Happy Pride month! This month doesn’t come with the weight of recognizing those who have made it possible for the LGBTQ+ to exist. Representation matters, and it especially matters when you’re questioning your identity and place in this world, so here’s a list of LGBTQ+ TV shows you should watch. A handful of these shows also include harmful queerbaiting, a topic that needs to be discussed, recognized, and halted.
Heartstopper
Heartstopper is one of those rare hidden gems. It’s a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story that follows the blossoming romance between Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), the popular rugby player with a kind heart. Set in a British high school, the show explores themes of identity, friendship, mental health, and self-acceptance. When you feel like Nick Nelson and taking an ‘am I gay?’ quiz, you could use a LGBTQ+ TV show like Heartstopper that represents you; It’s a show that makes you feel seen, and empowered in your existence.
Heartstopper urges its audience to celebrate love in all forms. It defies labels that make us feel like we need to conform to societal expectations. Heartstopper reminds us in this life all you have to do is exist, and that is enough.
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Where to Watch: Netflix
Young Royals
Another coming-of-age, hidden gem is Young Royals. This series is dark and gritty, filled with elements that unveil the complexities of figuring out your identity. It follows Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding), transferring to a prestigious boarding school where he is enamored by Simon (Omar Rudberg). But before he could ever figure out what he feels for Simon, he’s thrust into the line for the throne. Now he’s left with a choice to make: love or the crown?
It’s a tale as old as time. This show explores themes of being exposed, mental health, and identity in a world that’s ever-changing.
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Where to Watch: Netflix
Interview With The Vampire
Now this is no ordinary tale; it’s an epic story that follows a gritty love story between Louis Du Pointe De Lac (Jacob Anderson), and Lestat De Lioncourt (Sam Reid). With the third season on its way, fans can’t help but boast about this TV series, which explores themes of manipulation, trauma, loss, domestic violence, and the perils of immortality.
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Where to Watch: First season on Netflix and the second on AMC+
First Kill
Unlike Heartstopper, First Kill has a darker take on falling in love for the first time. First Kill follows teens Juliette, a vampire, and Calliope, a vampire hunter. The themes in this show are beautifully crafted, mirroring biblical themes like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but in this situation, they’d be Eve and well…Eve.
Juliette is still a baby vampire, and she needs to take her first kill. Calliope is a baby hunter and also needs to take her first kill. Starring Sara Catherine Hook and Imani Lewis, the talented cast crafts a gripping tale of ‘doomed by the narrative’ lovers, making for a perfect forbidden romance story.
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Where to Watch: Netflix
Our Flag Means Death
Our Flag Means Death is the opposite of Queerbaiting, a thing we will explore later on; It’s a fantastic original and heartfelt comedy that reimagines the golden age of piracy.
The show explores themes of self-discovery, love, and found family. Inspired by the true story of Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby, a wealthy aristocrat who abandons his privileged life to become a pirate. It delves deeper into the romance between Bonnet and Edward Teach, who is notoriously known as Blackbeard. Though at first it seems like it’s an absurd comedy, it has a great representation of queer love. It flips the pirate genre on its head, replacing toxic masculinity with empathy, identity exploration, and soft chaos.
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Where to Watch: Max
Black Sails
Following the story of Captain Flint and his pirates, this tale is filled with survival and the lengths one would go for it. It explores themes of friendship and loyalty through the lens of gritty pirates with secrets. Starring Jessica Parker Kennedy, Toby Stephens, Hannah New, and Zach McGowan. The LGBTQ+ TV show (at first) doesn’t represent itself as a queer story. It’s only until we get through the memories of Captain Flint’s treasure, that we find love.
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Where to Watch: Max
9-1-1
What at first seems like a medical drama, 9-1-1 is a show about the first responders in Los Angeles. What sets 9-1-1 apart from your average medical saga series is the LGBTQ+ representation. We have characters like Herietta Wilson, a fierce paramedic, who has a grounded relationship with her wife Karen. It’s a rare occurrence for anything in LGBTQ+ TV shows to have a stable lesbian relationship on their show. Not only do we have what fans call HenRen’s relationship, but we also have Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley, who has recently come out in Season 7 as Bisexual.
The show explores the hardships and complexities of being queer, specifically through Hen and Karen’s relationship in the most recent season. But it also explores Buck’s bisexuality and his coming to terms with it.
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Where to Watch: Hulu
Ginny & Georgia
Now, Ginny and Georgia primarily follows the story of Ginny, daughter of Georgia, and their mother-daughter complex relationship. Underlying all the drama between Ginny and Georgia are two queer characters who bring a realistic portrayal of queer relations in a young adult, small-town context. Maxine Baker (Sara Waissglass), and Abby Littman (Katie Douglas), explore queer relations in the newest season of Ginny and Georgia.
A lot of fans expected the show to queerbait Abby’s character, but were surprisingly shocked that it was in fact explored in the most recent season. We also got to see Max and her mannerisms in a new relationship in comparison to her first queer relationship.
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Where to Watch: Netflix
Queerbaiting
Now, this is a much more serious issue in TV shows that needs to be addressed. There’s been a pattern in media where queerbaiting consistently happens so that TV shows get popular. Rather, these production companies rainbow-wash their shows to get queer audiences to watch and boost their ratings.
Also, these shows do get categorized as LGBTQ+ shows, which is harmful to the queer community, given that it’s not direct and meaningful representation.
Supernatural, Sherlock, Hannibal, and Merlin
Supernatural itself does have queer characters like Charlie, but the relationship that fans struggle with is Dean and Castiel’s. Castiel is an angel who shows up in Season 4, promised to protect Dean Winchester. Their relationship to many viewers is seen as a romantic because of the way Castiel takes care of Dean. He quite literally pulled him out of hell, and in doing so their souls were forever bound together. This however is never seriously addressed in the series.
Castiel begins to believe in humanity and making it a better place because of his devotion to Dean. But, it’s never really addressed by anyone on the show. The biggest problem here is that Supernatural breadcrumbs and queerbaits their relationship in order to get more views, actively working against inclusivity.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Sherlock does the same here. Given how the show is written, it can nearly be assumed that Sherlock and John Watson are together. Their relationship deepens throughout the series, and it’s borderline romantic, but never quite reaches its full potential.
Where to Watch: Hulu
Another show that follows the method of Supernatural queerbaiting marketing is Hannibal. The emotional turmoil between Hannibal and Will is indeed romantic, but it’s also a doomed tale by the narrative. Not to mention, they ‘adopted’ a daughter who was a victim of her own father’s murders.
Where to Watch: Amazon
Lastly, Merlin. Merlin and Arthur’s relationship is a model of a deepening rapport between future king and servant, who is a secret magic user. Fans also argue that magic represents queer identity in this series’ narrative. Much like the breadcrumb relationship in Supernatural, Merlin and Arthur’s saga runs synonymous.
Where to Watch: Tubi
If you’re interested in exploring queerbaiting in more TV Shows, check out this video that dives deep into the issue. It’s extremely important to preserve and promote media that uplifts the LGBTQ+ community to ensure everyone feels safe, seen, and celebrated!
