Willow Rosenberg’s Same-Sex Romance On ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Sang Out To A World of Queer Kids

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Over the last several weeks, Decider polled over 40 LGBTQ entertainment professionals — writers, directors, showrunners, actors, journalists — and asked them to list their picks for the most important LGBTQ TV characters of all-time. We let “important” be defined in the eye of the beholder; these characters all meant something to us in our own personal ways. Check out the complete list of the Top 50 Most Important LGBTQ TV Characters of All-Time here; what follows is one of our essays on the top 10 characters on our list, in recognition of their particularly significant place in LGBTQ entertainment.

Joss Whedon‘s Buffy The Vampire Slayer grew a fervent fandom by centering its monster-rich shenanigans on an ass-kicking heroine and her crew of charismatic sidekicks. Over the course of seven seasons, the quipping slayer’s best gal pal Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) became a fan favorite and a meaningful source of queer representation as she engaged in meaningful romances with male and female lovers, and proved too complex to pin down with tired–and often denigrating–stereotypes.

A whip-smart bookworm with a never-say-die attitude, Willow was a dependable Scooby from the start, often uncovering a crucial clue for defeating this week’s ghastly ghoul or dastardly demon just in the nick of time. As a devoted friend, she was always there for Buffy whether the slayer battled vampires or struggled with her love for Angel. But it wasn’t until Willow got a love interest of her own in season two that this winsome wallflower really began to bloom. Through the love and encouragement of rocker/werewolf Oz (Seth Green), Willow’s confidence blossomed. Yet her greatest growth came in her college years, where she not only explored her interest in witchcraft, but also in the shy spell-caster Tara (Amber Benson).

Breaking major ground for a prime time series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer brewed the romance between Willow and Tara matter-of-factly and sincerely, rather than playing it as scandalous girl-on-girl action to bolster Sweeps Week ratings. Similarly, Willow’s realization that she was interested in Tara evolved slowly, as did her coming out to her friends. When she did, the Scoobies reacted with surprise, but never shock or repulsion. Which really, in a series where teen girls transform into rats, demons spur people to dance to death, and vampires are dying to bed Buffy, lesbians are far from shocking. Still, the easy acceptance of this same-sex romance sang out to a world of queer kids, saying they are seen and accepted.

During a recent reunion interview with EW, Benson said of her onscreen relationship with Hannigan, “I think there were a lot of young people who felt very isolated, and to see two characters on a television show be accepted by a group of peers, changed the game. They already loved Willow but then to see that Willow became even more somebody that they could identify with, it made it okay for them to be who they were.”

Through a shared love of magic, Tara and Willow came together. Fittingly, scenes where the pair performed spells often had sexual overtones. The most explicit of these came in the musical ep, “Once More With Feeling,” where Tara levitates above their bed, Willow kissing her way down her body, until she’s out of frame. Then the floating witch sings, “You make me complete,” though the phrasing plays more cheekily, “You make me com…plete.”

Of course, the couple also faced hard times, like Tara’s assault at the hands of Glory, and Willow’s addiction to dark magic, which pried them apart for a stretch of season six. But just after their joyful reunion, Tara’s untimely death spurred a deeply dark turn in Willow’s arc.

Fueled by grief, the once chipper redhead wreaked gruesome vengeance on Tara’s killer. Turning back to black magic, Willow hunted her prey, tortured then infamously flayed him with the swish of a witchy wrist. It wasn’t just horrific; it was heartbreaking because this was no random fiend. This was our Willow, so wounded and wrathful that she’d become the big bad hell-bent on ending the world. Naturally, the Scoobies saved the day and their friend, pulled her back from the brink. But part of what makes Willow one of the best gay characters that television has ever seen is that she was allowed such complexity and growth over the course of the show.

We saw her go from quirky sidekick to a powerful heroine in her own right, then fall to vicious villain, and be redeemed. Through it all, she blew up suffocating gay stereotypes. In college, she experimented with a girl. But she wasn’t kissing Tara for male attention, male gaze, or a juicy plot twist. She was earnestly in love. Over the course of three seasons, her relationship with Tara proved to be the most stable on the show, fostered by a deep appreciation for each other. Sure, their bond was challenged because it–just like straight relationships–was subject to change and conflict. Through Willow and Tara, Whedon demystified same-sex couples to a mainstream audience without making this simple lesson in humanity feel like an overeager afterschool special. Even as a villain, Willow avoided stereotype pitfalls. Buffy The Vampire Slayer didn’t portray her as broken or wicked because she was gay, but because she was in pain, and in a pain that audiences could understand instead of judge.

For nearly 20 years, fans have debated exactly how Willow Rosenberg fits into the LGBTQA+ landscape. During the show’s initial run, she was popularly defined as a lesbian. However, that labeling discounts the seasons she spent loving Oz, and the conflict she faced when her first love returned and she was already with Tara. Since the show’s conclusion, Willow has been embraced by bisexuals as one of our camp. But sexuality is fluid, and Willow identified on the show as “a little bit gay.” So perhaps the particulars don’t matter much. She was queer. She was powerful, relatable, smart, and caring. And best of all, she was ours.

