Essential LGBTQ+ TV Shows
(Photo by © ABC / Courtesy: Everett Collection, Adrian S. Burrows / ©Showtime / Courtesy Everett Collection, Courtesy of Netflix, Pari Dukovic/FX)
GROUNDBREAKERS AND BIG FIRSTS
In many ways, nearly all of the series on this list could be called “trailblazers,” “pioneers,” and recognized for their contribution to furthering fuller LGBTQ+ representation on TV and in streaming. But the titles in this first section stand out for breaking boundaries and crossing major milestones. They did so by being the first network superhero TV show with an LGBTQ+ lead (actress and character), as is the case of the CW’s Batwoman, or featuring some of the earliest recurring gay characters on American TV, like Vincent Schiavelli’s Peter Panama on the short-lived The Corner Bar, or Billy Crystal’s Jodie Dallas on Soap. In this section you’ll also find the first Disney Channel show to feature a gay main character (Andi Mack), the first animated show to feature a same-sex marriage proposal (Steven Universe), and Pose, which broke ground with its diverse, largely transgender cast, and for being the series on which Janet Mock became the first transgender woman of color to direct and write an episode of television.
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Groundbreakers and Big Firsts | Shows That Center on the LGBTQ+ Experience
Shows With LGBTQ+ Characters and Storylines | Reality Shows and Docuseries
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