Meet the Men of Hong Kong's First Gay Datg Show

Contents:

• BBC THREE ANNOUNC NEW GAY DATG SHOW HOSTED BY DANNII MOGUE
• GAY, STRAIGHT OR TAKEN?
• HOW REALY DATG SHOWS FALLY GOT MORE QUEERFROM BACHELOR PARADISE TO ARE YOU THE ONE? TO DATG AROUND, MASTREAM SHOWS HAVE BEGUN EXPLORG THE FULL SPECTM OF SEXUALY: “IF ’S LLED REALY TV, SHOULD REPRENT THE REALY OUT THERE.”BY LRA BRADLEYSEPTEMBER 6, 2019FROM LEFT, DATG AROUND, ARE YOU THE ONE? AND BACHELOR PARADISE.COURTY OF NETFLIX, MTV, ABC.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHOSE WHO GREW UP VOURG REALY DATG SHOWS—LIKE THE BACHELOR, FLAVOR OF LOVE, AND PARENTAL CONTROL—MIGHT FD HARD TO IMAGE ANY OF THOSE PROGRAMS THROWG A QUEER PROM, LIKE THE ONE SEEN RECENTLY ON SEASON EIGHT OF MTV’S ARE YOU THE ONE? SURE, A FEW SPECIFILLY QUEER REALY DATG SHOWS HAVE POPPED UP ON TV OVER THE YEARS, LIKE BRAVO’S BOY MEETS BOY AND MTV’S A SHOT AT LOVE WH TILA TEQUILA. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, MASTREAM DATG SHOWS HAVE TEND TO IGNORE THE QUEER MUNY—OR CLUD ONLY THROUGH EXPLOATIVE GIMMICKS, THE SORT SEEMGLY SIGNED TO AME STRAIGHT PEOPLE RATHER THAN TO HELP LGBTQ+ NTTANTS ACTUALLY FD LOVE.THIS YEAR, THOUGH, SOMETHG CHANGED. MORE MASTREAM SERI, CLUDG DATG AROUND AND BACHELOR PARADISE, HAVE BEGUN TO CLU QUEER NTTANTS—OR EVEN TO TWEAK THEIR PREMIS TO ACMODATE AN ENTIRELY QUEER ST, AS ARE YOU THE ONE? DID S LATT SEASON, WHICH AIRS S FALE ON MONDAY. EVEN WH THE SHIFTS, THE DRAMA ON THE SHOWS REMAS MOSTLY THE SAME: BOOZE-FUELED FIGHTS, TEARFUL BREAKUPS, LOTS OF YELLG. BUT NOW AND AGA, YOU GET A MOMENT THAT ULD NOT BE REPLITED ON A PLETELY STRAIGHT SHOW—WELE TWISTS FOR A GENRE THAT N OFTEN FEEL A LTLE STALE.WHICH BRGS BACK TO THE QUEER PROM.ARE YOU THE ONE? TRADNALLY FEATUR A HOE FILLED WH STRAIGHT NTTANTS, EACH OF WHOM HAS BEEN PAIRED WH A “PERFECT MATCH.” THE TWIST IS THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHO THEIR MATCH IS; THEY’LL SPEND THE SEASON TRYG TO SOLVE THAT PUZZLE. IF THE WHOLE GROUP MANAG TO FD THEIR PERFECT MATCH, THEY’LL ALL SPL A $1 LN SH PRIZE. BUT THIS YEAR, PRODUCERS CHOSE TO FEATURE A SEXUALLY FLUID ST WHICH ANYONE ULD BE ATTRACTED TO ANYONE—A BLEND OF CISGENR MEN AND WOMEN AND TWO NTTANTS, KAI W AND BAS, WHO ARE GENR NONBARY AND THEY/THEM PRONOUNS—WHICH HAS MA THE GAME EXPONENTIALLY HARR. IT’S ALSO OPENED UP TANTALIZG NEW POSSIBILI: DURG THAT QUEER-PROM EPISO, THE ST ALSO CID TO GENR-BEND, WH THE FEMALE-INTIFYG NTTANTS DRSG UP TRADNALLY MASCULE GARB WHILE THE DUS OF THE HOE PLAYED UP THEIR FEME SIS. IT WAS THIS CLIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT BAS CID TO BUT THEIR DRAG PERSONA, DNNE SLAY, TO THE HOE, WHILE THEIR MA CSH, JONATHAN, WAS FALLY ABLE TO EXPLORE HIS FEME SI. FOR WEEKS, JONATHAN HAD FIXATED ON A MORE MASCULE HOEMATE AS HIS POTENTIAL MATCH—TO THE CHAGR OF MANY OF HIS FELLOW PETORS. BY TRODUCG JONATHAN TO THEIR DRAG PERSONA, BAS WAS ABLE TO HELP JONATHAN EXPLORE A NEW PLANE OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE.“I THK WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR DNNE TO BE ON THE SHOW, BEE I THK THAT THE ONLY REALLY EXAMPLE THAT WE SEE OF DRAG QUEENS POPULAR MASTREAM CULTURE IS THROUGH RUPL’S DRAG RACE,” BAS SAID A RECENT TERVIEW. “THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST, I THK, REAL MOMENTS BETWEEN JONATHAN AND I.... IT FELY LED TO JONATHAN TO KD OF SEE WHO I AM SUCH A MORE -PTH WAY.”