We polled over 40 LGBTQ television professionals and critics and asked them to rank their top LGBTQ television characters of all time. We present our ultimate ranking as a reflection of the long and evolving history of queer representation on TV.Photos: Getty Images, Everett Collection, NETFLIX, HBO ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

1. Rickie Vasquez
**Show:** *My So-Called Life*
**Performer:** Wilson Cruz
**Episodes:** 19 (1994 - 1995)

"It wasn't just that Rickie was a fashionably fabulous teenage boy with a penchant for rocking bold patterns and colorful vests. Or that he felt most at home when hanging out with female friends. It was that the show never treated these outward signs of gayness as something Rickie should be ashamed of, or as things the audience should take as symbols for gayness writ-large. There was a specificity to the character that allowed him to move beyond the kind of didacticism "very special episodes" featuring gay characters had long been reduced to." *-- Manuel Betancourt*

[Read Manuel Betancourt's full essay on Rickie Vasquez]

[Where to stream *My So-Called Life*]Photo: Everett Collection

2. Willow Rosenberg
**Show:** *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*
**Performer:** Alyson Hannigan
**Episodes:** 144 (1997 - 2003)

"We saw her go from quirky sidekick to a powerful heroine in her own right, then fall to vicious villain, and be redeemed. Through it all, she blew up suffocating gay stereotypes. Through Willow and Tara, Joss Whedon demystified same-sex couples to a mainstream audience without making this simple lesson in humanity feel like an overeager afterschool special. Even as a villain, Willow avoided stereotype pitfalls. *Buffy The Vampire Slayer* didn't portray her as broken or wicked because she was gay, but because she was in pain, and in a pain that audiences could understand instead of judge." *--Kristy Puchko*

[Read Kristy Puchko's full essay on Willow Rosenberg]

[Where to stream *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*]Photo: Getty Images

3. Ellen Morgan
**Show:** *Ellen*
**Performer:** Ellen DeGeneres
**Episodes:** 109 (1994 - 1998)

"Ellen Morgan was the first out lesbian many people ever knew, and the fact that she was fictional doesn't take away that power. While at the heart of it, Ellen DeGeneres did what she did to be free and for her LGBTQ community, but her bravery transcended that. When Ellen Morgan says, "I'm gay" into an airport gate microphone, what she was really saying was, "You loved me five minutes ago, and I'm still the same person." That moment took a sledgehammer to the status quo of keeping our queerness hidden away, and made room for shows like *Will & Grace*, and for characters like *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*'s Willow Rosenberg to fall in love with another woman without trauma or fear behind it." *--Dana Piccoli*

[Read Dana Piccoli's full essay on Ellen Morgan]

[Where to stream *Ellen*]Photo: Getty Images

4. Sophia Bursett
**Show:** *Orange Is the New Black*
**Performer:** Laverne Cox
**Episodes:** 39 (2013 - 2017)

"Sophia's journey hasn't been an easy one, and, given what she's been through in recent seasons, that's unlikely to change anytime soon. However, it's her perseverance in the face of adversity of all kinds -- racism, transphobia, and the generally unjust conditions of prison life, just to name a few -- that makes her one of the most inspiring and influential characters of the series." *--Jennifer Sill*

[Read Jennifer Still's full essay on Sophia Burset]

[Where to stream *Orange is the New Black*]Photo: NETFLIX

5. Maura Pfefferman
**Show:** *Transparent*
**Performer:** Jeffrey Tambor
**Episodes:** 31 (2014 - 2016)

"Sometimes, Maura, like the rest of her family, is hard to like. There's a line in the first season about her children when she asks how she raised people unable to see past themselves, a criticism Maura doesn't realize points right back at her. She's selfish, she's bitter, and often times is very stubborn. I love seeing these qualities in her because I love that she's allowed to be a flawed, often unlikeable character. She's not a model queer, she's not a put-upon martyr being cast down by the injustices of society. She feels like a very, very real person, someone people can imagine knowing in their life for better or for worse." *-- Riley Silverman*

[Read Riley Silverman's full essay on Maura Pfefferman]

[Where to stream *Transparent*]Photo: Everett Collection

6. Jack McFarland
**Show:** *Will & Grace*
**Performer:** Sean Hayes
**Episodes:** 188 (1998 - 2006)

"While much of his diva worshipping, promiscuity, and theatricality was certainly played up for laughs over the show's eight-season run, Jack was almost always driving the joke, never the butt of it. He was never the victim, almost always the bully. In fact, in a cheeky bit of meta backbiting, the only time Jack is ever called a fag is by his straight-passing best friend Will. For me, Jack's refusal to be anything but himself, to give anyone the power to humiliate him, was incredibly powerful to watch not only as a small gay child, but as a medium-sized gay adult too." *-- Joel Kim Booster*

