2 hours ago
5
Although we've travel a agelong way, there's inactive a vocal number that feels the request to scrutinize queer media…just for existing. And I'm not going to lie... It's boring. It's exhausting. It's clip to absorption connected real issues.
So let's dispersed the LOVE by revisiting iconic shows with queer characters — and spot however the show's cast, crew, and creators handled the unfair backlash. After all, emotion ever wins.
NBC
1. The Canadian phenomenon, Heated Rivalry, has been coined the "gay hockey show." But it's wayyy much than that. Joy-inducing, romantic, and tender, it's astir emotion successful each forms. That said, it hasn't been immune to backlash for showcasing a non-straight romance. Because adjacent though it's 2026, the satellite inactive sometimes chooses to lash retired astatine what they garbage to understand, I guess.
Crave TV
Hudson Williams was asked by Andy Cohen connected Radio Andy, a SiriusXM channel, astir the nationalist backlash implicit Heated Rivalry being "too graphic." Andy Cohen asked, "There's a sermon astir [Heated Rivalry] going on, that [the show] is truly graphic ... but it's really nary much graphic than Bridgerton oregon immoderate different amusement that shows consecutive sex. What's your absorption to that?"
SiriusXM
Hudson Williams responded successful the astir cleanable way, "If these were consecutive enactment scenes, past radical would beryllium like, 'Oh, it's not... we don't spot anything.' You know, like, determination are nary boobs successful the show, there's nary dicks successful the show, there's conscionable a batch of butt ... But if that were a consecutive intimate scene, it wouldn't beryllium talked astir successful the mode that it is."
SiriusXM
And it's true. When creator Jacob Tierny was asked to elaborate connected the nuances of queer emotion shown successful television, his effect was impeccable. He told CBC, "[Queer radical are] utilized to waiting for the different footwear to drop. We're waiting for a punishment, particularly if we get to person sex. If you spot queer enactment successful mainstream content, there's astir ever a punishment aboriginal on...narratively. And this amusement does not person that ... and that's wherefore I wanted to marque it. It's a solemnisation of axenic joy."
CBC
And "a solemnisation of axenic joy" is 100% what Heated Rivalry is.
2. Grey's Anatomy is simply a masterclass successful representing diversity, and Shonda Rhimes is the crushed down it. The queen of tv — creator of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and enforcement shaper connected shows similar Bridgerton, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Resident — has agelong faced backlash for her committedness to representation. Queer characters, women, radical of colour, and different marginalized communities often person harsher disapproval from the public, networks, oregon accumulation companies, and Shonda won't basal for it.
ABC
But Shonda has a precise circumstantial mode of dealing with backlash, and it's acold much clever (and simple) than you mightiness expect. Sometimes, executives would propulsion backmost connected a enactment country involving a queer mates oregon different marginalized pairing. So arsenic a solution, Shonda would sprout their emotion scenes shot-for-shot based connected 1 already filmed with a consecutive achromatic couple. It's a maneuver she's utilized to softly telephone retired racist, misogynistic, oregon homophobic reactions from executives oregon networks.
Netflix
Shonda told Alex Cooper connected the Call Her Daddy podcast, "I had learned thing earlier, which I learned with the enactment scenes. Which was, you know, they would accidental to me, 'We're disquieted astir this Fitz and Olivia enactment scene.' And I would beryllium like, 'But I changeable it shot-for-shot similar the Meredith and Derek enactment country from Grey's. So it's not the scene, it's the radical having the sex.'"
The Unwell Network
Then she went connected to accidental that she utilized the aforesaid maneuver with How to Get Away With Murder, involving a enactment country with 2 men. When the web had a occupation with it and said, "You can't bash this," Shonda would simply say, "But we already did."
ABC
Like, isn't it perfectly WILD that erstwhile I searched connected YouTube for a enactment country betwixt Meredith and Derek, I got endless results? But erstwhile I searched for scenes betwixt Paxton and Connor from How to Get Away With Murder, this is the benignant of bullshit I ended up with instead.
YouTube
But Shonda and her unthinkable squad volition support pushing nine guardant until, hopefully, 1 day, that's nary longer the connection we spot erstwhile searching for a video of a queer emotion scene.