“ISN’T THAT FUNNY?” THEY ADD. “IT TOOK ME FULLY GLAMORIZG UP AND BEG THIS GLAMAZON CREATURE OM ANOTHER WORLD FOR JONATHAN TO SEE HOW MUCH, AT MY RE, WE ARE VERY PATIBLE.”IT TOOK EIGHT SEASONS FOR ARE YOU THE ONE? TO SHAKE UP S FORMULA—BUT DATG AROUND, WHICH PREMIERED ON NETFLIX THIS PAST VALENTE’S DAY, DITED TWO OF S FIRST SIX BUT EPISOS TO QUEER NTTANTS RIGHT OFF THE BAT. AS THE SHOW’S TEAM WAS PCHG THE SERI, WHETHER TO CLU LGBTQ+ DATERS WASN’T EVEN A QUTN, SAID EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CHRIS CULVENOR.“IT WAS, FOR , SUCH A NO-BRAER—BEE IF YOU WANT AN ACCURATE SNAPSHOT OF THE DATG LANDSPE TODAY’S WORLD, WOULD BE A PLETELY BLD SPOT NOT TO CLU THAT,” CULVENOR SAID. BY CLUDG QUEER NTTANTS, HE ADD, “YOU GOT TO SEE HOW PEOPLE DATE DIFFERENTLY, AND THE SORT OF THE NUANC OF A QUEER DATE, AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE A STRAIGHT DATE. BUT I THK MORE THAN THAT, YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE THE UNIVERSAL MONALI THAT EVERYONE SHAR.”ACRDG TO ARE YOU THE ONE? EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ROB LAPLANTE, THE SEXUALLY FLUID SEASON SEEMED LIKE A NATURAL PROGRSN FOR THE SHOW. FOR SEVERAL SEASONS, LAPLANTE SAID, HE AND HIS FELLOW PRODUCERS HAD NOTICED A TREND AMONG POTENTIAL ST MEMBERS: “THEY’D BE LIKE, ‘OH, I’M DATG A GUY. THE ARE THE BAD THGS THAT HAPPEN. THE ARE THE MISTAK THAT I UALLY MAKE. BUT THEN WHEN I’M DATG A GIRL, THE ARE THE MISTAK.’ WE WERE LIKE, HUH.”“IT WENT OM SOMETHG THAT HAPPENED ONCE, TO SOMETHG THAT HAPPENED TWICE, TO SOMETHG THAT HAPPENED 10 TIM, 30 TIM,” LAPLANTE NTUED. “WE WERE LIKE, OH MY GOSH. THEN JT AS A STORYTELLER GENERAL, I THK WE GOT CUR.”GIVEN THE VERY REAL ISSU THE LGBTQ+ MUNY FAC, THE PRENCE OF QUEER NTTANTS ON A FEW DATG SHOWS MIGHT SEEM TRIVIAL. BUT REALY TELEVISN HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFINT ROLE TG THE (STRAIGHT) PUBLIC. LAPLANTE KNOWS THIS BETTER THAN MOST: EARLY HIS REER AT MTV, HE WAS A REAL WORLD PRODUCTN ASSISTANT RPONSIBLE FOR SORTG MAIL OM VIEWERS. “I REMEMBER THERE WAS AN ENTIRE BR THAT ME AND THE OTHER P.A.S WERE FILLG, OF LETTERS OM RANDOM KIDS AROUND THE UNTRY,” HE SAID. “ESSENTIALLY WAS THE SAME LETTER OVER AND OVER AGA, WRTEN BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE—BUT WAS ALWAYS LIKE, ‘I LIVE SOME WORLD THAT DON’T ACCEPT WHO I AM. I WATCHED YOUR SHOW, AND I SAW THIS CHARACTER.... I, FOR THE FIRST TIME MY LIFE, SAW SOMEBODY WHO I N INTIFY WH, AND MAK ME FEEL LIKE I AM NORMAL, AND MAK ME FEEL LIKE I’M NOT WRONG FOR BEG THE PERSON THAT I AM.’”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CHARACTER QUTN WAS REAL WORLD: NEW ORLEANS NTTANT DANNY ROBERTS, WHOSE 2000 RELATNSHIP WH AN ENLISTED ARMY PTA MA HIM AN EARLY CELEBRY FACE THE MOVEMENT AGAST THE ARY’S “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY. BEFORE ROBERTS, 1994, THERE WAS REAL WORLD: SAN FRANCIS NTTANT PEDRO ZAMORA, WHOSE PUBLIC FIGHT WH HIV PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THE EPIMIC AND THOSE WHO WERE AFFECTED. HIS SAME-SEX MMENT CEREMONY WH HIS PARTNER, SEAN SASSER, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST EVER SHOWN ON TV. ZAMORA DIED MERE HOURS AFTER HIS SEASON’S FALE AIRED.GIVEN THAT HISTORY—AND THE GENERAL MOVEMENT TOWARD GREATER LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN ACROSS FILM AND TELEVISN—WHY DID TAKE SO LONG FOR REALY DATG SHOWS TO FULLY EMBRACE THIS MUNY? CULVENOR OFFERED ONE THEORY: “I THK WAS ABOUT PLAYG SAFE, AND