25 LGBT Characters On Television That Viewers Absolutely Love

Television needs more LGBT characters, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some great people out there already.

We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about LGBT characters who they admire or have helped them when they needed it most.

1. Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) in Doctor Who

BBC / Via bbc.co.uk

"It's awesome to see a black gay woman who is just casually queer and no one cares. I'm super upset she's not going to be in Season 11 though, because of course that's what happens."

– Charlotte, email

"I find her so inspiring and such a badass. She's a role model for younger girls and boys."

– harrietm4bc79670d

"Why did she have to leave so soon?!"

– georgiap40209bbcb

Watch it on: BBC iPlayer (UK), BBC America (US)

2. Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) in Brooklyn Nine-Nine

NBCUniversal Television Distribution / Via youtube.com

"This is a man who's endured years of discrimination for being a black gay cop, and he's using it to be a force for good in his precinct and in his community. He's given all of them advice on how to overcome adversity."

– emilyadder

"What really does it for me is how this comedy show deals with issues around race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender. The characterisation of Holt just reiterates the struggles of being a black gay man rising up in the ranks of the NYPD and how defiance and hope allowed him to end up captaining a great squad who accept him."

– Justisabel

Watch it on: Netflix (excluding US), FOX Now (US)

3. Josh (Josh Thomas) in Please Like Me

ABC / Pivot / Via Amazon Prime

"[Please Like Me is] so funny and sincere, and represents the best and hardest aspects of coming out, looking for love, and trying to figure out what you want to do and who you want to be."

– Michael, Facebook

"Josh is, at times, stubborn, childish, and spiteful. Other times he is lovable, charming, and very insightful. The show does a wonderful job in its portrayals of mental illness and portrayals of real relationships."

– Jacob, Facebook

"The portrayal is so real and I can imagine a lot of people will relate to his experience."

– megnas

Watch it on: Amazon Prime (UK), Hulu (US), ABC TV (Oz)

4. Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) and Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima) in Supergirl

CBS / The CW

"These characters give me that sense of representation I have been looking for since I came out. Both women hold high-power and important jobs and respect and encourage each other through them. They are the only reason I religiously keep up with the show."

– samsalv

"The line that led me to come out was after Alex tells Maggie that she thinks it's just a phase and Maggie says, 'No, it's real. You're real and you deserve to have a real, full, happy life. Okay?' I came out a week after watching that episode and I haven't looked back since."

– Emily, email

Watch it on: Netflix (excluding UK and Oz), Now TV (UK), FOX 8 (Oz)

5. Darryl (Pete Gardner) in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

The CW / CBS / Via Netflix

"As a bisexual woman, hearing someone say 'I'm bi' on television and owning that label is refreshing and rather emotional for me. He owns his label but also lives beyond it. He's happy and not a stereotype, he's just living his life. I think that's what all LGBTGIA+ people hope to see in media: queer people living their lives."

– Molly, Facebook

"A great character with a wonderful arc that was both touching and hilarious."

– shaqed5678

Watch it on: Netflix

6. Lionel Higgins (DeRon Horton) in Dear White People

Adam Rose / Adam Rose/Netflix

"He wasn't sure of his place in the black community or the gay community and it made me feel every problem he had and I saw so much of myself in him. Dear White People is doing the black community a real justice and the LGBTQ community at the same time. And thank you Netflix for hiring the perfect man to play Lionel Higgins."

– Seyings

Watch it on: Netflix

7. Elena Alvarez (Isabella Gomez) in One Day at a Time

Netflix

"The show tackles a lot of important issues, including Elena's sexuality. She's a 15-year-old Cuban girl and the words she spoke to her mother when she came out are words that have really resonated with me in explaining my own feelings. Her journey of discovery is so similar to mine. As a 16-year-old I've never related to a character more than her."

– shanshan48

"They write her coming to terms with her sexuality in the exact way I figured myself out and, even though the end product wasn't completely the same, it was so close that I cried when she came out to people one by one."

– mattyh49979475f

Watch it on: Netflix

8. Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) in Arrow

The CW / Warner Bros

"Sara Lance is absolutely, without a doubt, my icon. She is one of the most badass characters on Arrow / Legends of Tomorrow and she’s had relationships with both men and women, making her the only bisexual hero out there (that I know of at least)."

