Feb 6
Celebrating Valentine's Day with Our Favorite LGBTQ+ TV Couples
Shawn Laib READ TIME: 8 MIN.
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, love is undoubtedly in the air! This year, we're looking at our TV screens to celebrate the holiday. LGBTQ+ representation on television has ushered in a new level of acceptance for same-sex couples in pop culture, and these lovebirds are the ultimate symbols of the season! Hopefully, the chemistry shared by these queer icons encourages you to find your own special someone!
Victor and Benji ("Love, Victor")
The writers of "Love, Victor" tried to jam too many other couples into the series, such as an ill-advised love triangle between Victor, Benji, and Rahim, but most fans knew the endgame would always be Victor and Benji. The ups and downs of the Hulu show's preeminent power couple were propelled by issues such as alcoholism, LGBTQ+ self-acceptance, parental homophobia, and more.
Michael Cimino and George Sear always excellently portrayed the authenticity of the queer teenage experience. The actors' chemistry made the relationship relatable and inspiring, and "Love, Victor" ushered in a new era of teen queer comedies like "Heartstopper" and "Young Royals."
David and Keith ("Six Feet Under")
"Six Feet Under" gets lost in the HBO shuffle most of the time, and that is a tragedy that TV fans shouldn't let continue to happen. One of the best relationships in this show about an unhappy family running a funeral home is the gay partnership between David and Keith. The couple starts the series with struggles centered around David's internalized homophobia. As he overcomes those obstacles, Keith starts to realize his demons are sabotaging them.
David and Keith are one of the pioneering queer couples in TV history. Not many shows so delicately portrayed a same-sex relationship on-screen during the early 2000s. Michael C. Hall and Mathew St. Patrick navigate their screen time authentically and never look uncomfortable with intimacy. This was a major problem with other shows of the era that tried to depict LGBTQ+ romance, such as "The Sopranos."
Nick and Charlie ("Heartstopper")
"Heartstopper" has shattered all boundaries to become one of the rare LGBTQ+ programs to resonate with mass audiences worldwide. The heartwarming couple at the center of the plot is Nick and Charlie. Based on graphic novels by Alice Osman, Nick and Charlie bring audiences back to a time period of their innocence. Nick is a confused bisexual teen athlete, and Charlie is a quiet gay kid with self-esteem issues.
Kit Connor and Joe Locke beautifully depict the awkward infatuation that high school students feel for each other while always keeping the conversation light and optimistic. Even with issues like eating disorders and homophobia, "Heartstopper's" spirit never wavers. The sun will always come up the next day, and in a media landscape often focused on negativity, this show's juxtaposition feels much needed.
