30 LGBTQ TV Moments Worth Celebrating From The Past Year

Weddings! Kisses! Justice!

To celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month, TVLine is looking back at 30 moments of triumph on TV from the past calendar year (between June 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020).

This is by no means a collection of every LGBTQ moment that TV has given us in the past 365 days, so if you think another show or storyline deserves recognition for its positive representation, let us know!

Good Trouble Throws Jazmin a Doble Quince

When Gael's sister Jazmin had a doble quinceañera at age 30, it was doubly meaningful: She finally got to enjoy the rite of passage she never had as a girl trapped in a young boy's body. And in raising money for transgender veterans like herself and military members, the party also increased awareness while "celebrating our thriving lives," Jazmin declared.

Council of Dads Sets Grandma Straight

Nestled amid all the sorrow of the series' pilot was the pre-funeral reveal that Robin and the late Scott's J.J. identified as a boy — a fact which Grandma Patricia refuses to embrace, having put her grandchild in a dress. "Mom, how many times have I told you — J.J. is a boy," Robin scolded her mother. "And he likes to be called he." Sweetly, first-grader J.J. himself took the misgendering in stride. "I'm not mad, Grandma," he said. "It can take people from your generation a while to understand."

Saved by the Bell Gives Us a Reason to Cheer

While it's important for the public to remain educated about the struggles of the transgender community, it's also refreshing when a transgender performer is invited to take on a role that's completely independent of their trans identity. Former Champions star Josie Totah will lead Peacock's upcoming Saved by the Bell revival, playing Lexi a "beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High."

Batwoman Speaks Her Truth

Whereas Kate Kane was out and proud, Batwoman for practical reasons chose to conceal more than her face beneath that cowl of hers. But when nudged by superfan Parker Torres, a queer teen, Kate decided that, even at the risk of tipping folks off to her identity, the Scarlet Knight should shed light on who she herself was. BFF Kara Danvers' CatCo exclusive in turn signaled more than any spotlight.

Arrow's William Tells All to Oliver

Upon being flung back in time 20 years, William had so much to tell his father, Oliver. For one, yes, he turned out to be a tech mogul. But more importantly, "I'm gay," William shared. Oliver's reaction came in the form of a loving smile, followed by the confession that he and Felicity suspected as much during the lad's teen years. "We hoped that you would come out to us when you were comfortable," he explained. Alas, given the drama surrounding a vigilante's kid, "You clearly didn't get that chance, and that's on me," Oliver apologized. When it comes to tender father/son moments, this one hit the bull's-eye.

9-1-1: Lone Star Makes TV History

Brian Michael Smith became the first Black transgender man cast in a series-regular TV role when he landed the part of firefighter Paul Strickland, a character whose tight-knit relationships with his cisgender co-workers have allowed him to facilitate important conversations about masculinity. "We as guys may have different entry points to our sense of manhoods but we're going through similar things," Smith tells TVLine. "We have more in common than our differences would suggest."

Sex Education's Most Unlikely Couple

Though Eric was (temporarily) swept off his feet by mysterious French beau Rahim, it was Adam and Eric who became Season 2's most heartwarming — and surprising! — couple. Adam's journey from repressed bully to self-actualized softie was bumpy to say the least, but when he declared his feelings for Eric during the school musical, you'd have to be dead to not be awed by the public display of young love in bloom.  

A Million Little Things Shows Danny's First Kiss

The sweet moment — between Delilah's young son and his crush — took place backstage at their school's production of Grease. The smooch was treated with exactly the same tender care that any kiddie romance would have been, without turning the hour into a Very Special Episode, a subtle moment that showed exactly how far primetime broadcast TV has come.

Dead to Me's Surprise Coupling

The twist-heavy Netflix comedy's decision to have Linda Cardellini's seemingly heterosexual Judy fall for a delightfully droll female chef (played by Natalie Morales) was Season 2's most surprising and satisfying curveball. Here's hoping the show remains as committed to them as we are in a potential third season.

Grey's Anatomy Reveals Teddy Is Sexually Fluid

Through flashbacks to Dr. Altman's days in New York, we learned that she and roommate Claire had shared more than an apartment: They'd both been head over heels for Claire's girlfriend, Allison. Refreshingly, that Teddy, on whom we'd dumbly slapped a straight label, had been involved with a woman was presented as no big deal; the only issue was that she and her late lover had hurt Claire.