– halia2

"The show doesn't even turn her sexuality into this huge plotline and it is actually addressed very few times throughout the two shows. Seeing a strong character like her who just happened to like both really made me feel better about my sexuality."

– halia2

Watch it on: Netflix (excluding UK), Amazon Prime (UK)

9. Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox) in Orange Is the New Black

Paul Schiraldi/Netflix

"She has done what she felt was right for her, despite what other people have said."

– miriamf46fec9764

"Her storyline was complicated and beautiful and so well done by Laverne Cox."

– Melissa, Facebook

Watch it on: Netflix

10. Isak (Tarjei Sandvik Moe) and Even (Henrik Holm) in Skam

NRK

"Isak and Even's relationship really helped me. It showed that healthy relationships are possible even when you're struggling or are dealing with mental illness and that you don't always need to be sure what's gonna happen in the next day, or next week. Sometimes you just need to take things minute by minute."

– candylandyme

"Watching their storyline unfold was so heartwarming."

– Zainab, Facebook

Watch it on: NRK (Norway), ask a mate (everywhere else)

11. Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) and Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) in the "San Junipero" episode of Black Mirror

David Dettmann/Netflix

"Sometimes I feel I'll never be able to date a girl because of my shyness towards my identity, but seeing Yorkie in a loving relationship really helped me out."

– idontlikekittens

"Kelly is such a badass who is courageous and open to love, at any age."

– katem405562d9c

Watch it on: Netflix

12. Brett Talbot (Cody Saintgnue) in Teen Wolf

MTV / Via teenwolffnetwork.tumblr.com

"He's a huge deal to me, and I identify with him a lot. Since his first appearance on the show, he's been portrayed as a badass werewolf, and he was never shown struggling with his identity – he is always very confident in his bisexuality and in himself. It just makes me really happy to see someone sure of themselves, without being portrayed as 'slutty' or 'stupid' or other bisexual stereotypes."

– isaaclahey

Watch it on: Netflix (excluding US), MTV (US)

13. Waverly Earp (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) and Nicole Haught (Katherine Barrell) in Wynonna Earp

Syfy / Via projectfandom.com

"They are the best no-nonsense, heartfelt, well written, no cliché wlw (women who love women) couple on TV."

– chloes47fcedb1d

"They're a power couple in such an underrated show that needs to be more recognised. Their relationship is so beautiful and powerful, yet their adorableness doesn't take away from the fact that they're both badasses! This show is one of the very few shows that doesn't queer-bait its audience either."

– tomboy21x2222

Watch it on: Netflix and Syfy (US), Channel 5 (UK)

14. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) in Grey's Anatomy

Shondaland / ABC Studios

"As a bisexual teen, I really appreciate seeing a bisexual woman who is comfortable in her sexuality and isn't just portrayed as bisexual to serve as a transition from straight to gay."

– samd4491e3276

"There are almost no true bisexuals on television (as opposed to someone who dates the opposite sex and then 'turns gay', or someone dabbling in same-sex romance for the rating), and she was a blessing. Her coming-out journey was real, she loved men and women with all her heart, she faced biphobia, and she held her head up high and lived her best life."

– chasergirl

Watch it on: Netflix (US), Now TV (UK), Yahoo7 (Oz)

15. Mickey Milkovich (Noel Fisher) in Shameless

Showtime

"I absolutely love Mickey from Shameless. He showed us what true love is and that you can be loved, even if you don't love yourself."

– 2001michi

"For most of the show, he would hide who he truly was. Then, he came out. Risking everything. At that moment, he didn't care about anyone but the guy he loved. He finally accepted himself for being gay and it was an amazing moment to see. That bravery and acceptance inspired me. So I came out as a bisexual to my family and I never felt more like myself than that moment. Thank you, Mickey."

– naya45431bcf3

Watch it on: Netflix

16. Nomi Marks (Jamie Clayton) in Sense8

Murray Close/Netflix

"She is the first and only trans character I've seen whose plotline and character development had nothing to do with being transgender, instead focusing on her relationship with Amanita and her abilities as a hacker."