[Read Joel Kim Booster's full essay on Jack McFarland]

[Where to stream *Will & Grace*]Photo: Getty Images

7. Titus Andromedon
**Show:** *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt*
**Performer:** Tituss Burgess
**Episodes:** 39 (2015 - 2017)

"I celebrate Titus Andromedon: a fat, femme, gay Black man, who lives unflinchingly and joyfully in his every moment onscreen. His bucket of household glitter, his pink tool sash. His face-journeys and his body's expressive fluidity. He who goes into debt to purchase a thing of silly straws; he who keeps vintage Barbies in the fridge; he whose clothes flow like gowns. Dazzlingly free." *-- Sebastian Deken*

[Read Sebastian Deken's full essay on Titus Andromedon]

[Where to stream *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt*]Photo: NETFLIX

8. Will Truman
**Show:** *Will & Grace*
**Performer:** Eric McCormack
**Episodes:** 188 (1998 - 2006)

"With Will Truman, the world began to understand that queerness is just one part of the many things that make us, us. We can never underestimate the importance of seeing gay, lesbian, bi, trans, asexual, intersex and gender nonconforming people on TV. For those who didn't realize they knew a gay person in real life, Will was their gateway to connecting with the LGBTQ+ community. Will's affable ways just worked." *-- Dana Piccoli*

[Read Dana Piccoli's full essay on Will Truman]

[Where to stream *Will & Grace*]Photo: Getty Images

9. David Fisher
**Show:** *Six Feet Under*
**Performer:** Michael C. Hall
**Episodes:** 63 (2001 - 2005)

"David was one of the first three-dimensional portrayals of a gay man on mainstream television. Yes, he was initially burdened by the secret of his orientation, but after he came out, he was just someone who was worried about his family's funeral home staying open, exasperated by his lackadaisical older brother, and concerned about making a life with his partner. Uptight, fusty, and exceptionally private, David's gay identity certainly informed his character, but wasn't the entirety of it -- a rarity for the early days of prestige television." *-- Brian Moylan*

[Read Brian Moylan's full essay on David Fisher]

[Where to stream *Six Feet Under*]Photo: Getty Images

10. Omar Little
**Show:** *The Wire*
**Performer:** Michael Kenneth Williams
**Episodes:** 51 (2002 - 2008)

"Played with wit and an agreeably sly sort of looseness by Michael K. Williams, Omar represents the transition from the sexless saints of gay TV past to the flawed, complicated characters who can simply exist. *The Wire* never treated Omar's queerness as incidental. Neither, in fairness, did it ever become merely a big, clunky plot point. Instead, it was an essential part of Omar and his world - it colored his actions and those of the people around him, in small, practical ways." *-- Glen Weldon*

[Where to stream *The Wire*]Photo: HBO

11. Kurt Hummel
**Show:** *Glee*
**Performer:** Chris Colfer
**Episodes:** 121 (2009 - 2015)

Ryan Murphy's vision for *Glee* included, among many (MANY) other things, taking on issues of gay acceptance and teen bullying, and while not the only gay character on the show, Kurt was the vessel through which Murphy's messages were most often delivered. Kurt's relationships -- with his father, his step-brother, his rivals, and especially his boyfriend -- were often some of the most carefully drawn of the series, and Colfer's performance had the ability to catch the audience off-guard again and again. Kurt's teen romance with Blaine (Darren Criss) was the first full-blown gay teen romance that fans could 'ship the same way they did for Joey/Pacey and Seth/Summer. That Tumblr-friendly fan-thusiasm for a gay couple would have been unfathomable on a network series even five years prior, making Kurt a beacon of changing times.

[Where to stream *Glee*]Photo: Everett Collection

12. Jodie Dallas
**Show:** *Soap*
**Performer:** Billy Crystal
**Episodes:** 76 (1977 - 1981)

As the first long-running gay character in television, Jodie Dallas paved the way for every other character on this list. Jodie's creation was fraught with criticism from both sides, though, as religious and gay rights groups objected to *Soap*'s handling of gay themes. Religious groups didn't want the sitcom to include gay themes at all and they organized a boycott of the show before it even aired. The Gay Media Task Force was upset with the show's conflagration of gay men and trans people in Jodie's initial storyline. *Soap* wisely only responded to *one* set of criticism, dropping Jodie's ill-conceived sex reassignment surgery after the first two episodes. ABC's own Standards and Practices even wanted Jodie to be more than a stereotype, although they *also* wouldn't allow him to touch another man. Instead, most of Jodie's storylines addressed the fallout of a one-night stand with a woman that resulted in the birth of Jodie's daughter. Still, *Soap* kept up a "tell, don't show" depiction of Jodie's sexuality throughout his many years on television, making sure that viewers always knew he was gay... even though he mostly dated women.

