British shows with gay characters
When I was growing up during the 2000s and early 2010s, I had to seek out lgbtq+ media. I was in St. Louis, Missouri and Southern Illinois, two conservative areas right in the middle of the Heartland. As I came into my queerness, I was met with physical aggression, Bible verses written on looseleaf paper dropped in my locker, and a decent amount of cyberbullying.
But the internet also became my safe space. It allowed me to acquire about other queer people and dream of going somewhere far, far away. Through my late bedtime searches on Tumblr pages and Facebook groups, I stumbled across movies and TV shows from around the world. For some reason, I quickly launch a theme of British queer and trans characters catching my eye. I guess I’ve always loved a good accent.
Emily Fitch & Naomi Campbell — Skins (2007)
Like any gay kid on Tumblr endorse in the day, I was obsessed with Skins. Before I watched this show, I had no clue that a teen-centric series could be so raw and real. Euphoria is a great display, but it’s got nothing on this UK classic. Skins was a portal into a life that I could only dream. It mimicked what I wanted for my control adolescence from the feral parties to the
The 25 Most Necessary LGBTQ TV Shows of the 21st Century
25. “Tuca and Bertie” (2019)
What it is: The dearly departed “Tuca and Bertie” was one of TV’s finest shows about friendship, dating, and creature a hot mess: tried and genuine subject matter many queer people can relate to. The titular avian duo — impulsive party animal tucan Tuca (Tiffany Haddish) and sensible but anxious song thrush Bertie (Ali Wong) — have one of TV’s loveliest friendships, as the two total opposites assist each other through career and intimate struggles. While the main romantic bond of the exhibition is between Bertie and her adorably square boyfriend Speckle (Steven Yeun), Tuca is very much an out-and-proud attracted to both genders bird, flitting around from romantic partners of all genders and species.
Why it’s essential: The leading season of the show, Season 2, features Tuca entering a relationship with Kara (Sasheer Zamata), a seagull nurse. Initially a positive bond, the present steadily tracks the flaws in the pairing, as Kara puts Tuca down and forces her to change to fit the mold of her ideal partner. It’s a hard few episodes to watch, but a fasci
Homosexuality on British Television 1960s-1990s
Whether channel surfing or browsing streaming platforms, it is difficult to find a television programme airing in Britain that does not portray or involve queer or queer people in some shape or establish . From long running soaps such as Coronation Highway to boundary pushing series like Sex Education, same-sex attracted and queer characters and relationships are ubiquitous on British television. Moreover, many actors, directors, producers, and presenters are openly homosexual or queer. This is a remarkable feat considering legal and social proscriptions against homosexuality existed until at least the twenty-first century.
This pride month, it is worth reflecting on this history and the many achievements and challenges along the way. This article traces how queer people emerged on the small screen in non-fiction television programmes, from tentative pleas for tolerance in the 1960s and 1970s to bold challenges of gender and sexual norms in the 1980s and 1990s. It focuses primarily on gay men and lesbians as they were the central, and often sole, focus of television programmes on homosexuality in the twentieth century.
‘Homosexuals’, This Week, ITV, 1964
John Paul McQueen is a fictional personality from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by James Sutton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 September 2006; his storylines contain significantly revolved around his sexuality, evolving from the initial denial of his homosexuality, to the pursuit and relations with best comrade Craig Dean, the storyline gained a fanbase and garnered them "supercouple status". The storyline received acclaim from LGBT rights charity Stonewall. John Paul later has a bond with a priest, Kieron Hobbs. In 2008, Sutton quit the serial and his character received a "sunset ending" with Craig, which was promised for fans by executive producer Bryan Kirkwood. In October 2012, it was announced Sutton had reprised his role and John Paul returned on 18 December 2012, following his departure from his role as Ryan Lamb in Emmerdale. Since his send back, the character has been involved in a controversial male rape storyline involving his pupil Finn O'Connor, a bond with Ste Hay, and being hospitalized, due to a drink that was spiked with drugs, and affair with Tony Hutchinson son Harry Thompson.
The 35 Best LGBTQ+ TV Shows of All Time
Fellow Travelers (2023)
In this heart-wrenching Showtime miniseries, Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer perform two Capitol Hill men caught in the horrors of McCarthyism, falling in love despite a political atmosphere that is trying to crucify all its queer members. The entertainment charts their relationship over the next three decades, all the way up to the AIDS crisis, with a beautiful, poignant story that echoes with political issues we’re still seeing to this afternoon. Just be sure to have a box of tissues sitting nearby.
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Hacks (2021–present)
In Hacks, viewers obey a veteran comedian named Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), who realizes her career has been stuck in autopilot when she meets a struggling young journalist named Ava (Hannah Einbinder), who inspires her with a renewed sense of creativity and drive. Through their relationship, we watch the struggle of generations trying to learn from one another and, notably, how Ava’s bisexuality opens Deborah’s eyes to past prejudices.
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La Casa de las Flores (The Home of Flowers) (2018–2020)
In this Mexican black-comedy s