Just 13 Times Television Shows Got LGBTQIA+ Representation So Right, It Made Our Hearts Soar

My heart can't handle all this wholesomeness 🌈

1. Dani Clayton and Jamie (The Haunting of Bly Manor)

Netflix

Dani and Jamie's love story is raw and heart-breaking. Not only is their love effortless, but they both also have extremely nuanced backstories. The Haunting of Bly Manor didn't set out to teach people lessons in inclusivity. It simply is horror fiction in which two women end up falling in love!

2. Cal Bowman (Sex Education)

Netflix

Cal only became a part of the show in Season 3, but they are already incredibly cool. Cal is very straight-forward but still kind, and isn't afraid of questioning the system at Moordale Secondary School, that is often inaccessible to people who don't fit the binary. I can't wait to see more of them in upcoming seasons!

3. Eric Effiong (Sex Education)

Netflix

Eric is loud and proud, supremely funny, has a refined backstory, and is just simply fabulous. While I don't agree with several of his romantic decisions, Eric himself is a brilliant standalone gay character!

4. David Rose and Patrick Brewer (Schitt's Creek)

CBC

Schitt's Creek flips the trope of "small town = bad", on its head. Watching the very first episode almost feels like you're walking on eggshells, waiting for someone like Roland to say something extremely offensive to David, but that never happens. There is absolutely no homophobia and the town ends up becoming a safe space not only for us, but also for David Rose who is pansexual and Patrick Brewer who is gay.

5. Ryan Hayes (Special)

Netflix

Special is a semi-biographical account of Ryan O'Connell's (who also plays the lead, Ryan Hayes) own life as a gay man with cerebral palsy. Ryan is an absolute sweetheart and we see his character bloom, despite all the curveballs life throws at him, in the form of family, friends, and lovers. It is one of the few shows with genuine disability and queer representation, and it is a wonderful watch!

6. Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker (Modern Family)

ABC

Mitch and Cam were probably India's first brush with a queer couple who lived together and also had a child together! Their lives were so normalised, it almost felt like their family was in our neighbourhood, or perhaps even in our living rooms. Shows like Modern Family have truly paved the way for queer representation on prime time television.

7. Clare Devlin (Derry Girls)

Hat Trick Productions

Clare is a worrywart who is also ambitious, clever, and so extremely funny. She will do just about anything for a good grade and, while she happens to be a lesbian, it isn't the end-all of revelations in her life. Her friends are supportive and wonderful, and we get to see her be so much more than just who she loves!

8. TK Strand and Carlos Reyes (9-1-1: Lone Star)

ReamWorks

TK and Carlos play out and proud gay first responders on 9-1-1: Lone Star. There is no big revelation and no "will they, won't they" in their story. They first meet at work, and then meet at a bar, and eventually fall into a thing with each other. Their relationship continues to grow and hit bumps, just like any other relationship.

9. Paul Strickland (9-1-1: Lone Star)

ReamWorks

Paul Strickland, also from 9-1-1: Lone Star, is a proud trans man and firefighter. Being trans is not the end-all of his story, as the show explores his relationship with his family and also his love life. He is played by actor Brian Michael Smith who continues to do groundbreaking work for trans representation in popular media.

10. Victor Salazar (Love, Victor)

Temple Hill Entertainment

Victor is half Puerto Rican and half Colombian-American and his identity and culture play an extremely important role as he embarks on a journey to discover himself. After he comes out, his father is quick to learn and be supportive towards him, but his mother takes a while to come around. He does eventually end up finding love with Benji, but their relationship has up and downs, just like any other high school relationship.

11. Elena and Syd (One Day at a Time)

Act III Productions

Elena and Syd collectively make for wonderful queer representation, especially for young adults who are just beginning to question their sexuality. Elena identifies as a lesbian and Syd identifies as non-binary, and much like other high schoolers, they both bond over all things geeky and nerdy and are entirely too sweet for my fragile heart!

12. Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

NBC

Rosa takes pride in the fact that even her closest associates know very little about her, and, in typical Rosa fashion, comes out as bisexual to the precinct during their daily brief and gives everyone exactly a minute to ask her any questions.

13. Captain Raymond Holt and Professor Kevin Cozner (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

NBC

A perpetually stoic Raymond Holt is the last person you'd expect to be gay, but he is a pleasant surprise. Holt and his husband, Kevin, aren't big on PDA, but you can tell that they've been together long enough to know what each other's eyebrow twitches mean.