[Where to stream *Soap*]Photo: Everett Collection

13. Poussey Washington
**Show:** *Orange Is The New Black*
**Performer:** Samira Wiley
**Episodes:** 51 (2013 - 2016)

With her infectious smile, quick wit, and warm charisma, Poussey became a ray of light in the bleak Litchfield Penitentiary. A military brat, Poussey fought to form real connections with her fellow inmates; this ultimately resulted in unrequited romantic feelings for her best friend Taystee, the first of many storylines that would break the hearts of Poussey's fans. Throughout her time on the show, though, Poussey proved to be as insightful as she was optimistic, as generous as she was resilient. In an ensemble packed with deeply nuanced characters, fans found a character to relate to, root for, and love in Poussey.

[Where to stream *Orange Is The New Black*]Photo: NETFLIX

14. Lafayette Reynolds
**Show:** *True Blood*
**Performer:** Nelsan Ellis
**Episodes:** 81 (2008 - 2014)

With the stereotypes of Sassy Black Friend and Sassy Gay Friend still alive and well in popular culture, the character of Lafayette was ripe for tokenism. But Lafayette wore his snapping rejoinders and drag aesthetic like a kind of pageant armor for a character who consistently drew strength from his sissy identity. At times he was the wise queer, yes, but he has stakes in pretty much every supernatural threat that crept through Bon Temps. And while it'd be disingenuous to say that the show *always* found time for him, Lafayette's story was treated with care even when it was happening on the margins.

[Where to stream *True Blood*]Photo: Everett Collection

15. Max Blum
**Show:** *Happy Endings*
**Performer:** Adam Pally
**Episodes:** 57 (2011 - 2013)

It's a shame *Happy Endings* only held on for three seasons, because Adam Pally's grumpy, lazy, and slouchy gay man was unlike any other gay character in a network sitcom. Max perfectly combined the stock gay character with the "conniving smart-ass" archetype that's essential to ensemble comedies. For once, the gay character got to do real sitcom dirty work instead of teaching others lessons about tolerance. But Max wasn't a gay character that "just so happened to be gay." When the *Happy Endings* writers wanted to, they had Max tackle issues like coming out--it's just that it was also fun watching Max hatch elaborate plans with Casey Wilson's Penny.

[Where to stream *Happy Endings*]Photo: Everett Collection

16. Marshall Gregson
**Show:** *United States of Tara*
**Performer:** Keir Gilchrist
**Episodes:** 36 (2009 - 2011)

In many ways, Marshall was the heart of *Tara*, the scarred but durable organ at the center of a family whose madness might have otherwise broken weaker creatures. As the precocious teen son of Toni Collette's Tara (and her alternate personalities) Marshall's coming of age felt realistically stuttering, even at times frustrating -- remember that stretch where he dated Zosia Mamet? In three short seasons, we got to see Marshall come out, stumble teenagerly into a relationship, have his heart broken, and lose someone he loved; and if you were onboard with Keir Gilchrist's sharp, sensitive performance, your heart broke with him. Marshall's story depicted the kind of hard-won sense of self that we all hopefully arrive at when we reach the other side of coming out.

[Where to stream *United States of Tara*]Photo: Everett Collection

17. Jamal Lyon
**Show:** *Empire*
**Performer:** Jussie Smollett
**Episodes:** 45 (2015 - Present)

Through Jamal Lyon, *Empire* bluntly addressed the tension that exists between disapproving parents and the queer children they leave out with the garbage. A songwriting prodigy and talented singer, the sensitive Jamal was often overshadowed by his flashy brother Hakeem. But Jamal's story, which has seen him grow to love himself and live his most authentic life no matter the cost, has resonated with the show's LGBT audience. Through Jamal, *Empire* tells viewers that they are treasure even if they've been treated like trash.

[Where to stream *Empire*]Photo: Everett Collection

18. Justin Suarez
**Show:** *Ugly Betty*
**Performer:** Mark Indelicato
**Episodes:** 85 (2006 - 2010)

That network television featured a tweenage (and later teenage) gay kid in a way that never felt like he was being made fun of was a great step forward. *Ugly Betty* let Justin "come out" at a pace that was true to life. As viewers, it could often feel like we were older family members, patiently and indulgently waiting for Justin to figure things out on his own. When the show finally did broach Justin's coming-out storyline, it was a beautiful, celebratory thing, a rarity for television of any era.

[Where to stream *Ugly Betty*]Photo: Everett Collection

19. Bianca Montgomery
**Show:** *All My Children*
**Performer:** Eden Riegel (primarily)
**Episodes:** 1988 - 2013

Gay characters in the realm of daytime drama always had an uphill climb, given that their demographic was always older and, as a result, more conservative. Which makes the pioneering gay soap characters so important. Bianca was more than just some stranger who came to town and taught the regulars about tolerance. Bianca was Erica damn Kane's daughter! She could not have been more central to *AMC*'s familial roots. Bianca's importance to gay TV characters went beyond the milestones (daytime's first same-sex kiss in 2003; daytime's first legal same-sex wedding in 2008); she not only forced Erica Kane to grapple with her prejudices, but she did the same for the *All My Children* audience. The fact that she soon became one of the show's most beloved characters was a hard-won triumph.

