Played by: Hudson Williams

And that’s Hollander to you! Shane Hollander took the hearts of fans nationwide with the release of Heated Rivalry this past December. His kind heart and charisma (not to mention his stunning lakeside cottage) help to tell the story of what it means to be gay and a professional athlete as well as the struggle that many face.

Played by: Francois Arnaud

Calling out everyone’s favorite New York Admirals player! Scott Hunter was the first hockey player in the show to come out as openly gay to both his teammates and the rest of the world. It is a pinnacle moment in the series.

Played by: Julia Sarah Stone

Jules Logan is John Logan’s younger sibling, who is non-binary. They help run the iconic social media account, Fifth Line, where they post constant updates about Briar University's hockey team, which includes their brother on the starting line.

Played by: Jeff Perry

Cyrus is a pivotal member of the show Scandal and is known for being the first openly gay Chief of Staff and the first openly gay Vice President. He was at the forefront of the representation of queer characters in leading roles.

Played by: Joe Locke

Based on the books by Alice Oseman, the series shows the hardships Charlie Spring faces as a high schooler in the age of social media by having his identity ousted as a result of severe homophobic bullying.

Played by: Renee Rapp

A major part of Leighton’s story is that she enters college coming from an affluent, preppy, and heteronormative upbringing. Her journey with coming out as a lesbian is one that she grapples with in the series as she learns to expand the boundaries of the society she grew up with after settling in at school.

Played by: Shay Mitchell

One of the most beloved characters on “Pretty Little Liars.” Emily’s coming out story is one that is both realistic and empowering. Her friendships with the other “liars” show the way in which her sexuality was quickly embraced by many of those closest to her and without hesitation.

Played by: Eric Stonestreet

Or “Cam” as he is famously known—legendary, iconic, and the best of the best.

Played by: Sara Ramirez

At this point in Grey's history, Callie is as beloved and as central to this show as Meredith and Bailey. Coming out stories are a dime a dozen now, but in 2006 it was also cool to see a coming out story from someone who wasn't a teenager.

Played by: Adam Pally

At a time when society had to invent the obnoxious term “metrosexual” to justify straight men’s rights (not a thing) to carry bags and use products, Happy Endings dared to dream that a gay man could be a slob.

Played by: Dan Levy

Sometimes I see fictional characters, particularly in science fiction and fantasy, described as "pansexual" and wonder if the writers really know what that means or just think it sounds more whimsical than bisexual—but Schitt's Creek describes David's pansexuality quite well with his wine metaphor scene, and with all the empathy and kindness we expect from the series.

Played by: Zendaya

That's Emmy-winner Zendaya to you, peasants. While Euphoria is only a year old, Rue is quickly becoming one of the most memorable TV characters of all time, and people are obsessed with her and Jules' relationship.

Played by: Conrad Ricamora

Not only was Connor and Oliver's love story the angstiest OTP of HTGAWM, but Oliver's criminal descent in the Shonda Rhimes series was epic. Oliver is also a modern-day character living with HIV and managing it just fine, which is important to see on screen.

Played by: Lachlan Watson

Sabrina Spellman's friends are used to dealing with magic and demons — so of course they have no problem accepting Theo's new name and pronouns.

Played by: Alexis Bledel

It's honestly difficult to choose one queer character or "gender traitor" (ugh) from this horrifying series. Samira Wiley's Moira is also an incredible character with a compelling story. But the way Bledel delivers emotional gut punches on this show is pretty stunning.

Played by: Hale Appleman

Eliot and Margot are the millennial answer to stereotypical GBF relationships inspired by the likes of Will and Grace. They also have depth and complex storylines outside of their power friendship. If you're annoyed that Harry Potter never had out LGBTQ+ characters in the books, and J.K. Rowling's transphobic remarks on top of that, The Magicians is for you.

Played by: Indya Moore

It's difficult to pick one stand-out character from Pose, so I'm just going to be selfish and go with my personal favorite.

Played by: Ncuti Gatwa

Are you Team Adam or Team Rahim? Are you FTFO that there's an honest to goodness love triangle a gay characters? Same.

Played by: Wilson Cruz

The show and the character are Gen X icons. While there is some tragedy in Ricky’s storyline—queue up the Christmas and New Year's episodes if you'd like a good cry—it has a happy ending, I promise.