10 Amazing LGBTQIA+ Main Characters from Movies and TV Shows

In the last few years, fortunately, more and more LGBTQIA+ characters have been at the center of movies and TV shows. That's already an undeniable victory. However, we still need to discuss the type of representation that is being offered to people. Namely, who's behind these stories, that is, the writers, directors, producers, and actors behind these characters, and what exactly sustains a collective image that, we hope, is free from all types of prejudice.

When a LGBTQIA+ character is reduced to their gender, sexuality, or how they interact with others, their entire community is also automatically reduced to a singular, particular identity.

That is why today we brought you a carefully researched list with 10 characters who aren't reduced to their romantic relationships, gender identities, or anything else. Let's see them!

Rue - Euphoria (2019 - Present)

Created by Sam Levinson and produced by HBO, Euphoria is a drama series that dives deep into the teenage world and features a bold aesthetic and complex themes, like addiction, self-identity, mental health, and social media. The story follows Rue Bennet and her classmates as they navigate through emotional and existential crises.

The series is known for its striking visual identity and the fabulous performances of its protagonists, particularly Zendaya, who is also an executive producer on the show.

Rue (played by Zendaya) is a queer young girl who is also struggling with addiction. Her journey is directly tied to her mental health and how she struggles with what society expects of her and her reality. Her close relationship with Jules (played by Hunter Schafer) is depicted on screen, but Rue's identity is a lot more than that! Rue carries an existential emptiness, a critical, yet sensitive view on life, and a constant search for the meaning behind everything. She is a complex, layered depiction of how painful, but resilient and constantly evolving queer youth can be.

Betty Elms - Mulholland Drive (2001)

Directed by David Lynch, Mulholland Drive is a psychological thriller that combines reality, dreams, and self-identity in a fragmented, dreamlike story. The movie is considered one of the best contemporary films of all time, and, curiously, it was originally a pilot for a TV show. It follows Betty Elms, an aspiring actress who has just moved to Hollywood, and her relationship with a woman who has lost her memory and is trying to rebuild her identity.

Betty Elms, played by Naomi Watts, takes us through a spiral of illusions, frustrations, and delusions in a rising industry. Her relationship with Rita can be considered both platonic and sexual, but the overall thesis behind the entire movie is centered around the tension between dream and failure, desire and illusion, to be or not to be. Her depiction as a queer woman is full of symbolism, a classic trope for David Lynch. It is less about defining her sexuality at some point and more about the ambiance, that is, how she is, how she feels, and how she fares at the moment, all showcased in big sequences the audience will never forget.

Mildred - Ratched (2020)

Created by Evan Romansky and produced by Ryan Murphy, Ratched is a noir psychological thriller set in a hospital. The series is a new interpretation of the iconic nurse Mildred Ratched, originally from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). It combines horror, suspense, and a critique on health institutions, all topped with extravagant art direction and themes centered around repression, control, and psychological disorders.

In the series, Mildred Ratched (played by Sarah Paulson) has a mysterious past, and infiltrates a psychiatric hospital with dubious intentions. Throughout the story, the audience gets to see her layers and all her complex emotions, including her identity as a lesbian. She is definitely full of nuance and dramatic tension.

Her journey isn't centered around a romantic partner, but rather her desperate attempt to control and survive a society that pathologizes anything out of the ordinary. Mildred is wicked, but the series is determined to show this controversial character is more than that.

Sin-Dee - Tangerine (2015)

Directed by Sean Baker and filmed entirely with iPhone cameras, Tangerine is a groundbreaking independent movie. Set in Los Angeles, the movie follows the daily, marginalized lives of two trans women that work in the sex industry and are trying to survive through Christmas. The production is vibrant, raw, and full of energy. It offers us a rare perspective on queer, marginalized lives.

Sin-Dee (played by Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is an impetuous and fearless trans woman who just got out of jail and is determined to face her boyfriend (and pimp) after she finds out he's cheating on her.

Though the initial plot starts with heartbreak, the real focus is Sin-Dee's chaotic, unique journey over the streets of Los Angeles, and her friendship with her faithful companion, Alexandra (played by Mya Taylor). The movie shows her daily resistance against isolation, a struggle that the trans community undeniably faces every day. Her trans identity is at the center of the plot, but she is never reduced to it. Sin-Dee is complex and full of layers that we get to see throughout each scene.

Blanca - Pose (2018-2021)

Created by Ryan Murphy, Steven Canals, and Brad Falchuk, Pose is a series that depicts the Ballroom scene in New York in the 1980s and 1990s, combining race, class, and gender issues all while the AIDS epidemic was at its peak. The series made history by having the biggest cast of trans actresses in main TV roles, all playing real, complex trans women.

