LGBTQIA+ Onscreen Characters Who Are More Than Their Sexuality

By Ryan (he/him) who does Writers' Club alongside studying for his A-Levels, and enjoys swimming and writing in his spare time.

In celebration of LGBT+ History Month, I’m looking at some amazing TV characters who show that behind the label of their sexuality lies a unique, complex, and nuanced individual. Representation is so important, so here’s my personal top five.

1. Garnet, Steven Universe 

Garnet, a powerhouse of a character from the animated series Steven Universe, is also known as a Gem. She’s a fictional alien being, who lives within a crystal but projects a holographic body (pretty cool, right). She has three eyes, each with its own unique colour, and she’s got large metal gauntlets on both her hands which she uses during combat in the intense battles that occur throughout the show. Garnet acts on intuition, has a strong moral compass, and she takes on the role as a leader. She also happens to be voiced by Estelle Swarey, the British multi-talented singer-songwriter, actress, and radio presenter.

So Garnet is awesome, and something that makes her even more so is that she uses she/her pronouns, but formally identifies as sexless — she’s a non-binary character who  doesn’t identify with a specific gender. This is very important as not many characters in the cartoon industry openly identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. There’s still a misconception that children are too young to be queer and therefore exposing them to LGBTQIA+ experiences is somehow inappropriate. This false reasoning is why the creator of the show, Rebecca Sugar, thought it was important to include the first same-sex marriage in animated history, and provide an array of LGBTQIA+ characters who viewers can see and appreciate as positive role models.

2. Rosa Diaz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Another awesome LGBTQIA+ character on TV is Rosa Diaz, the policewoman in the popular comedy show Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Rosa is played by actor Stephanie Beatriz. 

As the show progresses, Rosa starts to combat some of the inner bias and stigma that she’s been holding onto about homosexuality. She’s able to come out as bisexual and yet her character is also so much more than her sexuality. We see excellent character growth as she navigates relationships with her family and friends, and she shows us how her new-found discovery around her sexuality doesn’t truly change who she is as a person. 

3. Eric Wong, Sex Education 

Our next onscreen role model is played by Ncuti Gatwa, the Rwandan-Scottish actor who is starring in the upcoming Doctor Who series and Barbie movie. In Sex Education he plays Eric, a gay, extroverted and confident student who is going through his own set of problems as he comes from a strict African Christian household, gets bullied at school, and is doing plenty of soul-searching.  

Eric presents as more than just his sexuality. He’s an interesting and engaging character, a good friend, a son, a lover of kick-ass fashion, and a vocal advocate for others throughout the series. He highlights the modern struggles of queer people of colour in modern-day England and how hard it can be. 

4. Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay, Buffy the Vampire Slayer 

Up next on my list is Willow, one of the main characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Alyson Hannigan. Willow is the best friend of Buffy, and while she started out on the show as a shy computer nerd, she developed her talents to become a powerful and assertive witch. Fans of the show watched as Willow finally admitted her feelings for Tara in the episode New Moon Rising. Although Willow's sexuality had been hinted at previously, it had never been properly explored on the show. 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran during the late 90’s when Section 28 was still in place ( a series of laws across Britain that prevented the ‘"promotion of homosexuality’" by local authorities through the media (UK) ). So the representation of Willow and Tara helped provide an inspiration for queer women, knocked down stereotypes, and united people on the internet under the hashtag #tillow. 

5. Jack Mcphee, Dawson’s Creek 

Last but just as powerful as the rest, the final character on my list is Jack McPhee, a character from Dawson’s Creek who is played by Kerr Smith. Jack is far from perfect — he’s a flawed, complicated character who spends his five seasons on the show confronting his flaws and growing into a more well-rounded, balanced person. 

Over time, Jack McPhee, slowly came to understand that he was gay. In the finale of the third season, Jack declared this to his crush in a heartfelt confession, and we then saw the first ‘passionate’ kiss between two men on US TV. This was a groundbreaking moment as Jack was often portrayed as the introverted wallflower — so being able to be bold and brave in this action helped provide a voice for many men in the mid-1990’s.