I just finished reading a list of the "greatest" LGBT characters ever on TV. I was not impressed. So I decided that instead of wasting time bitching about their lame list, I'd just make my own. Weird, huh? ;D
This was originally going to be a list of 10. Then I kept thinking of more. I finally managed to cut myself off at 25. There are a lot of great LGBT characters out there, okay? Anyway, these shouldn't contain any show spoilers, so here ya go:
#1 - Tara Chambler (The Walking Dead)
Tara Chambler is an actual ray of sunshine sent by the TV gods to make The Walking Dead a more tolerable show. She brings a much-needed lightness to TWD and is the one that has to keep reminding these dummies that they need to stick together. So stop making bad things happen to people she loves, dammit.
#2 - Yara Greyjoy (Game of Thrones)
Yara. Asha. Whatever you want to call her, there's no denying that she's a badass pirate princess. She's orchestrated raids, rescue missions, and a great escape. She stands up for what she believes is right, protects her own, and has a low tolerance for bullshit. All of this in just 12 episodes and a combined... what, like 9 minutes of screentime? She may not appear often, but when she does, she leaves a hell of an impression.
#3 - Tabitha Galavan (Gotham)
Tabitha is a gorgeous villainess who loves leather, weapons, and hurting people with weapons while wearing leather. She's been a sidekick for most of her time on Gotham so far, but it's looking like she may be breaking off on her own next season. I can't wait. =D
#4 - Barbara Kean (Gotham)
Barbara started off as the boring main character's boring girlfriend. Then she went crazy and started killing people. Hooking up with my other favorite Gotham character (Tabitha) helped, too. Babs is extremely entertaining, unpredictable, and fascinating to watch.
#5 - Mitchell Pritchett (Modern Family)
He's tightly wound, all kinds of judge-y, always right (except when he's not), afraid of birds, over-plans everything, rolls his eyes far too often, and he has a touch of OCD. If I was a red-headed gay man, I would be Mitchell Pritchett.
#6 - Mazikeen (Lucifer)
Mazikeen is a demon who escaped from Hell with Lucifer and now resides in Los Angeles. She's as wicked as her wardrobe, loyal, kinda dead inside and out, a total smartass, and she has a soft spot for one tiny human.
#7 - Doc Yewll (Defiance)
Doc Yewll is one of the most intelligent beings I've ever seen. (She knooows some shit.) She's incredibly sarcastic and doesn't like to let on that she actually cares about people. (She does. Occasionally.) She's also an awesome, beautiful, kick-ass alien.
#8 - Mickey Milkovich (Shameless)
How did this dirty little bastard end up as everyone's favorite? I still haven't quite figured out exactly how or when that happened, but Mickey somehow grew into a lovable and complex character who made an increasingly aggravating show worth sticking around for.
#9 - Pam (True Blood)
Okay, so I technically never finished True Blood, but for the four or five seasons I stuck around, Pam was my favorite. I love her dry humor, fashion sense, and very much identify with her feelings on humans, especially when she decided that she was SO over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina and her unbelievably stupid name.
#10 - Matt Wozniak (Shades of Blue)
After a lifetime of not caring for Ray Liotta, he finally won me over in Shades of Blue. Woz is a crooked cop who gets a little more crooked every day. He loves his family and his team and values loyalty above all else. Not afraid to break the rules. Not afraid to cut a bitch. Not a guy you'd want to cross.
#11 - Venus Van Dam (Sons of Anarchy)
Venus Van Dam is a trans prostitute who becomes an ally of the Sons and a "close friend" of one of the my other favorite characters. Venus is hypnotic, loyal, loving, and a genuine Southern belle who does not tell.
#12 - Lafayette Reynolds (True Blood)
Lafayette may not have been supernatural, but being a confident, openly gay man in a small Louisiana town is kind of a super power, right? Lafayette was quoteable, colorful, frequently the voice of reason, and one of the best characters in the whole series.
#13 - Denise Cloyd (The Walking Dead)
I believe Denise is one of the most realistic characters in The Walking Dead. She's not immediately a badass. She's normal, and she's terrified of the new world. But when the time comes, with some encouragement, she steps up and does whatever she can to help her community. Even though it scared the hell out of her.
#14 - David Rose (Schitt's Creek)
Ummm... I have no idea how to describe David Rose. He's one of those characters you just have to meet. Seriously, I have no idea what to say, other than he's open to all kinds of "wines" regardless of what their "labels" say, and he has a very unique sense of fashion.
#15 - Oswald Cobblepot (Gotham)
All he wants to do is rule Gotham and love Edward Nygma. Why is that so difficult, Gotham writers?!
#16 - Elena Alvarez (One Day at a Time)
Three cheers for confused teenage girls coming to terms with who they are in a loving, supportive environment on a family sitcom!
#17 - Leon (Roseanne)
Leon was Roseanne's pain in the ass boss, then a pain in the ass health inspector, and then her pain in the ass partner at the diner. He's a big fan of rules, doing things the right way, and getting on Roseanne's nerves. He mellowed out after marrying an attorney named Scott. In the year 1995. On network TV.
