Grey’s Anatomy (2005-present)
Has Shonda Rhimes’ flagship series been running for a half-dozen too many years? Probably. Does it still have excellent, complex queer representation on the regular? Definitely. Many of the show’s best moments revolve around Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), a spirited woman who starts off as a straight-identifying resident and ends up a successful bisexual surgeon and mother. Callie is the longest-running LGBTQ+ character in history, and her and Arizona’s wedding was a historic prime-time moment. Callie may be gone, but Rhimes still consistently cultivates tear-jerking gay-friendly moments via patient-of-the-week storylines involving regular LGBT+ people looking for love and understanding.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Grown-ish (2018-present)
Remember earlier when I mentioned the rampant misinformation, often perpetuated by pop culture, that surrounds the bisexual community? Grown-ish not only knows about these stigmas but also owns up to and interrogates them. A spinoff of ABC’s successful family sitcom Black-ish, Grown-ish follows eldest daughter Zoey (Yara Shahidi) through her first year of college, where she meets Nomi (Emily Arlook). From here, the show addresses everything from being half-closeted to having your personhood called a “phase,” to the double standards that exist within perceptions of bisexual men and women.
Where to watch: Hulu.
The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-present)
Margaret Atwood’s painfully detailed anti-women dystopian classic has found acclaim on Hulu with an even more grueling–yet also more rewarding–retelling. By turns impressionistic and pulse-pounding, The Handmaid’s Tale might be the most felicitous political thriller in recent years. Let me be clear here: good things don’t happen to queer characters in Gilead, the post-America hyper-patriarchy in which the show is set. Samira Wiley and Alexis Bledel play two characters who are constantly and horribly put through the wringer because of their sexual preferences. Still, this show is a powerhouse, telling stories of persecution that feel immediate and necessary.
Where to watch: Hulu.
Jane the Virgin (2014-present)
If you haven’t seen Jane the Virgin, you’ve probably at least heard someone compare it to a telenovela. The CW show certainly has all the elements–Evil twins! Faked deaths! Love triangles!–but the more important part of the show is also the trickier part to explain. Jane the Virgin plays with telenovela plots, yes, but it does so with an authenticity and delicate care for its characters that even some of the most prestigious straight-laced dramas don’t manage to pull off. Despite their larger-than-life situations, Jane and her friends and family manage to come across as real and deeply empathetic. So when a female series regular fell in love with a woman this season, it didn’t feel sensationalized, but rather like a natural next step on her personal journey.
Where to watch: Netflix, with the latest episodes available on the CW website.
Killing Eve (2018-present)
Alright, we have a couple of gay superheroes now (see “Arrowverse” above), so why not an iconic openly LGBTQ+ villain? Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s BBC series seems to be acutely aware of the way pop culture has historically villainized queerness and intentionally makes its central antagonist–an Eastern European assassin who is literally named Villanelle (Jodie Comer)–complex and surprising at every turn. Comer is aces as a confident, sadistic, and playful killer who comes after her latest obsession, MI5 agent Eve (Sandra Oh), full tilt and with a romantic gleam in her eye. Eve’s feelings remain to be seen, but the exceptionally executed first season leaves plenty of room for non-hetero interpretation.
Where to watch: Purchase episodes on Amazon, or wait until it hits Hulu later this year.
Master of None (2015-present)
Lena Waithe has (rightfully) been everywhere lately, from working behind the camera on The Chi to popping up in Dear White People and voicing AT&Ts latest ubiquitous ad campaign. Her breakout, though, came on Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang’s artistic take on Millennial anxieties and desires, Master of None. Waithe is dynamic as Denise, the lesbian childhood best friend of protagonist Dev (Ansari). The season two episode “Thanksgiving” is a series high, following Denise and Dev through several family holidays as Denise processes her sexuality, comes out to her mother, and deals with the uncomfortable, ongoing feeling that her identity is not fully embraced.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Mr. Robot (2015-present)
You wouldn’t think that USA channel’s edgy techno-thriller, set during a worldwide economic apocalypse, would take the necessary time to develop characters’ nuanced sexual identities. Yet Sam Esmail proves our assumptions wrong once again by including a set of characters that checks off every letter of the LGBT initialism in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Lesbian FBI agent? Check. Gay dad-type boss? Check. At least two bi- or pansexual characters, both of them shady AF but also super engrossing? Check. A mysterious trans cyber-terrorist and foreign diplomat played with elegant chilliness by B.D. Wong? Check and check.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime.
One Day at a Time (2017-present)
Have you met Elena Alvarez? She’s a Cuban-American teen with a fiery attitude, a heart for activism, and a thing for girls. She’s also just one of several characters capable of instantly lighting up your life when you choose to give in to the wildly enjoyable experience of watching One Day at a Time. Elena, played by Isabella Gomez, is part of a loving if overbearing family which also includes a single military veteran mom, a hip little brother, and a tradition-loving grandmother played by none other than Rita Moreno. Her enthusiastic journey toward self-acceptance provides plenty of teaching moments for her family and audiences alike.
Where to watch: Netflix.
