Showrunners take note!

Media representation is important. It lets the younger generation know they’re not alone, that there are people like them, and personalities they can look up to. However, not all characters that do this job are created equally. Sometimes, they don’t do the community justice, and end up being a walking stereotype. But there are instances when LGBTQ+ characters are done right:

1/5 Captain Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine

“Everytime someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place. Thank you.” These are words shared by Captain Holt to Rosa Diaz, a detective who came out as bisexual to her parents. Holt is an openly gay man, and his words are of someone who understands the struggle of “coming out” in a society that expects you to be one way.

Throughout the show, we know Holt as a stern, emotionless captain who gets into shenanigans with other members of the precinct who have a contrasting personality to him. He has a cute little dog named Cheddar, and a husband named Kevin. That description is what makes him great: the show acknowledges his sexuality without making it all about him, but he still shows his struggles because of his identity which then turns into character development. We don’t think of him as “the gay captain”, we think of him as the captain, who happens to be gay.

2/5 Titus Andromedon from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Titus Andromedon is a struggling actor living with his naive friend Kimmy Schmidt. He is Black, unapologetically gay, lives for the spotlight, and is never afraid to show the world his potential. Titus shows viewers that there is nothing wrong with being gay and loving the spotlight. There is nothing wrong with being flamboyant, and there’s nothing wrong with self-love. Possessing all of these qualities doesn’t mean you have to be labelled a stereotypical gay man. That’s because throughout the show, though his struggles can be his own fault, he is constantly fighting against the world. He can’t keep his job because he gets racially profiled. He gets stared down because he wears clothes that are not masculine. He ran away from his childhood because he wasn’t accepted. And all that happens today, in real life.

3/5 Florence from Sex Education

It can be argued that LGBTQ+ representation is overall pretty great, but Florence represents a sexuality that isn’t seen often in media: asexuality. She takes the role of Juliet in Moordale’s remake of Romeo and Juliet, and felt uncomfortable when her friends push her into having sex with Jackson Marchetti. That was when Florence realised she isn’t interested in having sex at all.

After having a talk with Jean Milburn, she felt that her sexuality as an asexual is validated, that she’s normal for not having sexual attractions, and she’s not “broken” as a human being. Although a short talk, the scene is meaningful for people who identify as such.

“Sexuality is fluid—sex doesn’t make us whole, and so, how could you ever be broken?” – Jean to Florence

4/5 Callie Torres from Grey’s Anatomy

Another aspect of LGBTQ+ that is still uncommon in media is bisexuality. Bisexual characters are often punchlines of certain jokes or entirely misunderstood as “can’t choose between men or women, so they just do both”. Callie Torres shows that bisexuals, like other members of the community, didn’t choose their sexuality. 

“So I’m bisexual. So what?”, she told Meredith. Callie is a proud bisexual character that can exhibit romantic attraction to both men and women. She was not played out for laughs or drama—she exists as a person with ambitions just like everyone.

5/5 Elektra Evangelista from Pose

Pose is simply groundbreaking in terms of transgender representation. Its superb cast dives deep into New York’s ball scene, centering the spotlight on black, queer individuals who paved the way. Elektra sets herself apart as a mean-spirited and hard-headed house mother, and grows into a loving and understanding person who helps her family every step of the way. She lets us know how important it is to stay strong, and to never compromise your own happiness. She shows that we can do that too, because that’s what we deserve.