TRYG TO PLAY BROAD,” HE SAID. “AND MY STCT IS THE PEOPLE MAKG THOSE CISNS AT THE TIME FELT THAT BY STG STRAIGHT, PREDOMANTLY WHE PEOPLE, THEY WERE PLAYG SAFE AND BROAD. I THK, THANKFULLY, WHAT’S HAPPENED THAT TIME IS THE WORLD AROUND THEM HAS CHANGED, AND ’S NO LONGER ACTUALLY SAFE TO PLAY THAT WAY, NOR IS BROAD. IT ACTUALLY SEEMS ANTIQUATED AND CLOSE-MD.”REPRENTATIV FOR THE BACHELOR ANCHISE CLED TO PARTICIPATE THIS STORY. BUT STEVE CARBONE—BT KNOWN ONLE AS BLOGGER REALY STEVE—HAS SPENT YEARS RELIGLY VERG THAT ANCHISE AND MANY OTHERS THE UNSCRIPTED SPACE. HE HAS A FEW IAS ABOUT WHY THE BACHELOR-VERSE SPECIFILLY HAS FEATURED SUCH A ARTH OF QUEER NTTANTS, THOUGH EVEN THERE, SOME PROGRS HAS BEEN MA. JAIMI KG, WHO INTIFI AS BISEXUAL, BEME THE ANCHISE’S FIRST OPENLY QUEER NTTANT 2017 DURG NICK VIALL’S SEASON OF THE BACHELOR; ON THIS SUMMER’S CYCLE OF BACHELOR PARADISE, DEMI BURT BEME THE SHOW’S SEND OPENLY QUEER NTTANT, STARRG THE ANCHISE’S FIRST ONSCREEN SAME-SEX ROMANCE.HIS FIRST THOUGHT: THE BACHELOR AND S OFFSHOOTS PRIZE TRADN, AND HAVE AN PECIALLY RIGID FORMAT. TWO: AS BROADST SERI, THEY HAVE LS ROOM TO PH BOUNDARI THAN BLE (LIKE ARE YOU THE ONE?) AND STREAMG PROGRAMS (LIKE DATG AROUND). THAT SAID, “IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, THERE’S BEEN MORE OF A GROUNDSWELL, AND MORE PUBLIC SUPPORT OF [QUEER REPRENTATN],” CARBONE POTED OUT. “I THK THEY JT ARE LIKE, OH, WE’LL JT GO WH THE TIM NOW, BEE ’S ACCEPTABLE.” (IT’S PERHAPS NOT SURPRISG, THEN, THAT BOTH DEMI AND HER GIRLIEND, KRISTIAN HAGGERTY, PRENT AS CISIVELY FEMME; THE BACHELOR ANCHISE MIGHT SLOWLY BE OPENG S DOORS TO QUEER NTTANTS, BUT ’S HARD TO IMAGE WE’LL SEE ANY BUTCH WOMEN OR BUFF BROS MAKP ANYTIME SOON.)THE BOTTOM LE OF THIS TREND APPEARS TO BE A SIMPLE ONE: AS CULVENOR PUT , “IF ’S LLED REALY TV, SHOULD REPRENT THE REALY OUT THERE.” FOR BAS, ARE YOU THE ONE?’S ALL-QUEER ST DID JT THAT.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEY“I DON’T THK ANYONE HAD TOO MANY EXPECTATNS ON HOW WAS GOG TO GO,” THEY SAID. “BUT THEN ACTUALLY BEG THE HOE, FELT SO FAIAR TO WHAT MY LIFE IS, AND LIVG NEW YORK AMONG THE QUEER MUNY. THERE IS A LEVEL OF EEDOM AND ACCEPTANCE THAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU ARE SURROUND BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT A GOOD AL OF THEIR LIV BEG RIDICULED AND JUDGED FOR WHO THEY ARE, OR FOR WHO THEY CHOOSE TO LOVE. AND TO BE A HOE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO N LEVEL WH YOU ON THAT—THERE’S NO NEED TO EXPLA YOURSELF OR YOUR SEXUAL INTY. IT REALLY OFFERED UP SO MUCH EEDOM TO JT EXIST.”MORE GREAT STORI OM VANY FAIR— HOW TIMACY ORDATORS ARE CHANGG HOLLYWOOD SEX SCEN— THE CROWN’S HELENA BONHAM CARTER ON HER “SRY” ENUNTER WH PRCS MARGARET— THE TMP-BAG ANTHONY SRAMUCCI TERVIEW THAT ROILED THE PRINT— WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY TO BE THE NEXT GAME OF THRON— WHY ARE TEENS FLOCKG TO JAKE GYLLENHAAL’S BROADWAY SHOW?— FROM THE ARCHIVE: KEANU REEV, YOUNG AND RTLSLOOKG FOR MORE? SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY HOLLYWOOD NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A STORY.THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED.LRA BRADLEY
• A RSIAN REALY TV SHOW LLED 'I'M NOT GAY' MAK 8 NTTANTS GUS WHICH IS GAY — AND 'S HOSTED BY A RIGHT-WG POLICIAN
• IS SAM HGHAN GAY? HERE IS THE OUTLANR STAR'S DATG HISTORY
• KEV SPACEY: I N’T TELL WHETHER MEN ARE GAY JT BY LOOKG AT THEM

