Top 22 Most Important LGBTQ+ TV Characters of All Time

While some may view diversity on TV as unnecessary or “woke,” no one can deny that showing people from all different walks of life helps progress civil rights and human dignity around the world. TV allows characters to grow and represent often-ignored demographics. With LGBTQ+ acceptance on the rise (we hope), we can thank the efforts of our favorite shows and writers from these universes for helping to craft characters that queer people can relate to and be inspired by. These are the 22 most important LGBTQ+ TV characters of all time!

1. Ellen Morgan (Ellen Degeneres) – Ellen

Ellen Degeneres has seen a drop in popularity in recent years after staffers accused her of being hard to work with and even abusive towards her co-workers on the set of her talk show. Despite these claims, there is no doubt she is the ultimate queer TV trailblazer. When her character came out on the sitcom Ellen in the 1990s, it opened the floodgates for everyone else to feel comfortable writing and portraying LGBTQ+ characters. 

2. Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) – The Wire

HBO’s police drama The Wire overflowed with fascinating characters, but Omar Little broke new ground in the genre. A Black, gay gangster with more than a little emotional intelligence and streak smarts won over almost every fan who watched the show. Omar combined a lot of different qualities not seen on TV before and haven’t been replicated since. 

3. Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) – Stranger Things

The Duffer brothers have used a steady, slow hand to reveal Will Byers’ sexuality in Stranger Things. With hints that he was gay back in season 1, Will’s struggles in the Upside Down and in the show’s normal reality serve as analogies for his coming-of-age struggles with being an LGBTQ+ teen in the 1980s. The immense popularity of this science fiction hit will help put more eyes on Will than anybody could have imagined when the show started in 2016. Will is one of the most important LGBTQ+ TV characters.

4. Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Williams) – Black Lightning

Black Lightning inspires young black LGBTQ+ women all around the world. Nafessa Williams’ portrayal of Blackbird broke barriers for queer and Black women who rarely see their race and sexuality depicted with such positivity on screen. Even without the costume, Anissa Pierce is a true superhero and one of the most important LGBTQ+ TV characters.

5. Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring (Kit Connor and Joe Locke) – Heartstopper

Netflix’s utopia of LGBTQ+ happiness, Heartstopper, is everything a queer child could ask for on television. Nick and Charlie get to experience all of the same first-times as straight counterparts from throughout history, like going to prom and sharing kisses in the hall. The addition of mature storylines like Charlie’s eating disorder and Nick’s emotionally abusive brother make this relationship more than just an unrealistic escape for viewers who look up to them. 

6. Pray Tell (Billy Porter) – Pose

Pose features the entire rainbow of LGBTQ+ identities, and Billy Porter’s Pray Tell is arguably the most memorable character in the period piece from FX. Pray is a strong, inspirational ballroom boss who uses love instead of hate to overcome the bigotry of the HIV-AIDs epidemic in the 1980s. Porter making history as the first openly gay, African-American performer to win the Best Actor in a Drama Emmy makes Pray one of the most important LGBTQ+ TV characters ever.

7. Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson) – Modern Family

Mitchell and Cameron may fulfill one too many gay stereotypes for some people’s liking, but they remained a fixture of positive representation on network TV for the entire 2010s. Seeing two husbands go through the same struggles as any straight couple (marital distress, trouble with kids, and more) with such normalcy struck a blow for LGBTQ rights at the height of the battle for marriage equality. 

8. Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino) – Love, Victor

Love, Victor set the standard for LGBTQ+ streaming series this decade, leading to the successes of Young Royals, Heartstopper, and more. Victor Salazar’s steady but quiet confidence as he overcomes religious bigotry from his mother and toxic masculinity within his basketball team, all as a racial minority, makes him one of the most important LGBTQ+ TV characters. 

9. Prince Wilhelm and Simon (Edvin Ryding and Omar Rudberg) – Young Royals

The Swedish show about a young royal prince and his strong love for a middle-lower-class schoolmate is a must-watch. Wilhelm and Simon have had a lot of heartaches, but seeing them work out their love language and communication has been done and captivating to watch. 