Blanca Evangelista (played by MJ Rodriguez) is a trans, @@@@-positive Latina woman who is determined to build her own house for young LGBTQIA+ people who have been kicked out by their families. Her journey is about family, overcoming challenges, and fighting for dignity and space in a world that categorically wants to exclude her community. Blanca isn't defined by a romantic relationship, but by the love she has for her community, her leadership role in it, and by how she manages to build a family in the middle of so much pain and abandon.

Sook-Hee - The Handmaiden (2016)

Directed by Park Chan-wook, The Handmaiden is an @@@@ South Korean thriller set in Japanese-occupied Korea in the 1930s. Inspired by the novel "Fingersmith", by Sarah Waters, the movie combines mystery, sensuality, and power plays in a story full of elaborate twists. Visually enticing and narratively provocative, it received international acclaim for its boldness and originality.

Sook-Hee (played by Kim Tae-ri) is a young con artist hired to deceive a Japanese heiress, but that eventually becomes emotionally involved with her. The romance between them is critical for the plot, but Sook-Hee is a lot more than that. Her cleverness, wits, and ability to subvert hierarchical structures are pivotal to the main storyline. Her uniqueness and poor background in a colonial setting represent a different way to understand a desire for power.

Tuca - Tuca & Bertie (2019-2022)

Created by Lisa Hanawalt, the animated TV show Tuca & Bertie combines comedy, delusions, and social critiques by depicting the lives of two anthropomorphic 30-something friends: one is an extroverted toucan, and the other is an anxious songbird. Featuring psychedelic aesthetics and nonsense language, the TV show approaches themes such as trauma, friendship, work, and growing up in a light, innovative way.

Tuca, voiced by Tiffany Haddish, is a pansexual, cheeky woman full of contradictions. She isn't in a stable relationship; instead, she explores her sexuality in a free, fun way. Throughout the series, we also get to know her insecurities, her troublesome family history, and her very peculiar way to deal with the world. She challenges the norm and isn't particularly concerned with being a role model or explaining anything: Tuca prefers to exist amidst complexity and chaos, as unapologetically herself.

Lorraine - Atomic Blonde (2017)

Directed by David Leitch, Atomic Blonde is an espionage thriller with intense action scenes and a female character at the very center of the story. Set in Berlin on the final days of the Cold War, the movie combines a sophisticated aesthetic, a vibrant soundtrack, and a story full of drama, espionage, and twists.

Lorraine Broughton (played by Charlize Theron) is an MI6 agent sent to recover a list of secret agents in the middle of the chaotic fall of the Berlin Wall. Her bisexuality comes up naturally in the movie, not as the center of the plot - instead, the story focuses on her mission, her physical brutality and strategic intelligence. She breaks the stereotypical image of the "femme fatale" catering to the male gaze and reaffirms her identity as a powerful, lethal, and independent figure who commands her own destiny.

Honeybear - Betty (2020-2021)

Created by Crystal Moselle and based on the movie Skate Kitchen (2018), Betty is an HBO series that follows a group of skater girls in New York. Featuring a documentary style and a cast full of real life skater actresses, the series is known for its sensitive naturalism and loving gaze on unique urban youth.

Honeybear (played by Moonbear) is a queer, introverted African-American young girl who is quite artistic and sensitive. She has a striking visual style and her way of expressing herself combines theatrics, fashion, and audiovisual effects.

Throughout the series, we see her relationship with the other girls, her romantic and platonic questionings, and her internal conflicts about who she is and how she should present herself to the world. Her queer identity is part of her life, but not her only conflict. She represents a multifaceted, silent, intense youth in constant evolution.

Thelma - Thelma (2017)

Directed by Joachim Trier, Thelma is a Norwegian psychological thriller that combines a coming of age story, supernatural elements, and religious themes. The plot follows a young freshman university student who starts developing telekinetic powers as she deals with repressed desires and traumatic memories. The entire movie is very dense, metaphorical, and ethereal, and converses with horror in a subtle, elegant way.

Thelma (played by Eili Harboe) is a young girl raised by a conservative Christian family who starts her sexual awakening and developing her psychic powers at the same time. Her attraction for another girl destabilizes her inner world and triggers buried memories.

This movie certainly features some romance, but it is essentially about repression, guilt, acceptance, and freedom. Thelma is a lesbian character who, instead of being punished by her desires, accepts them and manifests this acceptance with supernatural skills.

Being able to recognize ourselves on the screen and create a collective image of ourselves that can be anything we want is nice, isn't it?! The importance of seeing ourselves in art goes beyond proper representation. It shows us that we can see ourselves in new places, venture into unlikely paths, and that it can all be ours!

What did you think of these characters? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!