BBC THREE ANNOUNC NEW GAY DATG SHOW HOSTED BY DANNII MOGUE

For stance, season five clud Arisce Wanzer (trans woman), David Barta (pansexual man), Ey Salch (bisexual woman), Joelle Brian (gay man), Jonathan Tronso (gay man), Kyra Green (bisexual woman), and Mike Mulrrig (bisexual man) to watch: MTV. The Zs NetworkAfter gog through a very public breakup wh his ex-boyiend, social media fluencer and realy TV star Bobby Lyt land his own gay datg show tled Bobby I Love You, Purrr. In this spoff of the 2018 film Love, Simon, Victor Salazar (played by newer Michael Cimo) fds himself wh a cute girliend but a csh on gay classmate Benji (Gee Sear).

Back the late '90s, you’d be hard prsed to fd anythg remblg gay romance on TV, and yet The WB’s supernatural drama put an unabashed lbian uple right at the heart of the story. Jog Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar, and I’d be a bad gay not to mentn her performance the mp-tastic Scream 2 here) the Soby Gang is Alyson Hannigan’s Willow Rosenberg. We hear the phrase “sexualy is a spectm” all the time (or at least I do New York and on Gay Twter), but filmmaker Diree Akhavan is here to poke around wh that phrase and see jt how unfortable n make people, gay or straight alike.

Police Capta Raymond Holt (played by Andre Brgher who got his start playg a p on Homici: Life on the Street) has been openly gay sce the show’s begng, provg not all gay televisn characters need to be boozy hairstylists or flight attendants. Hulu’s dark edy about two stgglg actors NYC (recklsly ncelled after only three seasons) will provi such a scene and plenty of other gay-ass ntent to boot.

GAY, STRAIGHT OR TAKEN?

And addn to Billy and John, we’ve also got Cole Esla (the kidnappg Twkie om Search Party) servg as Billy’s gay rival and transgenr actor Shaka Nayfack (Connectg...