[Where to stream *All My Children*]Photo: ABC

20. Jack McPhee
**Show:** *Dawson's Creek*
**Performer:** Kerr Smith
**Episodes:** 113 (1998 - 2003)

One of TV's most important coming-out stories, if only because it was at the center of the biggest love story on a wildly popular teen soap, Jack McPhee's emergence in *Dawson*'s second season was pivotal for many '90s teens. Jack was shoved out of the closet -- after a disastrous poetry assignment and a cruel teacher gave him away -- less than two years after Ellen's famous "Puppy Episode," and in many ways, the fact that this was a high-schooler coming out made the stakes seem that much higher. A season later, Jack shared primetime TV's first passionate kiss between two men, albeit in a scene that feels skittishly edited. Still, every step down the path took us closer, and Jack was a crucial figure for the generation who would grow up with so much positive change.

[Where to stream *Dawson's Creek*]Photo: Getty Images

21. Salvatore Romano
**Show:** *Mad Men*
**Performer:** Bryan Batt
**Episodes:** 39 (2007 - 2009)

Through its warts-and-all portrayal of city-life in the 1960s, *Mad Men* delivered a statement about gay life in the pre-Stonewall era: Men remained closeted, or they suffered the consequences. Right from the start, Sterling Cooper's art director Sal Romano took part in ogling models and secretaries just like he was one of the guys, but Bryan Batt's performance added a subtle (by '60s standards) flamboyant flair. Sal was *different*, in a way he couldn't fully express. Sal did what he had to do: he married a woman and kept his private desires private. The instant those desires clashed with work (he refused the advances of a filthy rich, lecherous, and closeted client), Sal had to go. His dismissal from Sterling Cooper and *Mad Men* proved a point: the '60s were not a safe space.

[Where to stream *Mad Men*]Photo: Everett Collection

22. Keith Charles
**Show:** *Six Feet Under*
**Performer:** Matthew St. Patrick
**Episodes:** 63 (2001 - 2005)

A West Point grad and openly gay policeman, Keith Charles defied pretty much every pop culture stereotype of a gay character during the early days of LGBT representation. Keith's relationship with David (Michael C. Hall) was as complicated as it was earnest, with the couple struggling through doubt, jealousy, and anger. The pair ultimately settled down, adopting children and keeping the Fisher family funeral home alive.

[Where to stream *Six Feet Under*]Photo: HBO

23. Elijah Krantz
**Show:** *Girls*
**Performer:** Andrew Rannells
**Episodes:** 35 (2012 - 2017)

When Elijah made his first appearance on *Girls* (in the show's third episode) it seemed like he could just be a one-off joke about Hannah's college years. But as he recurred more often, as he and Hannah bonded over being self-obsessed little monsters, as he read Marnie up and down and dated an Anderson Cooper stand-in and struggled to dribble basketballs in Broadway auditions -- it became clear that Elijah had become one of *Girls*' best-written characters. He was always in danger of being relegated to the "sassy gay friend" role, but as the show went on, his relationship with Hannah became as important as any of the other leads, and Andrew Rannells' performance was capable at surprising depth at a moment's notice.

[Where to stream *Girls*]Photo: HBO

24. Mitchell Pritchett
**Show:** *Modern Family*
**Performer:** Jesse Tyler Ferguson
**Episodes:** 188 (2009 - Present)

The sarcastic and persnickety partner of Cameron Tucker, Mitch delivers zingers to his *Modern Family* co-stars that only family members can get away with. Mitchell's not afraid of public displays of affection, he just shows affection with quips. While *Modern Family* features a large ensemble, the show often mines the rich relationship between Mitchell and his old-fashioned father Jay (Ed O'Neill). These moments, where father and son try to understand each other, capture sobering truths in the midst of jovial comedy.

[Where to stream *Modern Family*]Photo: Getty Images

25. Brian Kinney
**Show:** *Queer As Folk (U.S.)*
**Performer:** Gale Harold
**Episodes:** 83 (2000 - 2005)

The chief virtue of the American *Queer As Folk* was its unapologetic sluttiness. Any notion that a show about gay men would have to peddle respectability politics went out the window with the introduction of Brian Kinney, played with wildly sexy cockiness by Gale Harold. It wasn't just Brian's unapologetically aggressive sex life that felt relatable; it was also the way he chafed at every attempt to box in him or his friends. Defiant but also mean, devoted but also manipulative, Brian was the rare gay character who was allowed his contradictions.

