaced with another gay character who is also just a sidekick to one of the straight characters. And the follow-up campaign for the award threatened to kill the gay character.

 

I'm not a Sterek shipper that wants to see them to become an official couple, but I thought the two characters were entertaining together and it was fun the way the show would play to the shippers like the time the two were paralyzed and then fell on top of each other. Once the knowledge of Sterek shippers became mainstream, the show seemed to run from it while also keeping most of the gay characters (the gay twin from the Alpha pack would be the one exception and his relationship with Danny didn't do much to improve Danny's screen time) marginalized.

[galax-arena]

I'm not discounting the queerbaiting issues on Teen Wolf - that bothered me, too - but that wasn't what I was talking about. I meant how the Sterek fandom would insist that they're fighting the good fight for better LGBT visibility and representation, but what they really meant was that they just wanted Sterek and only Sterek. Suggest another possible pairing, like Sciles or Scerek - which to my mind would have been a bigger deal because Scott is the main character of the show - and they would twist themselves into pretzels saying that it's not the same thing. People actually tried to rationalize that Scerek is too unhealthy/abusive, which is absolutely hilarious when you think about it because Sterek's canon interaction included one character slamming the other's head into a steering wheel. 

 

By contrast, The 100 got some attention recently when Clarke and Lexa kissed and the writers confirmed that Clarke (the lead character) is bisexual. A common sentiment I saw in fandom was, "I'm not crazy about Lexa and wish that Clarke had kissed Raven instead, but it's still awesome that we have a canonically bi protagonist on a network show!" I respect that, and I'm saying that as someone who's not crazy about The 100 fandom overall haha. 

 

(Of course, the jury's still out on whether this will be a one-time thing for Clarke, which would be annoying because it's such a common thing to do for sweeps.)

Edited March 2, 2015 by galax-arena

[Rick Kitchen]

 

"I'm not crazy about Lexa and wish that Clarke had kissed Raven instead, but it's still awesome that we have a canonically bi protagonist on a network show!"

 

Nolan on Revenge is canonically bi.

[galax-arena]

But Nolan's not the protagonist, Emanda (Amily?) is. Although to avoid any confusion, I'll amend that to the "main/lead character."

 

I think there are also several bi characters in ensemble shows. And Lost Girl's Bo is bi and she's the lead, but that's cable and not network TV, so it has a lower reach. (I hope I'm using the terms correctly. Network v. cable? Broadcast v. cable? Feh.) 

 

Then again, The 100 is on the CW and no one's really checking for the CW, either, so I'm not sure if cable v. network really matters here, lmao. 

Edited March 3, 2015 by galax-arena

[Chaos Theory]

They are both also science fiction/fantasy shows and those tend to be benchmark shows.

[ApathyMonger]

I think there are also several bi characters in ensemble shows. And Lost Girl's Bo is bi and she's the lead, but that's cable and not network TV, so it has a lower reach. (I hope I'm using the terms correctly. Network v. cable? Broadcast v. cable? Feh.) 

 

 

I think the current shows where the lead is bi are House of Cards, The Fall, Lost Girl, OITNB, The 100, and Halt & Catch Fire.