HOW REALY DATG SHOWS FALLY GOT MORE QUEERFROM BACHELOR PARADISE TO ARE YOU THE ONE? TO DATG AROUND, MASTREAM SHOWS HAVE BEGUN EXPLORG THE FULL SPECTM OF SEXUALY: “IF ’S LLED REALY TV, SHOULD REPRENT THE REALY OUT THERE.”BY LRA BRADLEYSEPTEMBER 6, 2019FROM LEFT, DATG AROUND, ARE YOU THE ONE? AND BACHELOR PARADISE.COURTY OF NETFLIX, MTV, ABC.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHOSE WHO GREW UP VOURG REALY DATG SHOWS—LIKE THE BACHELOR, FLAVOR OF LOVE, AND PARENTAL CONTROL—MIGHT FD HARD TO IMAGE ANY OF THOSE PROGRAMS THROWG A QUEER PROM, LIKE THE ONE SEEN RECENTLY ON SEASON EIGHT OF MTV’S ARE YOU THE ONE? SURE, A FEW SPECIFILLY QUEER REALY DATG SHOWS HAVE POPPED UP ON TV OVER THE YEARS, LIKE BRAVO’S BOY MEETS BOY AND MTV’S A SHOT AT LOVE WH TILA TEQUILA. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, MASTREAM DATG SHOWS HAVE TEND TO IGNORE THE QUEER MUNY—OR CLUD ONLY THROUGH EXPLOATIVE GIMMICKS, THE SORT SEEMGLY SIGNED TO AME STRAIGHT PEOPLE RATHER THAN TO HELP LGBTQ+ NTTANTS ACTUALLY FD LOVE.THIS YEAR, THOUGH, SOMETHG CHANGED. MORE MASTREAM SERI, CLUDG DATG AROUND AND BACHELOR PARADISE, HAVE BEGUN TO CLU QUEER NTTANTS—OR EVEN TO TWEAK THEIR PREMIS TO ACMODATE AN ENTIRELY QUEER ST, AS ARE YOU THE ONE? DID S LATT SEASON, WHICH AIRS S FALE ON MONDAY. EVEN WH THE SHIFTS, THE DRAMA ON THE SHOWS REMAS MOSTLY THE SAME: BOOZE-FUELED FIGHTS, TEARFUL BREAKUPS, LOTS OF YELLG. BUT NOW AND AGA, YOU GET A MOMENT THAT ULD NOT BE REPLITED ON A PLETELY STRAIGHT SHOW—WELE TWISTS FOR A GENRE THAT N OFTEN FEEL A LTLE STALE.WHICH BRGS BACK TO THE QUEER PROM.ARE YOU THE ONE? TRADNALLY FEATUR A HOE FILLED WH STRAIGHT NTTANTS, EACH OF WHOM HAS BEEN PAIRED WH A “PERFECT MATCH.” THE TWIST IS THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHO THEIR MATCH IS; THEY’LL SPEND THE SEASON TRYG TO SOLVE THAT PUZZLE. IF THE WHOLE GROUP MANAG TO FD THEIR PERFECT MATCH, THEY’LL ALL SPL A $1 LN SH PRIZE. BUT THIS YEAR, PRODUCERS CHOSE TO FEATURE A SEXUALLY FLUID ST WHICH ANYONE ULD BE ATTRACTED TO ANYONE—A BLEND OF CISGENR MEN AND WOMEN AND TWO NTTANTS, KAI W AND BAS, WHO ARE GENR NONBARY AND THEY/THEM PRONOUNS—WHICH HAS MA THE GAME EXPONENTIALLY HARR. IT’S ALSO OPENED UP TANTALIZG NEW POSSIBILI: DURG THAT QUEER-PROM EPISO, THE ST ALSO CID TO GENR-BEND, WH THE FEMALE-INTIFYG NTTANTS DRSG UP TRADNALLY MASCULE GARB WHILE THE DUS OF THE HOE PLAYED UP THEIR FEME SIS. IT WAS THIS CLIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT BAS CID TO BUT THEIR DRAG PERSONA, DNNE SLAY, TO THE HOE, WHILE THEIR MA CSH, JONATHAN, WAS FALLY ABLE TO EXPLORE HIS FEME SI. FOR WEEKS, JONATHAN HAD FIXATED ON A MORE MASCULE HOEMATE AS HIS POTENTIAL MATCH—TO THE CHAGR OF MANY OF HIS FELLOW PETORS. BY TRODUCG JONATHAN TO THEIR DRAG PERSONA, BAS WAS ABLE TO HELP JONATHAN EXPLORE A NEW PLANE OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE.“I THK WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR DNNE TO BE ON THE SHOW, BEE I THK THAT THE ONLY REALLY EXAMPLE THAT WE SEE OF DRAG QUEENS POPULAR MASTREAM CULTURE IS THROUGH RUPL’S DRAG RACE,” BAS SAID A RECENT TERVIEW. “THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST, I THK, REAL MOMENTS BETWEEN JONATHAN AND I.... IT FELY LED TO JONATHAN TO KD OF SEE WHO I AM SUCH A MORE -PTH WAY.”