23 Anti-LGBTQ Moments From TV Shows That I Genuinely Can't Believe Got Aired
Bisexuality = exists. A one-bedroom Manhattan apartment on a writer's salary = doesn't exist.
Shows like Sex Education and Pose prove that nowadays LGBTQ+ representation on television is THRIVING, but it hasn't always been this way. Here are some examples of times our favourite TV shows failed to accurately represent queer people, and/or chose to belittle the community in the name of "comedy".
1. That time Kurt politely informed his boyfriend Blaine that *apparently* bisexuality isn't a valid identity in Glee.
Glee was a revolutionary show for LGBTQ+ representation, but it still had some pretty biphobic moments that were never properly addressed. However, the show did end up earning some bi-points with its characterisation of Brittany S. Pierce, an openly bisexual cheerleader who has relationships with men and women throughout the show.
2. And that moment when the supposedly sex-positive protagonist of Sex and the City, Carrie, unfortunately seemed to hold the same view on bisexuals.
While some people do temporarily identify as bisexual before identifying as gay, that doesn't mean bisexuality doesn't exist. Do you know what actually doesn't exist? A one-bedroom Manhattan apartment that Carrie could afford on a writer's salary. Here's the clip in full.
3. When Max begins transitioning on The L Word, and his hormone therapy turns him into a hyperaggressive, possessive jerk.
Max was a pioneering character for trans-masculine representation on screen, yet many transgender people believed the character failed to realistically portray the FTM experience, particularly during transitioning.
4. And when Max's lesbian friends – who should've been supporting him – treated his choice to transition as a threat to the butch lesbian identity.
I don't know who needs to hear this, but trans men are not butch lesbians who have lost their way! It's sad that a groundbreaking show like The L-Word didn't understand that, and instead chose to pit lesbians and trans people against each other. Luckily, The L-Word: Generation Q does a much better job with trans representation!
5. In Friends, when Ross assumed a male nanny had to be gay, simply because he was openly emotional and had a job in a female-dominated industry.
Let's just say this episode did not age well. Ross becomes so uncomfortable with Sandy, the male nanny, for no other reason than his own anti-effeminate prejudice. It's such a disappointing storyline as Sandy, who is perfectly lovely and super qualified, ends up being fired because of Ross's feelings. It's a real low point for Ross – and let's face it, there are many!
6. Also in Friends, when Ross and Will admitted to spreading a rumour in high school that Rachel was intersex in an attempt to humiliate her.
Friends portrayed intersex people as freaky and even repulsive, which is harmful and just not true. Being intersex is completely natural and actually pretty common – about one in a hundred people are intersex!
7. When Chandler's dad was constantly mocked for her gender identity.
The show initially presents Chandler's father as a man who does drag, but it seems more likely that she is a trans woman (who also does drag). Okay, we're making assumptions a little here, but she's probably ~not~ a cis man! Honestly, the only silver lining about the whole Chandler's father debacle was her undeniably brilliant drag name – Helena Handbasket.
8. When How I Met Your Mother fetishized lesbianism to the point that Robin and Lily making out was the ONLY thing that could wake up Barney from a drunken stupor.
How I Met Your Mother frequently frames lesbianism as entertainment for straight men. It's a lazy, homophobic trope that should've never gotten any air time!
9. And when Ted invites Barney to play a gross game where they attempt to depicher cis female models from trans female models.
Not only does Ted claim that trans women are just "dudes," but his idea of fun is trying clock trans people? No wonder it took nine seasons for Ted to find a girlfriend who could put up with him – he's the worst.
10. That early episode of Bob's Burgers, which features a group of trans sex workers who are referred to as transvestites and are all voiced by male comedians.
At first, it appears that the characters are cross-dressers, and one of the characters even identifies as a man. However, as the episode continues, the characters make references to transitioning, implying that they're actually trans women. The writers clearly didn't do any research on either community, but let's be honest, if shows hired trans-identifying people more often, mistakes like this would probably be a thing of the past!
11. When Zach thought it was somehow gay to express his emotions and his friendship with other men in Gilmore Girls.
Gilmore Girls features a zillion of these kinda gags, and let me tell you – they get old real fast! Like, really, Brokeback Mountain?! How does "I miss you and you're my friend" somehow equate to "I want you, anally speaking"?
12. And similarly, when Luke thought it was awfully gay for Kirk to be carrying his girlfriend's handbag around Stars Hollow.
