Summary

• Queer teen shows offer diverse LGBTQ+ representation, showcasing relationships and struggles for teen and young adult audiences.
• Shows like Degrassi: Next Class and Love, Victor explore coming out, relationships, and identity within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Platforms like Netflix provide opportunities for inclusive storytelling, giving visibility to characters exploring their sexualities.

While most television was slow to diversify and become an inclusive space for characters of all sexualities, the realm of gay teen shows seems to have been embraced by television favorites. Though still not perfect, there are more LGBTQ+ characters exploring their sexualities and entering relationships on TV shows geared toward teen and young adult audiences than anywhere else. This has been especially true when it comes to streaming services like Netflix, which has opened the door for stories that needed representation for years.

This is essential not only for an industry that needs to become more inclusive but also for the millions of teens and young adults seeing themselves on screen for the first time. While it's important to that no representation will be perfect, the more opportunities that come for these storylines, the better the chance of representing the LGBTQ+ community in an all-encoming way. What makes these shows great is that they showcase a different side of what being LGBTQ+ means in of life, relationships, and simply existing, giving layered looks at these characters.

Degrassi: Next Class (2016-2017)

The Canadian Team Drama Highlights Various LGBTQ+ Students

For generations, the Degrassi series was one of the most progressive shows for teens to watch and never shied away from dealing with serious topics. However, Degrassi: Next Class truly became the most progressive in of same-sex relationships in all their various forms. The Canadian teen series examines a lot of challenges facing teens which includes these high schoolers in the LGBTQ+ community.

These storylines deal with the romances of the young characters as well as individual storylines from Miles and Tristan's complicated, and oftentimes toxic relationship, to Zoe realizing over the course of several years that she has been hiding her sexuality from the world. The series even explored what coming out looks like in different families and cultures. For queer teen shows, Degrassi: Next Class took a strong step for a show that was already entrenched in LGBTQ+ culture.

Diary Of A Future President (2020-2021)

Bobby's Sexuality Is Explored Throughout The Show

While Diary of a Future President might be geared more toward younger teenagers, it's still a show that people of all ages can enjoy. The series centers on Elena, a middle school student trying to figure out her life despite growing up to be the President of the United States in the future. However, the series pays close attention to Elena's family, including her older brother Bobby, who has begun to explore his sexuality.

In the first season, Bobby realizes he's gay after he gets a crush on one of his best friends. His sexuality exploration continued in season 2 as he started dating and began to embrace who he is. It is a great example of how even shows in which LGBTQ+ characters are not directly in the spotlight, can still show them as well-rounded and rich characters with their sexuality explored in a positive way.

Good Trouble (2019-2004)

Alice's Love Life Is A Key, Relatable Aspect Of The Show

A spin-off of the popular Freeform series The Fosters, Good Trouble centers on sisters Callie and Mariana who move to Los Angeles to pursue their dreams. It's there that they move into a communal living building and befriend their new roommates. While the series focuses mainly on Callie and Mariana, the other Coitere residents get a chance to shine like Alice Kwan, the manager of the complex.

Alice is an aspiring comic who is also a lesbian who isn't always lucky in love. Alice comes to with her sexuality, comes out to her immigrant parents, and even begins to find romance. She makes for a grounded and relatable character in the show's winning ensemble, exploring the struggles of finding identity and confidence when making that transition from teen years into those crucial young adult years.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019-2023)

Seb And Carlos' Relationship Blossoms From Friends To More

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is, of course, a spin-off of the widely successful DCOM High School Musical. Set in East High, the series follows the drama department as they put on various theater productions under the guidance of their eccentric drama teacher Miss Jenn. Like most gay teen shows, HSMTMTS is full of adorable couples, but one of the best is Seb and Carlos.

These two fit nicely into the classic friends-to-lovers relationship format as it was clear from season 1 that there was a connection worth exploring. With a little help from Carlos, Seb comes to with his sexuality and the two embark on an epic high school romance full of and love. They make for a charming pair with their relationship quickly becoming one of the brightest parts of the series.

I Am Not Okay With This (2020)

A Gay Teen Deals With New Superpowers

I Am Not Okay With This is one of the unique queer teen shows that deserves to be celebrated even if the Netflix superhero series was prematurely canceled after just one season. Based on a graphic novel, the series follows Sydney Novak as she struggles with her newfound superhero identity while also navigating her sexuality.