“ISN’T THAT FUNNY?” THEY ADD. “IT TOOK ME FULLY GLAMORIZG UP AND BEG THIS GLAMAZON CREATURE OM ANOTHER WORLD FOR JONATHAN TO SEE HOW MUCH, AT MY RE, WE ARE VERY PATIBLE.”IT TOOK EIGHT SEASONS FOR ARE YOU THE ONE? TO SHAKE UP S FORMULA—BUT DATG AROUND, WHICH PREMIERED ON NETFLIX THIS PAST VALENTE’S DAY, DITED TWO OF S FIRST SIX BUT EPISOS TO QUEER NTTANTS RIGHT OFF THE BAT. AS THE SHOW’S TEAM WAS PCHG THE SERI, WHETHER TO CLU LGBTQ+ DATERS WASN’T EVEN A QUTN, SAID EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CHRIS CULVENOR.“IT WAS, FOR , SUCH A NO-BRAER—BEE IF YOU WANT AN ACCURATE SNAPSHOT OF THE DATG LANDSPE TODAY’S WORLD, WOULD BE A PLETELY BLD SPOT NOT TO CLU THAT,” CULVENOR SAID. BY CLUDG QUEER NTTANTS, HE ADD, “YOU GOT TO SEE HOW PEOPLE DATE DIFFERENTLY, AND THE SORT OF THE NUANC OF A QUEER DATE, AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE A STRAIGHT DATE. BUT I THK MORE THAN THAT, YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE THE UNIVERSAL MONALI THAT EVERYONE SHAR.”ACRDG TO ARE YOU THE ONE? EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ROB LAPLANTE, THE SEXUALLY FLUID SEASON SEEMED LIKE A NATURAL PROGRSN FOR THE SHOW. FOR SEVERAL SEASONS, LAPLANTE SAID, HE AND HIS FELLOW PRODUCERS HAD NOTICED A TREND AMONG POTENTIAL ST MEMBERS: “THEY’D BE LIKE, ‘OH, I’M DATG A GUY. THE ARE THE BAD THGS THAT HAPPEN. THE ARE THE MISTAK THAT I UALLY MAKE. BUT THEN WHEN I’M DATG A GIRL, THE ARE THE MISTAK.’ WE WERE LIKE, HUH.”“IT WENT OM SOMETHG THAT HAPPENED ONCE, TO SOMETHG THAT HAPPENED TWICE, TO SOMETHG THAT HAPPENED 10 TIM, 30 TIM,” LAPLANTE NTUED. “WE WERE LIKE, OH MY GOSH. THEN JT AS A STORYTELLER GENERAL, I THK WE GOT CUR.”GIVEN THE VERY REAL ISSU THE LGBTQ+ MUNY FAC, THE PRENCE OF QUEER NTTANTS ON A FEW DATG SHOWS MIGHT SEEM TRIVIAL. BUT REALY TELEVISN HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFINT ROLE TG THE (STRAIGHT) PUBLIC. LAPLANTE KNOWS THIS BETTER THAN MOST: EARLY HIS REER AT MTV, HE WAS A REAL WORLD PRODUCTN ASSISTANT RPONSIBLE FOR SORTG MAIL OM VIEWERS. “I REMEMBER THERE WAS AN ENTIRE BR THAT ME AND THE OTHER P.A.S WERE FILLG, OF LETTERS OM RANDOM KIDS AROUND THE UNTRY,” HE SAID. “ESSENTIALLY WAS THE SAME LETTER OVER AND OVER AGA, WRTEN BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE—BUT WAS ALWAYS LIKE, ‘I LIVE SOME WORLD THAT DON’T ACCEPT WHO I AM. I WATCHED YOUR SHOW, AND I SAW THIS CHARACTER.... I, FOR THE FIRST TIME MY LIFE, SAW SOMEBODY WHO I N INTIFY WH, AND MAK ME FEEL LIKE I AM NORMAL, AND MAK ME FEEL LIKE I’M NOT WRONG FOR BEG THE PERSON THAT I AM.’”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CHARACTER QUTN WAS REAL WORLD: NEW ORLEANS NTTANT DANNY ROBERTS, WHOSE 2000 RELATNSHIP WH AN ENLISTED ARMY PTA MA HIM AN EARLY CELEBRY FACE THE MOVEMENT AGAST THE ARY’S “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY. BEFORE ROBERTS, 1994, THERE WAS REAL WORLD: SAN FRANCIS NTTANT PEDRO ZAMORA, WHOSE PUBLIC FIGHT WH HIV PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THE EPIMIC AND THOSE WHO WERE AFFECTED. HIS SAME-SEX MMENT CEREMONY WH HIS PARTNER, SEAN SASSER, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST EVER SHOWN ON TV. ZAMORA DIED MERE HOURS AFTER HIS SEASON’S FALE AIRED.GIVEN THAT HISTORY—AND THE GENERAL MOVEMENT TOWARD GREATER LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN ACROSS FILM AND TELEVISN—WHY DID TAKE SO LONG