– hannahcanela

"Jamie Clayton does an awesome job playing a badass political blogger and hacker. Nomi fights for what she believes is right – even if it means breaking the law. Netflix please just give us back Sense8, the most iconic LGBT show ever made."

– Chris, email

Watch it on: Netflix

17. Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) in Game of Thrones

HBO

"He had such an admirable way of viewing the world – accept what you like and who you are and live for the moment. He didn't see the sense in overthinking anything, especially desire, as it amounts to denying yourself pleasure in a world where life can be so fleeting. He followed his emotions and it seemed so incredibly freeing."

– liamstark70

Watch it on: HBO Go (US), Now TV (UK), Foxtel Play (Oz)

18. Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillon) in Billions

Showtime

"They were to my knowledge the first nonbinary characters I've seen in a mainstream US drama series."

– alyxr49aa11c3e

Watch it on: Showtime (US), Now TV (UK)

19. Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) in Glee

20th Century Fox Television

"After she fully accepted herself and came out, she also didn't accept bullshit from anyone. She stood up for herself and taught me that discrimination does happen but you don't have to accept their excuses for it. I didn't accept myself until several years later, but Santana was a huge part of that journey to acceptance."

– Emma, email

"When I was younger, I used to think all lesbians were the stereotypical butch women, so when I started to doubt my sexuality I felt that I didn't fit in. Seeing Santana as a popular cheerleader who was girly and in love with her best friend was so relatable for me."

– loish491e7c212

Watch it on: Netflix (US), Amazon Prime (UK), Network Ten (Oz)

20. Trevor (Elliot Fletcher) in Shameless

Showtime

"The actor who portrays him really brought out the true meaning of what that character represents and it made me love the show that much more."

– corellaw

Watch it on: Netflix

21. Moira (Samira Wiley) in The Handmaid's Tale

Hulu

"Moira being forced to act straight in a society where homosexuality is frowned upon is very relatable to some current issues."

– mcdoodie

Watch it on: Hulu (US), All 4 (UK), SBS On Demand (Oz)

22. Alec Lightwood (Matthew Daddario) and Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr) in Shadowhunters

Freeform

"A power couple where there isn't one outshining the other."

– zamzamleeyump

"Alec has really come out of his shell and started to accept himself over the past few episodes and I'm so proud of my little badass bean."

– brooklynm41386f22f

Watch it on: Freeform (US), Netflix (UK and Oz)

23. Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor) in The 100

Warner Bros. Television

"Shows typically show LGBTQ female characters as guy-ish or a bit different to fit in what people think is typical, but Clarke just really shows that everyone is the same and they shouldn't be labeled or be a LGBTQ character from their personality. Also, she is a very strong, inspirational, great leader and one badass character."

– jmlikespizza

Watch it on: Netflix (US), All 4 (UK), Fox 8 (Oz)

24. Jude Jacob (Hayden Byerly) and Connor Stevens (Gavin MacIntosh) in The Fosters

Freeform / Via es.pinterest.com

"Seeing queer characters have crushes like any other person my age on TV was really monumental for me."

– Sallyroow

"I think it shows how even at their young ages when it started that it's perfectly natural."

– Brandon, Facebook

Watch it on: Hulu (US)

25. And Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Willow (Alyson Hannigan)

Mutant Enemy Productions / 20th Century

"It felt amazing for teenage me to see a lesbian on TV be characterised not by her orientation but by everything else about her: her nerdiness, her ridiculous fuzzy sweaters, her quirky way of speaking, her growth from a shy and timid wallflower to a confident and powerful witch. I loved that her relationships with her friends were emphasised just as much as her relationships with her girlfriends.

"That was my first experience with seeing a fleshed-out, complex person who happens to be a lesbian in mainstream media."

– Kylee, Facebook

"Joss Whedon found ways to include intimacy between two women on television creatively, and proudly. And the characters themselves resonate with me so much."

– peterc489a34b45

Watch it on: Hulu (US), iTunes (UK and Oz)

Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Thank you for the many people who got in contact about this topic.

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