3. Some The Last of Us fans were shocked erstwhile the post-apocalyptic zombie series, based connected the video game, dedicated its full 3rd occurrence to sharing the decade-long emotion communicative of Bill and Frank.
HBO
Although immoderate critics and viewers were outraged by the added storyline, the formed has continued to talk astir the episode's value portion pushing backmost against homophobic remarks. When Nick Offerman accepted the grant for Best Supporting Performance astatine the Spirit Awards for The Last of Us, helium addressed the backlash directly, saying, "When homophobic hatred comes my mode and says, 'Why did you person to marque it a cheery story?' ... we say, 'It's not a cheery story, it's a love story. You asshole!'"
Film Independent
I honestly couldn't clap louder, Nick. And it's not conscionable Nick speaking out. When Bella Ramsey was asked astir the vocal number making antagonistic comments astir a queer storyline, she told GQ, "I cognize radical volition deliberation what they privation to think. But they're gonna person to get utilized to it. If you don't privation to ticker the amusement due to the fact that it has cheery storylines, due to the fact that it has a trans character, that's connected you, and you're missing out."
GQ
And what a phenomenal amusement they would miss retired on.
4. Modern Family marked a taste milestone successful existent clip erstwhile Cam and Mitchell tied the knot alongside California's legalization of same-sex marriage. In doing so, the amusement encapsulated the solemnisation of the ineligible strategy finallyyy catching up. And they didn't discarded immoderate time. Same-sex matrimony became legal successful California successful June 2013, and by May 2014, Cam and Mitchell's wedding episode was connected our screens.
Peacock
Even though that wedding was a pivotal taste moment, Modern Family faced endless backlash implicit Cam and Mitchell’s relationship. Some viewers criticized the amusement for not showing the mates kissing arsenic overmuch arsenic the different couples, subtly implying the communicative that Cam and Mitchell's emotion was someway little invaluable than the consecutive relationships.
Peacock
While different viewers gave "negative energy" and made homophobic remarks astir the show, others claimed Cam and Mitchell misrepresented the queer community, leaning connected stereotypes and caricatures. Voices were large connected each sides, but implicit time, the web pushed backmost by gradually showing much carnal affection betwixt Cam and Mitchell arsenic the seasons went connected and the nationalist grew much accepting.
Peacock
When Eric Stonestreet was asked astir playing a queer antheral connected television, he responded by saying, "The 'agenda' has ne'er been to bash thing different than marque radical laugh. That's each we privation to do, is marque radical laugh, and if that opens people's hearts and minds with the thought that radical are people, nary substance their race, creed, gender, intersexual orientation, past we're palmy successful different area. That's a positive."
ABC / Everett Collection
The formed of Modern Family strived to make a abstraction wherever inclusivity and practice were astatine the forefront. Eric Stonestreet gushed astir Cam and Mitchell's interaction connected viewers, saying on The View, "One of my favourite tweets ever was a screenshot of a speech a miss had with her dada that said, 'You cured my dada of his homophobia.' Like, Mitch and Cam cured [her] dada of his homophobia."
Lou Rocco / Disney General Entertainment Content / Getty Images
And if shows similar Modern Family and endless others tin proceed to "spread the cure," past the satellite volition beryllium a much loving spot for america all.
5. Glee faced scrutiny not conscionable for its 2 salient queer relationships — Santana and Brittany, and Kurt and Blaine — but besides due to the fact that the couples were teenagers. Conservative critics claimed the amusement was pushing a "gay agenda" connected kids, and adjacent utilized hateful words specified arsenic "sickening" towards the amusement and its creator.
Fox
Max Adler — the histrion down the homophobic jock Dave who bullied queer students to fell his ain sexuality — discussed it connected CNN, adjacent calling homophobia an epidemic and a disease. He said, "A batch of radical aren't truly talking astir it, and are acrophobic to sermon it. And I cognize schoolhouse districts person told their teachers not to speech astir it. You can't accidental the connection 'gay.' You can't thatch astir homosexual poets oregon authors ... What's happening is that determination is this content that if you're gay, that you're doing thing wrong, which leads the bullies oregon the antagonists to judge what they are doing successful bullying is right." He went on, "There is nary 'normal.' Ever."
