7 Fall TV Shows That Showcase LGBTQ Characters

Fall is the season for many wonderful things, but my all-time favorite thing about autumn is TV. This season, there is truly an abundance of ridiculously good television, and I may not leave the house until spring (but someone check on me to make sure I'm just binge-watching and not dead or something, OK?). Something I'm even more excited about, if that's even possible, is the vast selection of fall shows premiering this season featuring LGBTQ characters and queer-centric story lines. Complex, dynamic, well-thought-out queer characters from shows like Amazon's Transparent are going to be all over TVs, laptops, iPhones, and iPads this fall, all available for your watching, streaming, and binging pleasure. It's going to be great.

There are so many great LGBTQ-centric stories and queer characters coming to TV, which is a delightful problem to have, that I've sorted through the selection of who and what we'll be seeing this season, and rated the best and the so-so in terms of LGBTQ representation.

Here's the Fall 2014 LGBTQ TV report card:

Transparent

Jeffrey Tambor plays Maura, a trans woman in the midst of transitioning. If you watch one show this fall, make it this one. Streaming on Amazon. A+++

Faking It

I have very mixed feelings about this show about two friends, one queer and one not, who pretend to be queer, and are both played by people who do not identify as queer. BUT, I will be sticking around to watch Amy try to figure out lesbian dating and Laverne Cox's role as “director of Hester High’s elite drama club.” B-

Grey's Anatomy

Autostraddle reports that lesbian couple Callie and Arizona will “come to a decision about surrogacy," which could be a central, though not super complex, plot point this season. B-

Saturday Night Live

Everything Kate McKinnon touches turns into something magical. She's hilarious, she's openly lesbian, and her existence is a gift. Luckily, she's back next season to rule our hearts. A

How To Get Away With Murder

Jack Falahee plays Connor Walsh, an openly gay character as part of a racially diverse cast led by Viola Davis. It's a win-win. A

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Arts.mic calls Brooklyn Nine-Nine the most progressive sitcom on TV. It's racially and ethnically diverse cast of characters "are never used as punchlines: They are simply a part of who they are. It's also refreshing to have the two highest-ranking officers be people of color." The show also spotlights an LGBT character, and for that, and for being one of my favorite shows, it gets an A+.

Words With Girls

At this point, lesbian relationship comedy Words With Girls is only a pilot, but it totally deserves to be a full-out series. Written and created by the hilarious Brittani Nichols, the show is streaming online on YouTube and Color Creative TV. LOVE IT. A++

Image: MTV