#18 - Lizzy (One Big Happy)
One Big Happy was goofy, sweet, completely ridiculous, and I am still VERY UPSET that it only lasted 6 episodes. Elisha Cuthbert was an adorable little lesbian. I needed more Lizzy.
#19 - Nancy (Roseanne)
Nancy came out on Roseanne, a very popular family sitcom airing on network TV, in 1992. (howbowdah, Glee?) Nancy was wild and crazy, her clothes were even wilder and crazier. She was of Roseanne's coolest friends throughout the seasons.
#20 - Stahma Tarr (Defiance)
"Cutthroat" doesn't even begin to cut it. When Stahma Tarr decides she wants something, nothing will stand in her way. Even the ones she loves. Don't let her delicate looks fool you, this alien is one bad-ass bitch.
#21 - Titus Andromedon (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Titus used to be a football player in Mississippi. Now he's a star! Well, he thinks he is, anyway. Titus is what would happen if I didn't have any kind of filter or regard for other humans whatsoever. Minus the love for touching butts with dudes.
#22 - Chanel #3 (Scream Queens)
Chanel #3 doesn't feel a lot. But when she feels a little for a person, she doesn't really care if they're a boy or a girl.
#23 - Sophia Burset (Orange Is the New Black)
Yeah, so I'm a few seasons behind on OITNB, but the very memorable Sophia has to be here. She's warm, she's funny, and her story is one of the best parts of the show.
#24 - Barbara DeDrew (Saturday Night Live)
You probably recognize Barbara DeDrew from her charitable work with the famous cat shelter Whiskers R We. Barbara has a lot of girlfriends who enjoy helping her show off the adoptable kittens at the shelter and occasionally grabbing her boob instead of a cat. It's a common but understandable mistake. (Shout-out to far more obvious Kate option Les Dykawitz of Dyke & Fats, who is also delightful.)
#25 - Danny Māhealani (Teen Wolf)
Danny was a minor character but had A+ interaction with everyone he encountered. I miss you, Danny!
This was originally going to be a list of 10. Then I kept thinking of more. I finally managed to cut myself off at 25. There are a lot of great LGBT characters out there, okay? Anyway, these shouldn't contain any show spoilers, so here ya go:
Alanna Masterson as Tara Chambler
#1 - Tara Chambler (The Walking Dead)
Tara Chambler is an actual ray of sunshine sent by the TV gods to make The Walking Dead a more tolerable show. She brings a much-needed lightness to TWD and is the one that has to keep reminding these dummies that they need to stick together. So stop making bad things happen to people she loves, dammit.
Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy
#2 - Yara Greyjoy (Game of Thrones)
Yara. Asha. Whatever you want to call her, there's no denying that she's a badass pirate princess. She's orchestrated raids, rescue missions, and a great escape. She stands up for what she believes is right, protects her own, and has a low tolerance for bullshit. All of this in just 12 episodes and a combined... what, like 9 minutes of screentime? She may not appear often, but when she does, she leaves a hell of an impression.
Jessica Lucas as Tabitha Galavan
#3 - Tabitha Galavan (Gotham)
Tabitha is a gorgeous villainess who loves leather, weapons, and hurting people with weapons while wearing leather. She's been a sidekick for most of her time on Gotham so far, but it's looking like she may be breaking off on her own next season. I can't wait. =D
Erin Richards as Barbara Kean
#4 - Barbara Kean (Gotham)
Barbara started off as the boring main character's boring girlfriend. Then she went crazy and started killing people. Hooking up with my other favorite Gotham character (Tabitha) helped, too. Babs is extremely entertaining, unpredictable, and fascinating to watch.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett
#5 - Mitchell Pritchett (Modern Family)
He's tightly wound, all kinds of judge-y, always right (except when he's not), afraid of birds, over-plans everything, rolls his eyes far too often, and he has a touch of OCD. If I was a red-headed gay man, I would be Mitchell Pritchett.
Lesley-Ann Brandt as Mazikeen
#6 - Mazikeen (Lucifer)
Mazikeen is a demon who escaped from Hell with Lucifer and now resides in Los Angeles. She's as wicked as her wardrobe, loyal, kinda dead inside and out, a total smartass, and she has a soft spot for one tiny human.
Trenna Keating as Dr. Meh Yewll
#7 - Doc Yewll (Defiance)
Doc Yewll is one of the most intelligent beings I've ever seen. (She knooows some shit.) She's incredibly sarcastic and doesn't like to let on that she actually cares about people. (She does. Occasionally.) She's also an awesome, beautiful, kick-ass alien.
Noel Fisher as Mickey Milkovich
#8 - Mickey Milkovich (Shameless)
How did this dirty little bastard end up as everyone's favorite? I still haven't quite figured out exactly how or when that happened, but Mickey somehow grew into a lovable and complex character who made an increasingly aggravating show worth sticking around for.