Fox
Even Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee, admitted that highlighting homosexual relationships and minorities successful a deed tv bid outraged immoderate of the public. He told Deadline, "I've gotten decease threats, yes. I have. I deliberation anytime you radiance a spotlight connected homosexuality oregon minorities, and you effort and accidental they are arsenic mean oregon arsenic worthy of acceptance arsenic others...the radical who are connected the fringe don't similar that, and they volition travel aft you. And they have travel aft me. I deliberation it's specified a large amusement for young kids. The values of it, I think, are great."
Fox
As a kid who watched Glee erstwhile it was airing successful my aboriginal teens, I tin wholeheartedly accidental however invaluable it was for my peers and maine to spot these emotion stories connected screen.
6. In 2000, Dawson's Creek aired 1 of the archetypal kisses betwixt 2 men connected US primetime teen TV. In the play 3 finale, Jack and Ethan yet stock a long-awaited buss — a large milestone for LGBTQ+ practice — and contempt its importance, the web almost didn't let it.
The WB Network
In fact, Greg Berlanti, the showrunner of Dawson's Creek, adjacent threatened to discontinue if the web didn't let them to movie Jack and Ethan's emotion story. The web gave them the greenish light, and they were acceptable to marque history. Greg explained that helium wanted the buss to beryllium public, unafraid of being seen, and treated earnestly and not joked about. He said, "I privation this to beryllium a large kiss. I privation determination to beryllium close-ups, and I privation it to consciousness romantic."
David Livingston / Getty Images
But conscionable due to the fact that the web allowed it didn't mean the nationalist was afloat connected board. Kerr Smith, who played Jack, revealed that aft his quality came retired on-screen, protesters showed up extracurricular the set. Smith recalled being acrophobic for his safety, saying, "We had protests extracurricular the stage, yelling and screaming."
People
But Smith made it done that tense, uncertain clip and has since spoken repeatedly astir however arrogant helium is to person been portion of specified a pivotal infinitesimal for the queer community. He said, "Now looking backmost successful hindsight, I conscionable wanna accidental this: I'm super, ace arrogant of what we pulled disconnected due to the fact that arsenic you know, the look of tv has changed and I deliberation people’s acceptance of different people, sexuality, oregon immoderate it mightiness beryllium is overmuch much wide and overmuch much unfastened these days."
The WB Network
Let's rise a toast...to being much unfastened and accepting.
7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine makes it wide from occurrence 1 that Captain Raymond Holt is simply a cheery man. And yet, we lone spot ONE on-screen buss betwixt Holt and his husband, Kevin. (But what a kiss it was. THE RAIN!) While this filming prime was apt made to bespeak the character's stoic, reserved personalities, fans couldn't assistance but wonderment wherefore their affection wasn't shown much often.
NBC
But that didn't get astir arsenic overmuch attraction arsenic Rosa Diaz coming retired arsenic bisexual successful Season 5. Some viewers successful the remark sections, forums, and societal media criticized the amusement arsenic being "too political" for a sitcom. Still, Stephanie Beatriz, who plays Rosa Diaz, has said that the antagonistic voices were thing compared to the overwhelmingly affirmative responses and acquisition of representing the bisexual assemblage connected TV.
NBC
But the cast, crew, and writers were wide successful showing their enduring enactment for the queer community. Stephanie Beatriz told Lilly Singh connected her late-night show, "TV starts societal change. Like, whether you similar it oregon not. And it's sometimes arsenic elemental arsenic a quality connected a web TV amusement being bi; it's really a truly large deal."
NBC
Stephanie Beatriz truly related to the plot, arsenic she is bisexual, similar her character, and wants to combat for representation. Beatriz told Bustle, "It's unthinkable to beryllium a portion of a amusement successful which I get to play a quality who is retired and bisexual due to the fact that increasing up, I didn't person that benignant of representation. I surely didn't person it successful a pistillate of colour, overmuch little a Latina, truthful I myself americium thrilled to beryllium a small blip connected the LGBTQ radar for radical to person a touchstone connected a amusement that they enjoy."
JB Lacroix / WireImage
There's ever much enactment to beryllium done, but tv tin beryllium a almighty conveyance for societal alteration — and shows similar this tin genuinely assistance determination the needle.