Like many teenagers, Sydney isn't sure what her sexuality is and this struggle becomes a major complication during the season. Eventually, Sydney comes to with the fact that she is attracted to girls, especially her best friend Dina. I'm Not Okay With This is the kind of show that perfectly balances the difficult task of telling a big genre story while also remaining grounded in its character. Sydney's very real struggles are a big part of the reason the superhero aspect works so well.

Julie And The Phantoms (2020)

Alex's Supernatural Gay Experience Are A Highlight Of The Young Adult Show

Racking up several Daytime Emmy Nominations, including Best Young Adult Series, Julie and the Phantoms cultivated a cult following since premiering in 2020. The series centers on Julie Molina, a young artist who has given up on music until she accidentally summons the ghostly spirits of a teenage rock band who ed away 20 years ago. One of those ghostly spirits happens to be Alex, the band's drummer, who is gay.

While Alex had a hard time being gay when he was alive in 1995, he hits it off with Willie, another ghostly spirit. Willie helps Alex adjust to his new life while also giving him hope that love is out there for him. The supernatural comedic bend to the show is a very clever way to explore the different ways society has evolved and the way life for the LGBTQ+ community can be so different over a couple of decades.

Love, Victor (2020-2022)

The Love, Simon Spinoff Show Deals With Another Closeted Teen Who Comes Out

Set in the same universe as Love, Simon, and the young adult book series of the same name, Love, Victor centers on Victor Salazar, a teenager who moves to Creekwood High and is determined to finally figure out his sexuality. When it comes to LGBTQ+ representation, Love, Victor does a lot of things right, including shedding a light on the harsh reality that not every LGBTQ+ person is showered with love after coming out.

Thankfully, Victor doesn't let his family's hesitations get him too down and he instead focuses his energy on his newfound freedom and relationship. It makes for a sweet and exciting teen love story with the kind of awkward moments, romantic gestures, and heartwarming moments that fans of the genre love to see. The gay teen show matched up well with the movie that came before.

Never Have I Ever (2020-2023)

Fabiola's LGBTQ+ Journey Is Authentic And Grounded

Never Have I Ever's four-season run delivered a more modern take on the teen drama. The series centers on Devi, a first-generation Indian-American teenager who decided to reinvent herself by dating the most popular guy in her high school. While Devi's shenanigans are hilarious to watch, there is a largely underrated plot revolving around Devi's best friend Fabiola as she comes to with her sexuality.

Her story reaches an all-time high in season 2 when Fabiola begins dating Eve. Their love story is complex, not just because they're a lesbian couple, but because they come from vastly different social circles. What makes Never Have I Ever's dealing with Fabiola's sexuality so effective is that it is treated much like Devi's own romances. She has missteps, and romances that don't work out, and she explores different things while being young.

One Day At A Time (2017-2020)

The Sitcom Reboot Includes Gay Family

A reboot of the popular 1970s sitcom of the same name, this iteration of One Day at a Time follows a tight-knit Cuban-American family who are all just trying to find their place in the world. As the eldest daughter of the Alvarez family, Elena knows how to speak her mind even when telling the truth is scary.

Elena comes out to her family as a lesbian in the first season in what is an important coming-out story. By the end of the season, Elena is dating Syd, her non-binary partner. It is interesting to see a sitcom reboot dealing with the kind of storylines that were not seen on television in the 1970s. Sadly, Netflix ended up canceling the critically acclaimed series, but One Day At a Time still stands up as groundbreaking and inclusive television.

Sex Education (2019-2023)

Various LGBTQ+ Relationships And Identities Are Explored

Sex Education is definitely geared towards older teenagers, as it is a bit more explicit in content. The series follows Otis, a high school student who decides to start an underground sex education course at his school. Otis feels qualified to lead this course because his mother is a sex therapist. With a show called Sex Education, there is definitely no shortage of relationships, including same-sex relationships like the one Eric finds himself in.

Though Eric's relationship with Adam starts off extremely poorly, the two eventually it their feelings for each other at the end of the first season. However, their relationship is dealt with in a very meaningful and grounded way with Eric wanting to explore his sexuality outside of a relationship and how it relates to his religion. Meanwhile, Adam deals with his first gay relationship ending while also realizing his own bisexuality. By the end of Sex Education, more than a dozen LGBTQ+ relationships are explored by theirs is the best.