Kristin Bauer van Straten as Pam
#9 - Pam (True Blood)
Okay, so I technically never finished True Blood, but for the four or five seasons I stuck around, Pam was my favorite. I love her dry humor, fashion sense, and very much identify with her feelings on humans, especially when she decided that she was SO over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina and her unbelievably stupid name.
Ray Liotta as Matt Wozniak
#10 - Matt Wozniak (Shades of Blue)
After a lifetime of not caring for Ray Liotta, he finally won me over in Shades of Blue. Woz is a crooked cop who gets a little more crooked every day. He loves his family and his team and values loyalty above all else. Not afraid to break the rules. Not afraid to cut a bitch. Not a guy you'd want to cross.
Walton Goggins as Venus Van Dam
#11 - Venus Van Dam (Sons of Anarchy)
Venus Van Dam is a trans prostitute who becomes an ally of the Sons and a "close friend" of one of the my other favorite characters. Venus is hypnotic, loyal, loving, and a genuine Southern belle who does not tell.
Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds
#12 - Lafayette Reynolds (True Blood)
Lafayette may not have been supernatural, but being a confident, openly gay man in a small Louisiana town is kind of a super power, right? Lafayette was quoteable, colorful, frequently the voice of reason, and one of the best characters in the whole series.
Merritt Wever as Denise Cloyd
#13 - Denise Cloyd (The Walking Dead)
I believe Denise is one of the most realistic characters in The Walking Dead. She's not immediately a badass. She's normal, and she's terrified of the new world. But when the time comes, with some encouragement, she steps up and does whatever she can to help her community. Even though it scared the hell out of her.
Dan Levy as David Rose
#14 - David Rose (Schitt's Creek)
Ummm... I have no idea how to describe David Rose. He's one of those characters you just have to meet. Seriously, I have no idea what to say, other than he's open to all kinds of "wines" regardless of what their "labels" say, and he has a very unique sense of fashion.
Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot
#15 - Oswald Cobblepot (Gotham)
All he wants to do is rule Gotham and love Edward Nygma. Why is that so difficult, Gotham writers?!
Isabella Gomez as Elena Alvarez
#16 - Elena Alvarez (One Day at a Time)
Three cheers for confused teenage girls coming to terms with who they are in a loving, supportive environment on a family sitcom!
Martin Mull as Leon Carp | Elisha Cuthbert as Lizzy | Sandra Bernhard as Nancy Bartlett
#17 - Leon (Roseanne)
Leon was Roseanne's pain in the ass boss, then a pain in the ass health inspector, and then her pain in the ass partner at the diner. He's a big fan of rules, doing things the right way, and getting on Roseanne's nerves. He mellowed out after marrying an attorney named Scott. In the year 1995. On network TV.
#18 - Lizzy (One Big Happy)
One Big Happy was goofy, sweet, completely ridiculous, and I am still VERY UPSET that it only lasted 6 episodes. Elisha Cuthbert was an adorable little lesbian. I needed more Lizzy.
#19 - Nancy (Roseanne)
Nancy came out on Roseanne, a very popular family sitcom airing on network TV, in 1992. (howbowdah, Glee?) Nancy was wild and crazy, her clothes were even wilder and crazier. She was of Roseanne's coolest friends throughout the seasons.
Jaime Murray as Stahma | Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon | Billie Lourd as Chanel #3
#20 - Stahma Tarr (Defiance)
"Cutthroat" doesn't even begin to cut it. When Stahma Tarr decides she wants something, nothing will stand in her way. Even the ones she loves. Don't let her delicate looks fool you, this alien is one bad-ass bitch.
#21 - Titus Andromedon (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Titus used to be a football player in Mississippi. Now he's a star! Well, he thinks he is, anyway. Titus is what would happen if I didn't have any kind of filter or regard for other humans whatsoever. Minus the love for touching butts with dudes.
#22 - Chanel #3 (Scream Queens)
Chanel #3 doesn't feel a lot. But when she feels a little for a person, she doesn't really care if they're a boy or a girl.
Laverne Cox as Sophia Burset | Kate McKinnon as Barbara DeDrew | Keahu Kahuanui as Danny Māhealani
#23 - Sophia Burset (Orange Is the New Black)
Yeah, so I'm a few seasons behind on OITNB, but the very memorable Sophia has to be here. She's warm, she's funny, and her story is one of the best parts of the show.
#24 - Barbara DeDrew (Saturday Night Live)
You probably recognize Barbara DeDrew from her charitable work with the famous cat shelter Whiskers R We. Barbara has a lot of girlfriends who enjoy helping her show off the adoptable kittens at the shelter and occasionally grabbing her boob instead of a cat. It's a common but understandable mistake. (Shout-out to far more obvious Kate option Les Dykawitz of Dyke & Fats, who is also delightful.)
#25 - Danny Māhealani (Teen Wolf)
Danny was a minor character but had A+ interaction with everyone he encountered. I miss you, Danny!