10. Rue Bennett (Zendaya) – Euphoria

While HBO’s most sexually explicit show is more controversial than thoughtful, Zendaya makes Rue Bennett a beacon of LGBTQ+ light. Rue feels like an outsider, courtesy of her drug habit. Her relationship with Jules Vaughn is one of the most heartbreaking, yet tender ones on TV. 

11. Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) – Euphoria

Jules' story on Euphoria rivals that of her on-and-off girlfriend. The show does an excellent job of profiling the trauma Jules has overcome in her life, and Hunter Schafer is keenly aware of the struggles facing transgender people in the world today. 

12. David Rose (Dan Levy) –Schitt’s Creek

One of the most prominent pansexual characters in TV history, David Rose earned scores of fans because his story combines the woes of his love life with that of his professional ambitions. David’s sense of humor and quick wit endure years after Schitt’s Creek ended. 

13. Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) –Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul

While his sexuality is never outright confirmed, Gus Fring’s entire reason for vengeance against the Salamanca family is due to Hector’s murder of his male friend. Gus builds a monument in Max’s image and indebts his life to him for most of both Vince Gilligan-created series. There’s no vengeance quite like a gay man scorned!

14. Captain Ray Holt (Andre Braugher) – Brooklyn Nine-Nine

TV shows seldom depict cops with the complexity of Captain Ray Holt.  Brooklyn Nine-Nine adds levity to a gay cop character that would usually be depicted as a sidekick or caricature. 

15. Will Truman (Eric McCormack) – Will & Grace

Although a little outdated now, Will & Grace put a gay character flamboyantly in the face of the American public. Will Truman may not depict all of the complexities of queerness as well as other characters here, but his presence was loud and emphatic. 

16. Elle Argent (Yasmin Finney) – Heartstopper

Heartstopper’s main transgender character always stands at the forefront of the story but is never exploited for her queerness. Whereas most shows make being transgender an entire character’s personality, Elle’s transgender identity works in perfect conjunction with the rest of the show and her desires to live a normal, typical teenage life. 

17. Leila (Desiree Akhavan) – The Bisexual 

Leila stands out from other bisexual characters in TV because her journey doesn't take her from identifying as straight to bisexual, but the other way around. A lesbian finding out she might like men isn’t always well-received within the LGBTQ+ community. Leila symbolizes the willingness to try new experiences in life. 

18. Edward Teach/Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) – Our Flag Means Death

Everything Taika Waititi touches seems to turn to gold, including his queer portrayal of the famous pirate Blackbeard. Edward Teach may not have been a good person with the pirating and such, but Waititi makes him easy to root for in Our Flag Means Death. Seeing his romance expand will keep viewers hooked.

19. Stuart Jones (Aiden Gillen) – Queer as Folk

One-third of the cast from this iconic late 1990s British dramedy, Stuart Jones, embodies a lot of the stereotypes gay people try to break away from, such as being overly sexual or pursuing men too young for them. Still, Aiden Gillen provides a lot of intricate heart to this otherwise one-dimensional depiction of queerness. He also broke new ground in the 1990s, making him one of the most important LGBTQ+ TV characters.

20. Stewie Griffin (Seth Macfarlane) – Family Guy

We all know Stewie is supposed to be more than a little gay despite being an animated infant. His personality gives hints of liking men, with references to the good looks of hunks and a preference for high fashion. Family Guy usually swings more progressive, so looking to add diversity isn’t out of the realm of possibility. 

21. Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) – The Last of Us

The subtlety of Ellie’s queerness in The Last of Us is one of the strong suits of the HBO series. As Ellie learns more about herself through her apocalyptic journey with Joel, her comfort with being a lesbian becomes more evident. Bella Ramsey's being LGBTQ+ in real life gives extra credence to the role. 

22. Cyrus Goodman (Joshua Rush) – Andi Mack

The Disney Channel doesn't have a reputation for taking many risks through the years; they don’t want to upset any of the parents watching from home. Andi Mack seemed like it wasn’t afraid to dip its toes in the deep end compared to other series by Disney. Cyrus Goodman inspired a lot of teens by becoming the first gay character on the network. Hopefully, this will lead to more Disney shows featuring LGBTQ+ characters.