[Where to stream *Queer as Folk*]Photo: Getty Images

26. Josh
**Show:** *Please Like Me*
**Performer:** Josh Thomas
**Episodes:** 32 (2013 - 2016)

The increased visibility of LGBTQ characters over the last five years or so has allowed the individual characters to feel a lot more specific, without the burdens of representing every gay character on TV. The Aussie gay dramedy *Please Like Me* featured one of TV's most idiosyncratic gay protagonists to date. Josh was both neurotic and judgmental, in ways that were both hilarious and maddening, relatable one minute and nearly reprehensible the next. Blissfully unconcerned with addressing "issues" (yet decidedly situated in the real world of STD tests and three-ways), *Please Like Me*'s Josh might be the most stereotype-averse gay character TV has delivered to date.

[Where to stream *Please Like Me*]Photo: Everett Collection

27. Shane McCutcheon
**Show:** *The L Word*
**Performer:** Katherine Moennig
**Episodes:** 70 (2004 - 2009)

Katherine Moennig's Shane brought an androgynous edge to *The L Word*, and she helped fill out the show's hookup chart with all of her trysts. Throughout the show's run, the bad girl broke hearts (and also had her heart broken a time or two). Sure, this hairdresser turned underwear model made some bad decisions (like sleeping with a mother *and* her daughters), but it was all done in the name of love... or lust.

[Where to stream *The L Word*]Photo: Everett Collection

28. Dr. Kerry Weaver
**Show:** ER
**Performer:** Laura Innes
**Episodes:** 250 (1995 - 2009)

Laura Innes joined the cast of ER at the top of season 2, but Dr. Kerry Weaver didn't come out until season 7. Viewers got five years of history with Dr. Weaver, and then watched as she came out, fell in love, started a family, and tackled real issues like workplace discrimination and adoption rights. ER started this storyline at a time when gay characters seldom received extensive time in the spotlight. Kerry Weaver defied that trend, spending 12 seasons on ER during the height of the blockbuster show's popularity.

[Where to stream ER]Photo: Everett Collection

29. Callie Torres
**Show:** *Grey's Anatomy*
**Performer:** Sara Ramirez
**Episodes:** 240 (2006 - 2016)

Callie's emergence from the *Grey's* sidelines to become one of its longest-running and most valued characters tracked perfectly with her coming-out narrative, proving that we've come a long way from the days where a character risked losing audience support if they came out. Callie's bisexuality wasn't always easily defined, as she bounced from relationships with Mark (Eric Dane) to Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and back, but that thorniness made for some great primetime soapiness. It also meant that TV had a cornerstone LGBTQ character on one of its highest-rated shows for over a decade.

[Where to stream *Grey's Anatomy*]Photo: Everett Collection

30. Tara Maclay
**Show:** *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*
**Performer:** Amber Benson
**Episodes:** 47 (1999 - 2002)

While Tara never became a series regular on *Buffy*, it's impossible to state the impact she had on the mythology during her three-season run. Tara grew from Willow's shy, withdrawn witchcraft study buddy into one of the most powerful characters on the show, both internally and externally. In a time when TV rarely devoted screentime to long-running and complex same-sex couples, Tara and Willow gave a generation of viewers a truly resonant romance.

[Where to stream *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*]Photo: Everett Collection

31. Richie Donado Ventura
**Show:** *Looking*
**Performer:** Raul Castillo
**Episodes:** 14 (2014 - 2015)

Perhaps it was the fairy-tale impossibility of meeting the dreamboat of a lifetime on the public bus, but from the very first episode of *Looking*, Richie probably earned the most heart-eye emoji out of anyone on the show's cast. It helped that Raul Castillo could be so effortlessly sexy while doing nothing more than eating street-cart food. Richie and Patrick's best episodes together gave the show an air of charmed romance amid the complicated realities of modern gay life.

[Where to stream *Looking*]Photo: HBO

32. Michael Novotny
**Show:** *Queer As Folk (U.S.)*
**Performer:** Hal Sparks
**Episodes:** 83 (2000 - 2005)

*Talk Soup* host Hal Sparks seemed like an odd fit to headline Showtime's big gay drama series, but his performance as Michael was winningly neurotic and admirably imperfect. While the world of *QAF* was constantly turning up the volume, Michael's insecurity within his own gay subculture while at the same time fighting the outside oppressions of the Bush era, hit necessarily close to home.

[Where to stream *Queer as Folk*]Photo: Everett Collection

33. Captain Jack Harkness
**Show:** *Doctor Who*, *Torchwood*
**Performer:** John Barrowman
**Episodes:** *Doctor Who*: 12 (2005 - 2010); *Torchwood*: 41 (2006 - 2011)

*Doctor Who* entered bold new territory with the introduction of Captain Jack in 2005. As the massively popular franchise's first openly queer character (Jack identifies as omnisexual), Harkness became a major icon for the UK's LGBT community. Originally a swashbuckling time traveler and ex-conman from the 51st century, Jack was granted immortality as well as his own adult-oriented spinoff (*Torchwood*) following his time as a companion of the Ninth Doctor.

