“Oscar, you’re gay.”Michael Scott’s delivery of this infamous line in The Office while roasting his employees has been held to a great level of controversy for quite some time... That’s one of the reasons why actor Steve Carrell – who plays Michael Scott – believes that the show wouldn’t easily pass in today’s society. However, over time, the media’s representation of LGBTQ+ characters has greatly expanded through television shows. Fans have grown to love the individuals, who have made their way into the spotlight, while also representing the LGBTQ+ community.
How Does LGBTQ+ Visibility Affect the Community?
Increased LGBTQ+ representation in television shows has been so significant because the community feels seen and heard. Typically, the media has main characters who are straight and cisgender. Portraying LGBTQ+ individuals increases support for and acceptance of the community. For those who haven’t come out of the closet and struggle with their sexuality and/or gender identity, when they see themselves being represented in the media, they begin to embrace who they are. They grow to feel more comfortable in their own bodies and see their self-worth. By increasing the presence of the LGBTQ+ community in television shows, society is extending a message to them that “you do exist and you do matter.”
How Does LGBTQ+ Visibility Affect Others?
LGBTQ+ representation becomes more normalized even for those who don’t support or are used to seeing those views. They are able to gain a better understanding of the community as a whole, and in turn they become more socially conscious. As a result, society learns to adapt to change, which is supported by how the media has become more inclusive by including LGBTQ+ individuals.
Gay Characters
2019: In season three of the Disney Channel comedy-drama, one of Andi Mack’s main characters comes out as gay. Afterwards, 14-year old Cyrus Goodman made history as he officially became the first gay Disney main character. This marked a legendary transition in the network because they grew more accepting of the times, instead of having straight characters, while also growing more open to featuring LGBTQ+ individuals on screen.
2020: Siddhartha Pakam was a closeted teenager until the end of Grand Army’s first season. The Netflix original features Pakam in a relationship with a girl at first, but as he becomes more comfortable in his own body, he finds out who he truly is. Pakam struggles as he comes from an immigrant family where being gay is not accepted, while also fighting his own demons of learning how to embrace himself.
Lesbian Characters
1994: The sitcom Friends starts out when Ross Geller complains to his closest companions about his recent divorce. He’s troubled by the fact that his wife Carol is leaving him to be with someone else, but not just anybody else…. In fact, Geller was most disturbed by the fact that he was not aware of Carol being a lesbian. For a good remainder of the season, Geller struggles to cope with the fact that Carol and him are being torn apart because she has come to terms with her sexuality.
2010 and 2011: While Emily Fields of Pretty Little Liars comes out to her parents as a lesbian, Santana Lopez is harshly outed to the entire school in Glee’s third season. After being met with extreme criticism, both girls had struggled with their sexuality on the show for long enough. They believed that it was time for them to openly accept their sexualities, as others also did. Eventually, Shay Mitchell and Naya Rivera’s portrayal of their characters inspired the shows’ fans to also come out to their loved ones as well.
Bisexual Characters
2004: After the hit drama One Tree Hill aired on television in 2003, Anna Taggaro soon became the first recurring bisexual character of color to be featured on television by the second season. Taggaro reveals to her new schoolmates that the reason why she transferred schools was to escape from the rumors of her sexuality, even while struggling with it herself. Eventually, Taggaro holds her head up high when she accepts herself as a bisexual teenager, while also returning to her former high school that had originally pushed her away with unopen arms.
2015: Protagonist Clarke Griffin becomes the first lead character to be part of the LGBTQ+ community on the CW. She also becomes the first bisexual lead on network television, including ABC, CBS, NBC, the CW, and Fox. After starring in The 100, a science fiction series, Griffin continues to have relationships with both male and female leads on the show.
Transgender Characters
2013: In the third season of Shameless, Lip Gallagher and Mandy Milkovich safely bring home a child to the Gallaghers’ home. The child is known as Molly Milkovich, who is Mandy’s half-sister. After bringing Molly to safety, it is soon revealed that she isn’t a girl. The truth is that Molly was born male and then raised as a girl by her mother. Showing Molly Milkovich and her storyline on the show helps to address the transgender youth in a way that was not previously brought up as much in the past through the media.
2018: Casey Parker is featured as the first transgender doctor on the ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Actor Alex Blue Davis, like his character, is also a transgender man. The introduction of Parker on the show serves to prove that anyone is capable of achieving success in life by doing what you love. Barriers are often presented to the LGBTQ+ community in their careers, but that sure didn’t stop Casey Parker from becoming a surgical resident. After all, obstacles thrown at a person in life shouldn’t stop anyone from achieving their goals.
Asexual Characters
2002: Creator Stephen Hillenburg admitted that his character Spongebob Squarepants was asexual. He believed that Spongebob shouldn’t have a love interest because sea sponges are asexual. Fans of the cartoon were ecstatic to find out this news, as they have all grown up with the show and Spongebob himself.
2019: The Walking Dead features fan-favorite Daryl Dixon as he fights for survival amongst any remaining survivors he encounters in a post-apocalyptic world. Actor Norman Reedus revealed that his portrayal of Dixon has been asexual even though the show’s creator originally wanted Dixon’s character to be straight. After Reedus made that statement, he says that he has received a lot of mail from fans who have thanked him.
Impact of LGBTQ+ Visibility in TV Shows
Although shows such as Schitt’s Creek, Modern Family, The Fosters, and Will & Grace are now off air, the importance of representing the LGBTQ+ community in the media still stands today. Today, shows such as Riverdale continue to portray multiple LGBTQ+ relationships on screen. Meanwhile, actress Lili Reinhart of Riverdale came out as bisexual in June 2020. She affirmed how important it was to normalize representation for the community, and many fans have stood with her position.
Despite LGBTQ+ visibility becoming more prominent than in the past, there is still a long way to go. Most LGBTQ+ characters who are represented in television shows are played by white actors and actresses, which incorrectly represents the community. Even though diverse characters in the LGBTQ+ community are portrayed, racial minorities have yet to be shown more. Until then, LGBTQ+ visibility has still significantly increased in the past few decades!
Written by Kelly from NYC
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