LGBTQ-friendly series hitting cable and streaming services this year
Atypical
The comedy — which focuses on Sam Gardner, a teenager on the autism spectrum — returns for the fourth and final season. The show also features a beautiful coming out story about his sister Casey, who is played by out nonbinary actor Brigette Lundy-Paine.
Where: Netflix
When: Sometime in 2021
Gossip Girl
In this reboot of the iconic 2007–2012 teen drama, gay writer and executive producer Joshua Safran promises a ton of LGBTQ representation and racial diversity — more than in the original show.
Where: HBO Max
When: Sometime 2021
Supergirl
Supergirl returns to the CW for its sixth and final season. The series has made a name for itself because of its feminist themes and LGBTQ inclusivity. In the show’s second season, the character Alex Danvers came out as lesbian, and in season four, the show debuted the first-ever transgender superhero on television, Nia Nal.
Where: CW
When: Sometime 2021
Batwoman
After Ruby Rose left the show, Javicia Leslie has taken over the lead heroine role in the second season. Leslie plays the character Ryan Wilder, an out lesbian. Leslie is the first Black actress to play the role of Batwoman on television and is also a bisexual woman.
Where: CW
When: Now
Search Party
This dark comedy follows Dory Sief, played by bisexual actress Alia Shawkat, a woman who becomes obsessed with investigating the disappearance of her college acquaintance. In its fourth season, Dory is abducted, and her best friends Drew, Portia and Elliot do everything in their power to find her.
Where: HBO Max
When: Now
Bling Empire
Described as a Real Housewives-style reality show, the series showcases a group of exorbitantly wealthy Asians and Asian-Americans living across Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. It’s a peek into their lives as they throw expensive parties, shop and fly to other countries.
Where: Netflix
When: Now
Bonding
Back for a second season, the comedy is about the ups and downs of sex work. The show stars Palo Alto’s Zoe Levin as a part-time psychology grad student and part-time dominatrix, and out actor Brendan Scannell as her former gay best friend/assistant. The show follows the odd-couple pair as they reconnect in New York after years of post-high school estrangement.
Where: Netflix
When: Now
This Is Us
The popular drama has returned for its fifth season with character Tess Pearson, who came out in season three. This season, fans will see Tess react to a racist teacher who misgenders her friend. The show will also take on timely subjects like the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests.
Where: NBC
When: Now
Flack
This series originally aired on Pop TV, but was cancelled and picked up by Amazon for its first and second seasons. Anna Paquin is Robyn, a bisexual and unflappable PR person/fixer with a messy personal life.
Where: Amazon Prime
When: Now
9-1-1: Lone Star
The series, a spinoff from “9-1-1,” returns for the second season. The show has received acclaim for casting transgender actor, Brian Michael Smith, as a transgender man. Smith plays a leading role as firefighter Paul Strickland. The show also included a gay romantic storyline between firefighter Tyler Kennedy “TK” Strand (Ronen Rubinstein) and police officer Carlos Reyes (Rafael L. Silva). The show made waves for showing a love scene between the two.
Where: Fox
When: Now
Call Your Mother
This series has received rave reviews already. It stars Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick as an empty-nest mother who leaves everything behind to move to Los Angeles to be closer to her children played by Liv and Maddie’s Joey Bragg and rising comedian Rachel Sennott. The series also features openly gay actor Austin Crute as Sennott’s best friend.
Where: Hulu
When: Now
Fate: The Winx Saga
Fans may recall the original series, “Winx Club,” an animated show about fairies and other mythical creatures that ran on Nickelodeon. The show has returned, this time as a live-action adaptation. The series has been described as a noticeably more grown-up version of the original kids’ show. The series will still feature five fairies who are enrolled at the magic-filled Alfea College and will follow the teens as they hone their powers and continue to fight against a deadly threat posed by the “Burned Ones.” The series features queer character Dane, an incoming freshman who develops a crush on one of the older boys in his class.
Where: Netflix
When: Now
Euphoria: Special Episode Parts I and II
The highly popular series, which follows the story of high school teens, returns with two special “bridge” episodes. Part I highlights Rue (played by Zendaya), a drug addict, and part II highlights Jules (played by Hunter Schafer), a transgender girl. Both girls reflect on the state of their lives and their romantic and platonic relationships with each other.
Where: HBO Max
When: Now