Hey, we exist! And despite often being regulated to subtext, LGBTQ characters exist too.

In celebration of Pride Month, we’d like to point out some wonderfully proud LGBTQ+ characters in TV, film, and video games. If you haven’t read or watched them, check them out!

RULES:

• We’re only including canonically LGBTQ+ characters, where the sexuality or gender is stated, not implied, and in some cases even a part of the plot.
• No Dumbledoring! (A lack of in-content representation doesn’t get take-backsies, even if it comes from the writers themselves.)
• We’re also trying to avoid one-note characters whose sexuality is the punchline or only character trait. For example, characters like Titus Andromedon and Captain Holt are humorous for reasons besides their sexuality, with plenty of snort-worthy lines about their laziness (for Titus) or seriousness (for Holt). But sometimes, the sexuality is the only joke. And it makes us feel … a touch uncomfortable? Sorry, Le Fou.
• We’re full aware that there are plenty of LGBTQ+ sexualities that aren’t represented here – demisexual, intersex, aromantic people, just to name a few. Their lack of presence on this list isn’t meant to be an erasure. We didn’t forget you. It’s just … damn, guys … there’s not much representation, is there?
• Some gay and lesbian characters have wandered into bisexual or pansexual territory, often for plot, safety, or self-discovery reasons, but we’re going by how the characters describe themselves. For example, there’s how Willow came to describe herself: “Yeah. I thought I might be bisexual, but I’m a lesbian.”
• If we got it wrong, or there’s a favorite character of yours that we missed, let us know in the comments! We’re all only human after all.

Gay Characters

Gay characters that aren’t coded villains or one-note side-kicks? Yes, please.

Captain Raymond Holt

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

NBC

Patrick

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Lionsgate

Titus Andromedon

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Netflix

Lionel Higgins

Dear White People

Lionsgate

Danny Mahealani

Teen Wolf

MTV

Aaron and Eric

The Walking Dead

AMC Studios

Josh

Please Like Me

Australian Broadcasting Company

Mac

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

FXX

His coming-out story is a bit complicated, but at least it eventually happened for real.

Lesbian Characters

Willow

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

20th Century Fox

Ellie

The Last of Us

Naughty Dog

Sera

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Bioware

Ruby and Sapphire

Steven Universe

Cartoon Network

And a lot of other characters in that show besides Rose, Greg, Steven, and Connie. (Yes, we know they’re technically space rocks … but, c’mon.)

Moira

The Handmaid’s Tale

Hulu

Triggered.

Santana Lopez

Glee

Fox

Marceline the Vampire Queen

Adventure Time

Cartoon Network

Pan & Bi Characters

These characters aren’t “confused.”

Deadpool

Deadpool Films and Comics

Marvel

Darryl

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

The CW

Oberyn Martell

Game of Thrones

HBO

Rosa Diaz

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

NBC

Sara Lance

Arrow

The CW

Callie Torres

Grey’s Anatomy

ABC

Tiana Brown

Empire

Fox

Clarke

The 100

The CW

Trans Characters

Hey, look at this! This is great, Hollywood! But maybe let some of your trans characters have happy endings?

Sophia Burset

Orange is the New Black

Netflix

Maura Pfefferman

Transparent

Amazon Prime Video

Brandon Teena

Boys Don’t Cry

Fox

Boys Don’t Cry is based on the horrifying true story of Brandon Teena.

Nomi Marks

Sense8

Netflix

Note: Nomi is transgender and a lesbian.

Lili Elbe

The Danish Girl

Focus Features

This film version of a true story received mediocre reviews, but many awards.

Bree Osbourne

Transamerica

IFC Films

Genderqueer, Genderfluid, & Non-Binary Characters

Hooray for anything that isn’t Gozer from Ghostbusters.

Hedwig

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

New Line Cinema

Stevonnie

Steven Universe

Cartoon Network

Elena Alvarez

One Day at a Time

Pop

Taylor Mason

Billions

Showtime

Zoe Hange

Attack on Titan

Crunchyroll

Asexual Characters

No, we didn’t exclude you. : )

Todd Chavez

BoJack Horseman

Netflix

Jughead

Archie Comic

Archie Comic Publications, Inc.

There was a big controversy when Riverside featured Jughead becoming romantically involved with Betty, but the comics are explicit: Jughead is ace.

Voodoo

Sirens

USA Network

The Tick

The Tick

Amazon Prime Video

Lord Varys

Game of Thrones

HBO

Can you count Varys as ace? It’s hard to say if he would’ve grown up differently had he been the subject of forced castration at an early age. But, in his own words, he was “not interested in either” boys or girls before that happened.

Raphael Santiago

Shadowhunters

Freeform

Is this list short? Yes.

Is this list complete? No.

Even if it was complete, would it be enough? No.

Do LGBTQ+ people need more representation in media? Of course.

Featured image photo credit: NBC