I know the hip thing in 2003 was to call things you disliked "gay" – thanks again Hilary for sorting that out – but as a longtime fan of the show, it's always bothered me that the Gilmore Girls team kind of seemed to have it in for the gays.
13. When Douglas allowed a relationship with a trans woman called April to develop in The IT Crowd because he thought she was cis, but then he promptly broke it off after realising she wasn't.
The (perhaps deliberate) irony of the storyline is that they were perfect together because they shared a lot of the same interests, which is itself inherently problematic because a) it seems to suggest that trans woman are still men somehow, and b) it is very gender essentialist. But let's say that April does enjoy playing darts and drinking beer – Douglas letting her go because of a bigoted world-view was beyond stupid.
14. In Will and Grace when Jack must work with a lesbian couple on a dramatisation for Will's gay sensivity seminar, and he can't help but mock them at every opportunity.
There are some funny moments, and the jokes feel mostly light-hearted, but Jack's belittling of Terry and Annie underscores a very real sense of misogyny and anti-lesbian prejudice that pervades the gay community. It would also be confusing, in a gay sensitivity seminar, to hear this kind of thing. To borrow a sentiment from Tina Fey – if us gays call each other names, it just makes it okay for straights to call us names too.
15. When Brian sleeps with Ida Quagmire in Family Guy without realising she is trans, and then pukes and takes a "recovery shower" when he finds out who she is.
I mean... really!?
No but for real, the whole transgender-character-is-revealed-to-be-trans-and-then-the-small-minded-straight-cis-guy-pukes-his-guts-up trope has been played SO many times now – looking at you Ace Ventura, The Crying Game, The Hangover etc. It's a disgusting gag that needs to go.
16. Scrubs wasn't exactly at its best when Carla wanted to spread a rumour that a young, attractive nurse was trans.
Being trans does not reduce your worth! Also, people, we have another case of a character believing that trans women are just men.
17. Raj and Howard's friendship on The Big Bang Theory is frequently mocked for being "gay".
First off, having a close friend of the same gender doesn't make you gay for each other. Secondly, when other characters mock Howard and Raj for acting "gay", they're actually saying that being gay is a bad thing. Someone call Hilary Duff!
18. Remember that asexual patient on House who turned out to only be asexual because of a brain tumour?
Asexuality, meaning one doesn’t experience sexual attraction, isn't a medical condition that needs to be fixed. It's a valid identity, and deserves to be treated as such. Luckily, shows like Sex Education are doing a much better job of representing the asexual community.
19. In The West Wing, Abigail Bartlet was *totally fine* with gay people, but was also relieved when her daughter turned out to be straight.
Spoiler alert – if you're not welcoming of LGBTQ people within your own family, then you're not supporting the LGBTQ community overall, ma'am!
20. Did you know that Jughead's character in the Archie comics – the inspiration for Riverdale – is canonically asexual? And yet in the show, he's very... not.
In recent editions of the comic, the character of Jughead is an "aroace" – someone who is both aromantic and asexual. Yet showrunners for Riverdale decided not to represent him as such. Even Jughead actor Cole Sprouse has spoken out about this being a missed opportunity for asexual representation on television!
21. Speaking of straight-washing, Dan Humphrey and Chuck Bass were supposed to be bi in Gossip Girl. However, in the show, neither get queer at all, really.
In Cecily von Ziegesar’s book series, both Chuck and Dan date a guy named Greg who is not featured in the TV show. Their fluid sexuality is an enjoyable aspect of the books but series creators chose not to show it on screen. The closest we get is when Chuck kisses a guy as a set-up for his girlfriend Blair, and then vaguely admits it's not his first gay kiss.
22. The way Mitch and Cam have zero intimate scenes in Modern Family and don't even really seem to like each other.
Many argue that while it was a positive move for Modern Family to include a gay couple and show them as capable parents, Mitch and Cam just don't get a fair crack as a couple. They’re constantly trying to one-up each other and they lack any intimacy; any kissing they do is relegated to the back of shots. It just feels as if the writers don't view their relationship in the same way as the het ones.
23. And lastly, when Kenny hoped his boyfriend wasn't bisexual in The Real O'Neals.
You would hope that television made by and starring queer people would do a better job of showcasing the entire LGBTQ community, but alas, that's not always the case. This joke from a 2017 episode of The Real O'Neals proves that in the minds of many, the perception of bisexuality hasn't come that far since Carrie's clueless comments.
Are there any other frustratingly anti-LGBTQ moments from TV shows that we missed out? Share them in the comments below.
