5 Queerest Moments on 'Saturday Night Live' in 2023

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.

Straight Male Friend

The most significant relationship news of the year is undoubtedly that of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her handsome beau Travis Kelce, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. But before Swelce became an item, the Super Bowl champion hosted "Saturday Night Live" in March. During the show's Season 48 episode, Kelce stars in a fake commercial alongside cast member Bowen Yang entitled "Straight Male Friend," a send-up to gay men tired of hanging out with their girlies and wanting to spend time with a straight male for a change. As the sketch goes, "Straight male friend is a low stakes, low effort relationship," perfect for that gay man who is looking for nothing more than video game playing, no emotional commitments, and no drama. Yang and Kelce are a winning team, especially when Kelce's straight male friend character asks blunt questions about gay men's sex life. It's hilarious and very grounded in friendship.

An "Unholy" Sam Smith

Starting 2023 in an exciting way, "White Lotus" star Aubrey Plaza hosted the first episode of "Saturday Night Live" of the new year featuring musical guest Sam Smith. The non-binary singer struck gold when they performed their Grammy-winning hit "Unholy" on the late-night show, ushering in a year that would be full of outrageous moments. Smith performed the chart-topper while dressed in a feathery pink dress and was quickly joined by featured artist Kim Petras. The performance was deviant and unapologetically gay. When the two picked up their Grammy for "Unholy," Petras became the first openly trans person to earn the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award and is currently only the second trans person to win a Grammy Award.

Bad Bunny and Pedro Pascal in "Protective Mom"

Fluid superstar Bad Bunny hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time during an October episode, which saw "The Last of Us" actor Pedro Pascal return to the show in hilarious fashion to help out the rapper. In a sketch entitled "Protective Mom 2," Bad Bunny and Pascal appeared in drag as the aunt and mother of Marcello Hernández, who is introducing the duo to his new girlfriend (Chloe Troast). The segment is a callback to Pascal's previous hosting gig, where he played the same mother, wearing a wig and blouse to playfully portray a fun character. Bad Bunny's Tia Rosa became an instant sensation as the character threw passive-aggressive insults toward Troast.

*Fun note: Later in the same episode, gay icon Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance to introduce Bad Bunny during his musical guest appearance.