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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Essential LGBTQ+ TV Shows
Groundbreakers and Big Firsts | Shows That Center on the LGBTQ+ Experience
Shows With LGBTQ+ Characters and Storylines | Reality Shows and Docuseries
#180
Synopsis: Life goes from routine to a roller-coaster ride overnight for artistic teenager Andi Mack. It all happens on the eve
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#179
Critics Consensus: Though it needs more time to develop its own identity to truly soar, Batwoman's fun and stylish first season is a step in the right direction for representation and superhero shows alike.
#178
Synopsis: A DIY man wakes up one day and finds himself trapped in the body of a thirty-something woman.
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#177
Synopsis: Following the lives of the patrons of Grants Toomb.
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#176
Synopsis: Ellen works in a Los Angeles bookstore called Buy the Book and hangs around with her friends discussing lovers, work
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#175
Synopsis: The lives and loves of residents of a seedy Baltimore hotel.
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#174
Synopsis: This long-running Showtime series features intertwined stories about the lives and loves of a group of lesbians and bisexuals in
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#173
Synopsis: Told from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, the series offers an honest, often-hilarious perspective of family life. Parents
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#172
Synopsis: This drama series follows the lives and relationships of four gay men in Los Angeles. Noah is a struggling screenwriter
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#171
Synopsis: Piper Chapman is a public relations executive with a career and a fiance when her past suddenly catches up to
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#170
Synopsis: Self-assured teenager Luz stumbles upon a portal to a magical realm where she befriends Eda, a rebellious witch and King,
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#169
Synopsis: "Pose" is a drama spotlighting the legends, icons and ferocious house mothers of New York's underground ball culture, a movement
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#168
Synopsis: The lives of three gay men living in Manchester, England.
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#167
Synopsis: Set in working-class Pittsburgh, the drama revolves around a group of gay friends and their relationships, careers, loves and ambitions.
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#166
Synopsis: Eight strangers around the globe find themselves connected -- first by a violent vision, then by their shared ability to
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#165
Synopsis: This classic comedy series is a satire on all the daytime soaps out there. The stories revolve around a rich
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#164
Synopsis: Actor-writer Ryan O'Connell stars in this semi-autobiographical series based on his memoir. He plays Ryan, a gay man with cerebral
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#163
Synopsis: The Crystal Gems are a team of magical beings who are the self-appointed guardians of the universe. Half-human, half-Gem hero
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#162
Synopsis: Upon returning to San Francisco, Mary Ann is reunited with her daughter, Shawna, and ex-husband Brian 20 years after leaving
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#161
Synopsis: Mort has a secret that he really wants to tell his three adult children, who are so self-absorbed they don't
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#160
Synopsis: In the original eight-season run of this groundbreaking sitcom, best friends Will, a meticulous corporate lawyer, and Grace, a neurotic
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