December 14, 2023
5 Queerest Moments on 'Saturday Night Live' in 2023
Matthew Creith READ TIME: 6 MIN.
"Saturday Night Live" did a fantastic job of pushing the envelope of societal and political satire in recent years. In 2023, the long-running staple of NBC television went further in its representation of queer characters, cast members, stories, and musical guests. Many of these moments have defined a topsy-turvy year and created space for comedy to live within pop culture significance.
Here is a list of just a few of our favorite queer moments from "Saturday Night Live" this year:
Bowen Yang as Former Representative George Santos
No list detailing the gayest parts of "Saturday Night Live" in 2023 would be complete without mentioning the astonishing work of Bowen Yang. The "Las Culturistas" host and "Fire Island" alum hit his stride this year when New Yorker George Santos was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and provided easy fodder for the late-night sketch show to make fun of. Whether it's Santos' many lies about his background prior to entering politics or the claims he's made while talking to reporters, Yang was always on deck to embody Santos on the show. After Santos was ousted from Congress, Yang took it upon himself to create a moment in queer history by playing the piano and singing Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" as an exaggerated George Santos during a December episode. It was hilarious, surprising, and very on-brand for the talented out performer.
Timothée Chalamet as Troye Sivan
On November 11, "Wonka" star Timothée Chalamet dragged singer Troye Sivan by appearing as the gay Australian multihypenate in a segment that saw cast member Sarah Sherman hallucinating Sivan's "Got Me Started" music video. As part of his hosting duties, Chalamet dressed the part by donning a costume strikingly similar to Sivan's now-famous white tank top and striped blue pajama pants. However, the pièce de résistance of the sketch was Chalamet's willingness to awkwardly dance just like Sivan and pull down his pants to flash his derrière in red underwear. The sketch received thunderous applause from the live studio audience and even inspired Sivan himself to change his social media profile picture to that of Chalamet as Sivan.