Queer Heroes Series

Queer Heroes of Science Fiction and Fantasy – By Angel K

Xena and Gabrielle, lesbians? Indeed.

Queer characters on television, while becoming more prevalent, are very seldom the solo protagonists of their own show. If a queer character is featured, it’d typically part of an ensemble cast (Modern Family, Glee) or featured on a show where their sexual identity is the premise (Will and Grace, Queer as Folk). There are exceptions to the rule, of course, and as a self proclaimed geek I am proud that the vast majority of these exceptions are in the realms of science fiction and fantasy.

The Internet is For Representation: Queer Heroes of Webcomics – By Christina Kim

There’s a hard fact of life that every shipper must face: besides a few glorious exceptions, our queer interpretations of characters in mainstream media are unlikely to ever become canon. For every Willow Rosenberg and Ianto Jones, there are hundreds of Jim Kirks and Dean Winchesters – characters who are often coded as queer and have significant same-sex relationships, but will never be allowed to come out of the subtextual closet. This is because the stakes get higher the bigger a franchise gets. More and more focus groups and head executives and ratings analysts sit between the writers and actual progress. Risks don’t get taken because, when you’re working with audiences that big (and with paychecks that big) you can’t take risks.

Charlie Bradbury: Can We Keep Her? – By Steamgirl with contributions from Angel K

Charlie Bradbury, lesbian, geek, hero

Charlie Bradbury from Supernatural is a rare breed of character to see on mainstream TV. We at The Geekiary have quickly become  enamored with her for her confidence, bravery, and unique representation as a queer character.  And hey, she’s geeky, we’re geeky, and she’s played by Felicia Day, so I suppose our infatuation with her is not all that surprising.

The Welcome to Night Vale Pandemic – By Angel K

[Welcome to Night Vale features Cecil,] a queer protagonist. This didn’t become explicitly stated for several episodes, but his crush on the beautiful and perfect Carlos actually goes somewhere. A little over a year into the podcast (yes, it’s been going for a year despite the fact that it only recently exploded on Tumblr) Cecil and Carlos are officially dating. Carlos is also a POC, which means that the protagonist of the show is involved in a gay interracial and possibly interspecies  relationship. And yet the show isn’t about that. It’s just a fact. Cecil and Carlos are who they are.