FOR REALY DATG SHOWS TO FULLY EMBRACE THIS MUNY? CULVENOR OFFERED ONE THEORY: “I THK WAS ABOUT PLAYG SAFE, AND TRYG TO PLAY BROAD,” HE SAID. “AND MY STCT IS THE PEOPLE MAKG THOSE CISNS AT THE TIME FELT THAT BY STG STRAIGHT, PREDOMANTLY WHE PEOPLE, THEY WERE PLAYG SAFE AND BROAD. I THK, THANKFULLY, WHAT’S HAPPENED THAT TIME IS THE WORLD AROUND THEM HAS CHANGED, AND ’S NO LONGER ACTUALLY SAFE TO PLAY THAT WAY, NOR IS BROAD. IT ACTUALLY SEEMS ANTIQUATED AND CLOSE-MD.”REPRENTATIV FOR THE BACHELOR ANCHISE CLED TO PARTICIPATE THIS STORY. BUT STEVE CARBONE—BT KNOWN ONLE AS BLOGGER REALY STEVE—HAS SPENT YEARS RELIGLY VERG THAT ANCHISE AND MANY OTHERS THE UNSCRIPTED SPACE. HE HAS A FEW IAS ABOUT WHY THE BACHELOR-VERSE SPECIFILLY HAS FEATURED SUCH A ARTH OF QUEER NTTANTS, THOUGH EVEN THERE, SOME PROGRS HAS BEEN MA. JAIMI KG, WHO INTIFI AS BISEXUAL, BEME THE ANCHISE’S FIRST OPENLY QUEER NTTANT 2017 DURG NICK VIALL’S SEASON OF THE BACHELOR; ON THIS SUMMER’S CYCLE OF BACHELOR PARADISE, DEMI BURT BEME THE SHOW’S SEND OPENLY QUEER NTTANT, STARRG THE ANCHISE’S FIRST ONSCREEN SAME-SEX ROMANCE.HIS FIRST THOUGHT: THE BACHELOR AND S OFFSHOOTS PRIZE TRADN, AND HAVE AN PECIALLY RIGID FORMAT. TWO: AS BROADST SERI, THEY HAVE LS ROOM TO PH BOUNDARI THAN BLE (LIKE ARE YOU THE ONE?) AND STREAMG PROGRAMS (LIKE DATG AROUND). THAT SAID, “IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, THERE’S BEEN MORE OF A GROUNDSWELL, AND MORE PUBLIC SUPPORT OF [QUEER REPRENTATN],” CARBONE POTED OUT. “I THK THEY JT ARE LIKE, OH, WE’LL JT GO WH THE TIM NOW, BEE ’S ACCEPTABLE.” (IT’S PERHAPS NOT SURPRISG, THEN, THAT BOTH DEMI AND HER GIRLIEND, KRISTIAN HAGGERTY, PRENT AS CISIVELY FEMME; THE BACHELOR ANCHISE MIGHT SLOWLY BE OPENG S DOORS TO QUEER NTTANTS, BUT ’S HARD TO IMAGE WE’LL SEE ANY BUTCH WOMEN OR BUFF BROS MAKP ANYTIME SOON.)THE BOTTOM LE OF THIS TREND APPEARS TO BE A SIMPLE ONE: AS CULVENOR PUT , “IF ’S LLED REALY TV, SHOULD REPRENT THE REALY OUT THERE.” FOR BAS, ARE YOU THE ONE?’S ALL-QUEER ST DID JT THAT.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEY“I DON’T THK ANYONE HAD TOO MANY EXPECTATNS ON HOW WAS GOG TO GO,” THEY SAID. “BUT THEN ACTUALLY BEG THE HOE, FELT SO FAIAR TO WHAT MY LIFE IS, AND LIVG NEW YORK AMONG THE QUEER MUNY. THERE IS A LEVEL OF EEDOM AND ACCEPTANCE THAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU ARE SURROUND BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT A GOOD AL OF THEIR LIV BEG RIDICULED AND JUDGED FOR WHO THEY ARE, OR FOR WHO THEY CHOOSE TO LOVE. AND TO BE A HOE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO N LEVEL WH YOU ON THAT—THERE’S NO NEED TO EXPLA YOURSELF OR YOUR SEXUAL INTY. IT REALLY OFFERED UP SO MUCH EEDOM TO JT EXIST.”MORE GREAT STORI OM VANY FAIR— HOW TIMACY ORDATORS ARE CHANGG HOLLYWOOD SEX SCEN— THE CROWN’S HELENA BONHAM CARTER ON HER “SRY” ENUNTER WH PRCS MARGARET— THE TMP-BAG ANTHONY SRAMUCCI TERVIEW THAT ROILED THE PRINT— WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY TO BE THE NEXT GAME OF THRON— WHY ARE TEENS FLOCKG TO JAKE GYLLENHAAL’S BROADWAY SHOW?— FROM THE ARCHIVE: KEANU REEV, YOUNG AND RTLSLOOKG FOR MORE? SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY HOLLYWOOD NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A STORY.THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED.LRA BRADLEY