[Where to stream *Doctor Who*]Photo: Everett Collection

34. Alice Pieszecki
**Show:** *The L Word*
**Performer:** Leisha Hailey
**Episodes:** 70 (2004 - 2009)

Media queen Alice Pieszecki became embroiled in a number of hot-button issues during *The L Word*'s six-season run, including the ethics of outing closeted celebrities and the military's don't ask, don't tell policy. Alice, who identified as bisexual, was also obsessed with The Chart, which mapped all the hookups of everyone around her - including her own.

[Where to stream *The L Word*]Photo: Everett Collection

35. Bette Porter
**Show:** *The L Word*
**Performer:** Jennifer Beals
**Episodes:** 70 (2004 - 2009)

Besides being a triumph of a comeback role for *Flashdance*'s Jennifer Beals, Bette was also a cornerstone of Showtime's massively underrated *The L Word*, as it delivered six seasons of lesbian soap opera for an audience desperate for for a show that put them front and center. Bette's storylines involved everything from surrogacy to infidelity to (possibly) murder, and through it all, Bette was an absolute boss.

[Where to stream *The L Word*]Photo: Everett Collection

36. Patrick Murray
**Show:** *Looking*
**Performer:** Jonathan Groff
**Episodes:** 18 (2014 - 2015)

That Patrick ranged from relatable to infuriating among the *Looking* audience was a sign that the gay TV audience was beginning to demand more from its entertainment, but Jonathan Groff's winning portrayal the show's naive central character gave us a protagonist we could watch fuck up without giving up on him.

[Where to stream *Looking*]Photo: Everett Collection

37. Anna Madrigal
**Show:** *Tales of the City*
**Performer:** Olympia Dukakis
**Episodes:** 15 (1993 - 2001)

Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis lent gravitas to the TV miniseries adaptation of Armistead Maupin's saga about queer exploration in San Francisco. As one of the first fully-realized trans characters on TV, Anna evinced a warmth and depth of experience that made her everyone's favorite advice-giver.

[Where to stream *Tales of the City*]Photo: Everett Collection

38. Santana Lopez
**Show:** *Glee*
**Performer:** Naya Rivera
**Episodes:** 113 (2009 - 2015)

While at first it seemed like Kurt (Chris Colfer) was going to be *Glee*'s lone gay main character, the almost accidental pairing of Santana and Brittany (Heather Morris) gave Naya Rivera the platform she needed to break out as one of the show's major stars. Santana was a much-needed slice of genuine queer excellence on a show that sometimes felt like it was straining too hard to show its other gay characters in the most sainted light.

[Where to stream *Glee*]Photo: Everett Collection

39. Noah Nicholson
**Show:** *Noah's Arc*
**Performer:** Darryl Stephens
**Episodes:** 17 (2005 - 2006)

It wasn't fair that *Noah's Arc* languished in relative obscurity on (pre-*Drag Race*) LOGO while the similarly-themed *Queer As Folk* got its premium Showtime perch, but for those fortunate enough to seek it out, the half-hour dramedy about screenwriter Noah and his close circle of friends was a landmark for gay people of color on TV.

[Where to stream *Noah's Arc*]Photo: Getty Images

40. Marco Del Rossi
**Show:** *Degrassi: The Next Generation*
**Performer:** Adamo Ruggiero
**Episodes:** 82 (2002 - 2009)

Canadian teen drama *Degrassi* documented the emotionally fraught high school experiences of gay kids through Marco Del Rossi. During his lengthy stint on the show, Marco came out to himself, his friends, and later his parents,dealing with all the anxiety that came along with making those major decisions. *Degrassi* fans have grown up alongside Marco, who - now an adult - teaches at Degrassi Community School.

[Where to stream *Degrassi: The Next Generation*]Photo: Everett Collection

41. Marc St. James
**Show:** *Ugly Betty*
**Performer:** Michael Urie
**Episodes:** 85 (2006 - 2010)

At the outset, Marc St. James wasn't even the bitchy gay villain; he was the bitchy gay *assistant* to the villain. The arc that *Ugly Betty* took Marc on -- from catty schemer to a kind of shadow protagonist to Betty herself in its final seasons -- was a great lesson in rounding out a gay character without sacrificing his queerness for the sake of assimilation. We still haven't had very many shows outside of *RuPaul's Drag Race* that feature queer excellence, but that's exactly what Marc was serving in the final episodes.

[Where to stream *Ugly Betty*]Photo: Everett Collection

42. Kalinda Sharma
**Show:** *The Good Wife*
**Performer:** Archie Panjabi
**Episodes:** 134 (2009 - 2015)

What a refreshing and empowering pleasure it was to see unapologetic bisexual Kalinda do her thing every week. As the in-house investigator at Lockhart-Gardner, Kalinda was initially deployed as Alicia's confidante, but as the show went on, her investigative work began to take on an almost superheroic tenor. Multifaceted, mysterious, and massively sexy, Kalinda was the closest thing the *Good Wife* universe had to Wonder Woman.