Harley Quinn Loves Ivy, No Joke

What could have played as a merely titillating twist on the adult animated series wound up blooming into much more, as Harley, coming off her and Ivy's liplock, realized that her feelings had deep roots. When the BFFs full-on hooked up on Themyscira (not once, but a wonderful twice), Harley wore her heart on her sleeve, only to be gently clubbed by Ivy's fear that she would be hurt in the end, if the friends tried to be more.

High School Musical Sticks It to the Status Quo

Considering how adamant Disney was about not addressing Ryan's sexuality in the original High School Musical trilogy (2006–2008), it's frankly refreshing to see — via the new Disney+ comedy High School Musical: The Musical: The Series — that there's been some serious progress made at the House of Mouse. Not only are Carlos (Frankie A. Rodriguez) and Seb (Joe Serafini) fully rounded characters in their own rights, but their budding relationship is celebrated every step of the way. This really is a show with a heart as big as its title.

Homecoming's Dynamic Duo

Season 2 of the Amazon drama peeled back the layers of Hong Chau's mysterious Audrey Temple and, much to our delight, one very intimate layer included Janelle Monáe. The pair's onscreen relationship was as complicated as it was compelling, and we were left wanting much more. 

Eve Lindley's Standout Dispatches From Elsewhere Performance

As Simone, a trans woman looking to conquer her feelings of isolation, trans actress Eve Lindley delivered an underrated performance full of self discovery and strength. She maneuvered her character through doubt, juxtaposing her uncertainty with a radiant charm that begged to be watched. Acting alongside Sally Field, André Benjamin and Jason Segal, the relative newcomer had no trouble with the heavy lifting; we rooted for Simone (and Lindley) from the very start.   

Euphoria's Captivating Lead Actress

Hunter Schafer, the transgender actress starring in HBO's dark high school drama, deserves all the applause in the world for her fierce and finely tuned performance as Jules, the transgender best friend of Zendaya's Rue. From the very first episode of Season 1, neither Schafer nor the show has shied away from depicting any part of Jules' complicated existence — representation matters, and this one's a big win.

Good Girls Embraces Gender Identity

It was back in Season 2 that Annie's son, formerly known as Sadie, first revealed that he identified as a boy, now named Ben. But even though Ben's gender was addressed last year, we were similarly impressed by how Season 3 barely batted an eyelash at his newfound identity. There were no "very special episodes" of Good Girls this year, no sappy monologues, nothing. There was just Ben living as his true self, without any side-eye or questions from other characters, making this one of TV's most refreshing depictions of trans youth.

How to Get Away With Murder's Final Love Story

Murder has always amplified LGBTQ voices, including that of its bisexual protagonist, Annalise Keating. In the show's final season, Annalise seemed to embrace her interest in both men and women after years of struggling with her sexuality — and in a series-ending montage, we found that Annalise and Tegan Price finally got to enjoy each other as more than just colleagues.

Katy Keene Drags Jorge Into the Spotlight

Every character on Katy Keene feels like they're living out their own spinoff, all of which we would watch on their own. But right now, we want to focus on Jorge Lopez's journey from Broadway hopeful to drag superstar to local activist. Resilient, resourceful and proud, Jonny Beauchamp's character represents so much of what the LGBT community stands for. Here's hoping we get to see more of Jorge — and Ginger! — in a potential second season.

The Queer Energy of Motherland: Fort Salem

There's something downright magical about Freeform's newest supernatural drama — and not just because it's literally about witchcraft. It exists in a world where sexuality is celebrated, and there's no need for anyone to "come out." By accepting what should be basic tenets of humanity from the jump, and by putting women at the forefront of the action, it's no surprise that the show quickly developed a dedicated LGBT fanbase.

9-1-1 Extends Hen's Family Tree

After all of the trouble that Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen's (Tracie Thoms) relationship has endured throughout the years, the fan-favorite couple really needed a win this season. And 9-1-1 gave the ladies just that, setting them on the path to foster parenthood. After multiple attempts at getting pregnant through in vitro fertilization, the women concluded, "There's more than one way to have a family." Welcome to your new home, baby Nia.