Another ncelled-too-soon-but-prerved-on-Hulu classic, this ABC s (thk Friends but the early 2010s) prented viewers wh two very different versns of the gay male. Behd door number one is Derrick, played by EastSir’s Stephen Guaro, the “offensively stereotypil gay” who is brought to be Penny's (the ever-hilar Casey Wilson) replacement GBF. Bee behd door number two we have Max, played by The Mdy Project’s Adam Pally, who while gay, acts much more stereotypilly straight ways, th not fulfillg Penny’s visn.

Especially at the time when gay men were only portrayed as femme on TV, seeg a masc gay man on primetime was somethg empowerg to gay people who hadn’t seen a fuller queer spectm reprented on their on Hulu. We’d still love to see even more reprentatn (one gay a season don’t really cut the days), but as someone who has watched every season, I was always gog to clu on the on Hulu.

In a flashback episo mid-season, however, a big fat gay plot twist (which I won’t disclose due to spoilers) wallops viewers and leav them seeg the show's key relatnships a whole new way. Thomas, aga playg a nrotic gay man, fli om Atralia to Los Angel to vis his termally ill father, only to learn his dad would like him to be the guardian to his two teenage half-sisters.

A RSIAN REALY TV SHOW LLED 'I'M NOT GAY' MAK 8 NTTANTS GUS WHICH IS GAY — AND 'S HOSTED BY A RIGHT-WG POLICIAN

In addn to the LGBTQ reprentatn prent om the gay romance between Thomas’s Nicholas and Alex (the darlg Adam Faison om Liberty Crossg), the show also featur tistic actrs Kayla Cromer as an tistic sister. For so many ltle gay kids, there is a slow (often sickeng) realizatn that they aren’t like their straight peers, and never has been so betifully and thoughtfully picted as was a show tled “penis.

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From the jump, this Ameri Ferrera helmed and produced s was servg diversy, and nowhere was that clearer than Cloud 9 associate Mateo Liwanag, a gay Filipo undocumented worker played by Ni Santos (who you also know om Crazy Rich Asians and datg Survivor’s Zeke Smh).

Like The L Word, which would e out a few years later, Queer as Folk also served as a pneerg LGBTQ show, also appearg on Showtime durg a perd when most works avoid gay characters like the plague. And while the show tackl topics like unsupportive parents, queer-bashg, and HIV, also picted homosexuals as real people livg normal liv a normal cy, somethg that spoke to viewers outsi of the gay urban hubs who’d yet to see their liv and inti picted onscreen on Hulu. This show has created an entire dtry, raisg the art of drag om niche to mastream and brgg hundreds of performance artists, gay bar viewg parti, drag nventns, boozy bnch, merch l, makp brands, wig stylists, shoe signers, and terrible electronic mic wh .

To be gay is to have a favore drag queen (Miz Cracker hive rise up), to know the tch phras (“I’d like to keep on, please”), and to nstantly perform lip-sync rout alone your bedroom (my drser thks I’m fire at “Stupid Love”).

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The Hulu edy, which follows Annie as she navigat life, also exam the gay experience through the lens of Fran, Annie’s Black, lbian roommate played by Lolly Afope (Ghosts).

I need to share that love, and so I’m gog to attempt to pch this Ryan Murphy project as a queer show for reasons other than the st and stum make gay tnip. Followg Will (Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace (Debra Msg), a straight terr signer, through their liv New York, the show put a gay man on the televisn screens ho all around the world.

Will and Grace along wh Karen (Megan Mullally) and the also gay Jack (Sean Hay) discsed datg, sex, and what ’s like to be queer Ameri at a time when beg gay was not often celebrated.