8. Susan and Carol getting joined successful Season 2 of Friends was a large woody successful the '90s. Their narration was groundbreaking, arsenic it marked the first same-sex wedding ceremony depicted connected a primetime web sitcom. While it was a pivotal infinitesimal for LGBTQ+ practice connected television, it besides sparked important contention astatine the time.
Paul Drinkwater / TV Guide / Warner Brothers / Everett Collection
In fact, erstwhile Susan and Carol got joined successful Episode 11 of Season 2, some channels adjacent refused to aerial the occurrence arsenic a stance against their relationship. The amusement didn't adjacent see a country of the mates kissing to seal their marriage. At the time, the web knew the wedding itself would already beryllium hard to get approved, truthful they had to marque a fewer compromises erstwhile it came to showing carnal affection conscionable to get the occurrence connected air.
Warner Bros.
Jane Sibbett, the histrion down Carol Willick, told Metro, "We weren't allowed to kiss, and we were disappointed by that. It was not allowed, it conscionable wasn't filmed, that conception of the wedding." She aboriginal told People, "I privation we could person had our buss due to the fact that it's beauteous to spot a kiss."
NBC / Getty Images
And adjacent though they had to chopped the kiss, the writers inactive made their stance clear. During the ceremony, the pastor delivers the iconic line: "Nothing makes God happier than erstwhile 2 radical — immoderate 2 radical — travel unneurotic successful love."
Warner Bros.
9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the first show to diagnostic a semipermanent sapphic narration betwixt 2 main characters. Joss Whedon made it a constituent to effort to debar the communal pitfalls that same-sex romanticist relationships often faced connected television. And though the squad took galore measures, Willow and Tara inactive sparked backlash successful their relationship.
The WB Network
Although Whedon pushed hard for their narration to beryllium treated with the aforesaid normalcy arsenic a heterosexual pairing, the web inactive required immoderate adjustments. In fact, Tara and Willow didn't stock an on-screen buss for their entire archetypal season together, pursuing the network's proposition to support ratings.
The WB Network
The creators of Buffy were truly intentional astir however they framed sexuality connected the show. In a DVD commentary, writer Drew Z. Greenberg revealed that successful the occurrence "Smashed" successful Season 6, Willow was primitively expected to formed a spell connected immoderate homophobic men astatine the Bronze that would unit them to continuously buss each other. Joss Whedon nixed the idea, though, due to the fact that helium didn't privation to suggest that someone's intersexual predisposition could alteration successful an instant, oregon that same-sex kissing could beryllium utilized arsenic a punishment.
The WB Network
Cause it isn't, and ne'er should be, a punishment.
10. And lastly, Stranger Things conscionable wrapped up its last season, and the chaotic portion is — adjacent if you haven't seen the past fewer seasons — you've astir apt heard much astir Will coming retired successful the finale than astir however the decade-long amusement really ended. That successful itself is hard to swallow.
Netflix
Don't get maine incorrect — it was an unthinkable scene, particularly acceptable successful the '80s, erstwhile having that speech would person been adjacent much hard than today. What's frustrating, though, is that astir fractional a period later, there's inactive a vocal number that wishes to marque that infinitesimal a antagonistic thing.
Netflix
The Duffer Brothers admitted they weren't rather acceptable for the "toxic instrumentality reviews," but they stood by their choice, saying it was indispensable to Will's quality arc and the completion of his journey. What is incredibly frustrating is that if a writer has to support a quality coming retired (something that needs ZERO defence), ideate however overmuch harder it is for idiosyncratic successful existent life. Let's bash better.
Netflix / Everett Collection
Ross Duffer told Variety, "The coming retired country is thing we've been gathering to for 9 years now. It was a truly important country for us, and a truly important country for Noah — not conscionable from a thematic constituent of view, but besides a communicative constituent of view."
Mike Coppola / Getty Images / Netflix
He continued, "This amusement has ever been astir our characters overcoming evil, and successful bid to flooded this evil, Vecna, successful truthful galore ways, represents each the acheronian thoughts and the evil of society. And for our characters to flooded that, it truly becomes astir embracing themselves, and past besides embracing 1 different and coming together."
Mike Coppola / Getty Images / Netflix
English (US) ·