Pose's Model Behavior

When it comes to LGBTQ visibility, TV doesn't get much more inclusive than Pose. Of the many emotional storylines in Season 2, though, we were most affected by Angel's foray into modeling, which built her confidence and fueled her ambition. There were setbacks, of course, namely the skeezy photographer who threatened to reveal Angel's trans identity. But with the help of Lil Papi and House Evangelista, Angel was given a glorious opportunity to believe in her own beauty and pursue the mainstream success she deserves. 

Schitt's Creek Gives David and Patrick a Happy Ending

Those who RSVP'd yes to the series finale were given front-row seats to a glorious reminder that love is love: David and Patrick's wedding. The nuptials were deeply personal (the Jazzagals sang "The Best," which by then was as closely associated with the grooms as Tina Turner) and campy as hell (Moira's outfit!), yet treated as exceptional only because the husbands-to-be were so enamored of one another, not because they were both men.

Shameless' Ian and Mickey Get Married

The on-and-off couple finally made it official after years of turbulent romance, during which the pair was tested by jail time, Mickey's homophobic father and Ian's bipolar disorder. In the end, even a fire at their wedding venue couldn't prevent love from conquering all as Ian and Mickey tied the knot, cementing their commitment to each other. And in the world of Shameless, that's no small feat.

She-Ra Canonizes 'Catradora'

Of all the epic moments squeezed into the final season of Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, none were as satisfying as those shared between lifelong frenemies Catra and Adora. Their long-awaited first kiss — which even die-hard fans thought might never happen — proved that love, at least in Etheria, really can conquer all.

Single Parents' Miggy Is In a Throuple

After spotting their pal's girlfriend with another man, Angie and Poppy confronted the "cheaters," only to be casually informed by Miggy that the fella was their boyfriend. The happy trio then went on to explain polyamory to the well-intentioned busybodies as simply and sweetly as one might explain marriage to a toddler. "It just works," summed up Homily. Certainly worked for us.

Stranger Things' Robin Comes Out to Steve

We were shipping the Scoops Ahoy co-workers hard by the time he revealed that he was crushing on a certain girl — in other words, her. She insisted that he didn't really know her, and if he did, "I don't think he'd even want to be her friend." But when, finally, she worked up the courage to come out — in the less enlightened '80s, we might add — he proved her wrong by swallowing his heartbreak and being totally accepting.

Supergirl's Dreamer Stands Against Transgender Violence

Having already made history as TV's first transgender superhero, Nia Nal (aka Dreamer) took her heroism to new heights this season, vowing to combat the growing epidemic of violence against the transgender community. The show's March 15 episode, a spotlight hour for actress Nicole Maines, focused on Dreamer's pursuit of a transphobic catfish. It also doubled as a teachable moment for Kara, who previously failed to grasp the gravity of the oft-overlooked crisis.

The Flash Saves Pied Piper's Boyfriend

When Barry needed Hartley Rathaway's help to power down a Godspeed drone, he first had to figure out why his onetime friend became a foe, post-Crisis. Soon enough, Barry gleaned that Roderick, a Pied Piper henchman Flash had nearly killed, was not some random hired gun. "He's my boyfriend. The love of my life," Hartley affirmed. Knowing all too well what it's like to feel responsible for a loved one's anguish, Barry tasked his team with doing all they could to pull Roderick out of a coma, much to Hartley's full-hearted relief. "You gave me my world back," the meta effused, and for that he will ever be grateful. 

We're Just Wild About Harry

As we wrote in our review, "you would have to be one seriously hardhearted bastard not to love" The Thing About Harry, the first queer romantic-comedy made for TV. (Color us shocked that Freeform beat both Lifetime and Hallmark Channel to the punch.) With endearing performances from Jake Borelli (Grey's Anatomy) and newcomer Niko Terho, Harry served as a solid reminder that it is possible to be both groundbreaking and adorable.

Vida”s Final Season

There's no one right way to be female, Latinx or LGBTQ, and this little-watched Starz gem championed that idea all the way through its three-season run. In particular, the drama's final few episodes (which wrapped up in June) — complete with a queerceñera and a drag kings night at the bar — highlighted the best of what inclusive storytelling can look like.