[Where to stream *The Good Wife*]Photo: Everett Collection

43. Nancy Bartlett
**Show:** *Roseanne*
**Performer:** Sandra Bernhard
**Episodes:** 33 (1991 - 1997)

*Roseanne* was no stranger to LGBT supporting characters, with Sandra Bernhard's Nancy and Martin Mull's Leon appearing frequently throughout the show's run. Bernhard, a firebrand stand-up comic, turned heads in the early '90s for her relationship with Madonna and her role on *Roseanne*. Bernhard played an out-and-proud bisexual woman, one who viewers got to see dump Tom Arnold and hook up with Morgan Fairchild.

[Where to stream *Roseanne*]Photo: Everett Collection

44. Steven Carrington
**Show:** *Dynasty*
**Performer:** Jack Coleman, Al Corley
**Episodes:** Coleman: 149 (1982 - 1988); Corley: 35 (1981-1982)

In a decade when gay characters were mostly relegated to one-off appearances in sitcoms, *Dynasty*'s Steven Carrington carried the torch for representation for eight seasons. As one of *Dynasty*'s main characters, every detail of Steven's life was fodder for larger-than-life plots -- even if '80s standards and practices and the emergence of the religious right pressured creators to put a character they conceived of as gay in numerous relationships with women. Still, Steven's sexuality drove plenty of *Dynasty*'s drama, through hostage situations, terrorist attacks, and oil rig explosions.

[Where to stream *Dynasty*]Photo: Everett Collection

45. Emily Fields
**Show:** *Pretty Little Liars*
**Performer:** Shay Mitchell
**Episodes:** 160 (2010 - 2017)

With Emily, *Pretty Little Liars* struck the right balance of normalcy (her relationships with girls caused just as many problems for the Liars as her friends' relationships with boys did) while never forgetting the barriers she's had to fight through.

[Where to stream *Pretty Little Liars*]Photo: Everett Collection

46. Alex Danvers
**Show:** *Supergirl*
**Performer:** Chyler Leigh
**Episodes:** 42 (2015 - Present)

Alex's coming out story and romance with Detective Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima) became the heart of *Supergirl*'s sophomore season. The show tackled the complexity of a late-in-life coming out story, as tough special agent Danvers cracked under the pressure of her own identity. Alex proved to be just as strong as her superhero sister by accepting -- and loving -- herself, thus giving *Supergirl's* young audience a new hero to root for.

[Where to stream *Supergirl*]Photo: Everett Collection

47. Shakima 'Kima' Greggs
**Show:** *The Wire*
**Performer:** Sonja Sohn
**Episodes:** 60 (2002 - 2008)

A narcotics detective in the Baltimore Police Department, Kima - an out lesbian - played a major part in all five seasons of HBO's *The Wire*. Audiences followed the exemplary detective from her job and back to her home life, where she lived with her partner Cheryl. Strong and determined, Kima continually bounced back from personal and professional setbacks.

[Where to stream *The Wire*]Photo: Everett Collection

48. Nomi Marks
**Show:** *Sense8*
**Performer:** Jamie Clayton
**Episodes:** 23 (2015 - present)

The landmark nature of trans actress Jamie Clayton playing trans woman Nomi Marks in a series created by Lilly and Lana Wachowski is not to be underestimated, but it's Clayton's magnetic performance as the defiant Nomi that put her on this list.

[Where to stream *Sense8*]Photo: Everett Collection

49. Cameron Tucker
**Show:** *Modern Family*
**Performer:** Eric Stonestreet
**Episodes:** 188 (2009 - Present)

As one half of *Modern Family*'s gay power couple Mitch and Cam, Eric Stonestreet adds pizzazz to the show's docu-style look at everyday life. A Missouri-raised farmboy-turned-college football player, the always fabulous Cam shows mainstream audiences that masculinity and flamboyance aren't mutually exclusive.

[Where to stream *Modern Family*]Photo: Everett Collection

50. Ilana Wexler
**Show:** *Broad City*
**Performer:** Ilana Glazer
**Episodes:** 30 (2014 - Present)

*Broad City*'s force for chaotic good, Ilana Wexler perfectly embodies the modern Millennial's open-minded attitude towards gender and sexuality. Ilana's hooked up with characters played by Hannibal Burress and Alia Shawkat, in-between preaching about open relationships and slacking off at her startup job.

[Where to stream *Broad City*]Photo: Everett Collection

Kristy Puchko is a New York-based entertainment writer whose work has been published on Vanity Fair, IndieWire, Nerdist, and Pajiba. She can be found on Twitter: @KristyPuchko.

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