This story originally appeared on Out.
Ryan Murphy has become so prolific that he tends to miss as much as he hits. But what he lacks in consistency, he more than makes up for by being one of the only directors in Hollywood who focuses so much on bringing LGBTQ+ characters to life and hiring queer actors to star in his shows.
Murphy has become a somewhat controversial figure who is praised for his slick and infinitely watched series by leaning into sensationalizing real people and events.
Over the years, Murphy has broken new ground, made history, and entertained viewers who were desperate for more queer representation on TV. Love him or hate him, but he’s almost single-handedly keeping queer Hollywood booked and busy, his shows have an abundance of LGBTQ+ characters and plot lines, and he doesn’t shy away from showing gay sex on screen.
From the trans characters on Pose to Hollywood divas feuding to the camp of Scream Queens, Murphy’s shows give us all the queerness you could ask for.
10. Scream Queens
Scream Queens
Fox
Scream Queens may have only gotten two seasons, but it left quite the impression on fans who still love it. The series isn’t as queer as some of Murphy’s other shows, but it’s full of campy acting and aesthetics that satirize slasher tropes. The series also switches up the gaze by heavily sexualizing and objectifying its male cast members, and has enough LGBTQ+ characters and homoerotic moments to keep viewers watching.
9. American Horror Story
American Horror Story: Cult.
FX
American Horror Story has been on the air since 2011, and in that time there have been countless LGBTQ+ characters and queer actors like Sarah Paulson, Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto, and Cheyenne Jackson cast on the show. From campy witches to Evan Peters having sex with a male servant to Colton Hayes loudly hooking up with Billy Eichner to a blood orgy with Lady Gaga and Matt Bomer, the show has no shortage of queerness.
8. The Politician
The Politician
Netflix
The main character, played by out actor Ben Platt, kisses David Corenswet in the very first episode. Need we say more? Not only did it feature gay faves Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bette Midler, but The Politician was campy and full of LGBTQ+ characters that were handled so casually, like it was a nonissue, that it felt revolutionary.
7. Hollywood
Hollywood
Netflix
Gay actor Jim Parsons stars in Hollywood, featuring not only Golden Age gay faves like Vivien Leigh and Tallulah Bankhead and closeted actor Rock Hudson, but also male sex workers played by David Corenswet and out actor Jeremy Pope, and plenty of raunchy sex scenes at Tinseltown's infamous gay pool parties.
6. The New Normal
The New Normal
NBC
The New Normal was loosely based on Murphy’s own experience of using a surrogate to start his family. Starring gay actor Andrew Rannells, the sitcom features a gay couple using a single mom as their surrogate, whose brassy bigoted mother played by Ellen Barkin follows her to Los Angeles to stir up trouble.
5. The Shards
The Shards
FX
The first season of The Shards isn’t over yet, but it’s already proving to be one of Murphy’s queerest shows. The Shards is adapted from gay author Bret Easton Ellis' book of the same name, with a main character loosely based on himself, who has secret hookups with his male classmates. The series is not only full of queer characters and songs by Troye Sivan, but the ‘80s fashion, set design, and hair all feel decidedly gay, as does casting ‘80s heartthrob nepo babies Kaia Gerber (Cindy Crawford’s daughter) and Homer Gere (Richard Gere’s son).
4. Feud
Feud
FX
Another of Murphy’s anthology series, the first season of Feud chronicled the infamous battle between What Ever Happened to Baby Jane co-stars Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, two actresses beloved and revered by the gay community. The second season focused on famous gay author Truman Capote and the coterie of glamorous socialites he befriended and then betrayed by exposing their secrets in a thinly veiled fictionalization of their lives. The show had everything: diva worship, characters arrested for gay cruising, and hot gossip.
3. Mid-Century Modern
Mid-Century Modern
Hulu
Like a number of Ryan Murphy shows, this sitcom dubbed the “gay Golden Girls” was sadly canceled after a single season. But while we had it, Mid-Century Modern followed three gay friends who decided to live out their golden years together in Palm Springs and starred gay actors Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane, and Nathan Lee Graham.
2. Glee
Glee
Fox
A time when most mainstream teen shows were focused solely on heteronormative romance, Glee had a diverse ensemble cast full of LGBTQ+ characters. The show may have leaned into stereotypes at times, but it also gave viewers the sweet love story between Kurt and Blaine and a sapphic romance between Santana and Brittany.
1. Pose
Pose
FX
Pose may have never been a ratings hit, but it was a boon to LGBTQ+ representation on TV. Starring mostly Black and brown trans and nonbinary actors and focusing on ballroom culture, Pose made history by casting the highest number of transgender series regulars ever for a scripted television show. It starred MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross, and queer legends like Our Lady J, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and Hector Xtravaganz worked on the show behind the scenes.
