The LGBTQ+ community has been gaining more and more representation over the years, but it hasn’t always been that easy. For example, Ellen DeGeneres had a successful run as a comedian before she publicly came out as a lesbian in 1997. Her decision did a number on her personally and professionally, but her coming out did a whole lot of good for the LGBTQ+ community in the 90s. Now ,with open representation in the media, the LGBTQ+ community is finally being seen and acknowledged in more ways than ever before. In fact, GLAAD recently did a study and concluded that LGBTQ+ representation on TV is at a record-high.
The early 2000s paved the way for a new generation of LGBTQ+ storytellers in television. Many shows were being created to cater to the LGBTQ+ community, with shows like Queer as Folk breaking new ground with visible representation. Back then, some of these shows weren't part of the "mainstream," but dared to be on air anyway, effectively paving the way for popular shows to be created, like Netflix's Sex Education and Ryan Murphy's TV series Pose. Now, many of these shows are being rebooted for newer, larger audiences. For example, the Queer as Folk reboot will breathe new life to the franchise. Here's a look at 6 LGBTQ+ TV series that were ahead of their time.
6 The L Word
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The L Word follows a group of lesbian and bisexual women in West Hollywood as they navigate the stigmas and stereotypes that the heteronormative world throws at them. The show features everything from women struggling with their sexuality to the concept of gender identity and how complex both gender and sexuality can be. One character, in particular, Dana, must pass herself off as straight in order for her professional tennis career to take off. The L Word ran for a total of six seasons, from 2004 to 2009, and won a number of awards, including the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series. The series left a strong legacy among the LGBTQ+ community, with particular attention paid to the lesbian sex scenes, which were largely invisible in media before the show. The show's popularity garnered a number of spin-offs and even a reboot called The L Word: Generation Q.
5 Queer as Folk
Set in Pittsburgh, Queer as Folk follows a group of gay men as they navigate the gay underground and manage their love lives as well as the glaring discrimination from the world around them. The show made a huge impact on both the LGBTQ+ and the straight communities. Similar to The L Word, Queer as Folk also featured a number of graphic gay sex scenes and while the creators of the show were expecting a backlash from the right-wing extremists, that backlash never surfaced. The show also explores storylines of recreational drug use, HIV/AIDS, and even the porn industry. The show’s popularity has led to the creation of a reboot of the show with a whole new cast, set to be released Spring of 2022.
4 Ellen
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Many people know Ellen DeGeneres for her long-running daytime talk show The Ellen Degeneres Show, but before she became a well-known talk-show host, beloved by many, she had her own sitcom by the name of Ellen. The show ran from 1994 to 1998 and follows the life of Ellen Morgan, a bookstore owner who must deal with the quirky mishaps that come her way. The reason Ellen makes the list is that it was one of the first American shows to show the main character coming out as openly gay on-screen. While this sparked a great deal of controversy among viewers, leading to a parental advisory being placed before the show, Ellen’s coming out marked a great moment in TV history. This broke down a wall for the LGBTQ+ community, examining the importance of coming out and reducing the overall fear surrounding coming out at all.
3 Will & Grace
Long-time best friends Will and Grace move in together when Grace leaves her fiancé at the altar. Will & Grace was initially criticized for the stereotypical portrayal of gay characters. Despite this, Will & Grace gone on to become one of the most successful shows to feature a gay character as a part of the principal cast. Will & Grace has been acknowledged as one of the most important shows in LGBTQ+ media as it opened the door for shows like The L Word and Queer as Folk, warming the heteronormative media up for a change of scenery. The show ran for 11 seasons and won a total of 18 Primetime Emmy Awards, and while a number of spin-offs were in the works, most were abandoned due to a lack of interest.
2 Modern Family
Set up as a mockumentary focusing on family life, Modern Family is a wildly popular TV series that focuses on the lives of three connected families in the Los Angeles suburbs. One of these families is gay couple Mitchell and Cameron, who deal with the everyday struggles of parenthood with their adopted daughter Lily. The show displayed the different difficulties same-sex parents face that a straight couple may not have to manage when caring for their children. Modern Family ran for a total of 11 seasons and received a plethora of awards, including 22 Primetime Emmy Awards. Modern Family is the ideal show for everyone to enjoy thanks to the diverse lineup of characters.
1 Orange Is the New Black
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Based on the memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman, Orange Is the New Black tells the story of Piper who turns herself in for a crime she committed ten years ago for which she has to serve one year in a minimum-security federal prison. The show was made for Netflix and, as of 2016, is Netflix’s longest-running original series with seven seasons. The show has earned 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, three Dorian Awards, and even took home a Peabody Award. Orange Is the New Black showed a wide range of characters, varying in race, gender identity, and sexuality, bringing more attention to the fluidity of sexuality.