15 Notable On-Screen LGBTQ+ Couples Who Stole Our Hearts

The importance of the representation of minorities on-screen has been talked about for a while now, and LGBTQ+ people are no exception. Not very long ago, it was unusual for us to see a couple that was made up of gay or trans characters depicted on TV or in movies. But luckily, things are getting better now, and we can appreciate our favorite LGBTQ+ couples together.

Bright Side wants to celebrate Pride Month by looking back at pairings that made our hearts melt. While some people feel that scriptwriters add LGBTQ+ couples to their projects without any intention of developing them further, we added only the couples that can be considered positive portrayals.

1. Willow and Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The show Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a huge LGBTQ+ following and Sarah Michelle Gellar, alongside her character, Buffy Summers, became a gay icon for the community.

In 2001, it was still taboo to show a same-sex couple on-screen, but Buffy did not let its LGBTQ+ fans down and paired up one of the main characters, Willow, with another girl, Tara. The show also didn’t shy away from letting the couple show affection, kiss, and do all the things they would let a straight couple do, which made the pairing so memorable in fans’ minds.

2. Ian and Mickey from Shameless

This couple is a fan favorite from the entire show. The 2 men went through a lot in their relationship and were on and off quite a few times. Despite their hardships, they proved to fans that their love is stronger than anything else, and got their happy ending.

3. Brittany and Santana from Glee

Their relationship might have never become real if it hadn’t been for fans’ support. Not a lot of teen shows had lesbian or bisexual female characters, so that’s why it was important for the fans to have that representation on Glee. Luckily, the writers decided to make these 2 girls a couple and while they went through challenges and a break-up, they still ended up together as wives.

4. Ennis and Jack in Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain remains one of the most famous LGBTQ+ movies for a reason. The tragic and complicated love story of cowboys Jack and Ennis touched the hearts of many. It may not have ended on a positive note, but it was one of the few mid-2000s movies to be centered around a gay couple.

5. Holt and Kevin from Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Captain Holt and his husband Kevin have proven themselves to be one of the steadiest relationships on the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, because they have nothing but love for each other. These 2 characters are like 2 peas in a pod: they share the same humor and find each other hilarious, they have the same worldviews, and both show unique affection that the other loves.

6. Amanita and Nomi from Sense8

Amanita and Nomi are one of the main couples on the show who were together before the series events took place. Nomi is also a transgender woman. Their relationship was steady throughout the entirety of Sense8, with both women showing the viewer what it’s like to be incredibly cool while fighting the bad guys and still remain madly in love with each other.

7. Carol and Therese in Carol

Set in the 1950s, the movie Carol is about 2 women falling in love. The 2 of them felt attracted to each other unexpectedly, and Therese agreed to go out with Carol against all odds. The film captures the homophobia of that era, however, still treats its characters with humanity.

8. Alec and Magnus from Shadowhunters

Despite the show’s cancellation in 2019, many fans still love this couple. The reason for that is Shadowhunters portrayed them as a loving and soft couple, that talks through their problems and makes each other better, rather than a couple that is a harmful stereotypical portrayal of gay men. They became a much-needed representation of the LGBTQ+ community.

9. Clarke and Lexa from The 100

Clarke and Lexa may not have ended up as well as other couples on our list, but they are still important to the show. The audience watched their relationship slowly progress: from enemies to allies to friends to something more. And although Clarke, who is the main character, was not ready to be with Lexa or anyone else at that time, she still became the representation of a bisexual female character on television.

10. Chiron and Kevin in Moonlight

Moonlight won the prestigious Oscar award for ’Best Picture’ in 2017. It is a story about a Black gay boy named Chiron and the periods of his life. During adulthood, he meets his old acquaintance Kevin, who had also come to terms with his homosexuality by that point, and they share a moment of passion at the beach.

11. David and Patrick from Schitt’s Creek

David and Patrick get called the best couple on TV overall by some fans, and they have their reasons: the 2 men complemented each other in the most valuable ways, like David helping Patrick come out to his parents and Patrick never ridiculing David, unlike most characters on the show. They became each other’s safe space and home, which earned the hearts of fans.

12. Simon and Bram in Love, Simon

Love, Simon was originally based on the book by Becky Albertalli. It is a story about a young closeted teenager who is exchanging emails with another gay student at his school, although he doesn’t know who it is exactly because they are using aliases. The truth comes to light eventually, and these 2 make the cutest couple.

13. Susan and Carol from Friends

The beloved sitcom let us know very early on that Ross had an ex-wife who turned out to be a lesbian and was now in a relationship with another woman. The fact that the show had a lesbian couple was a big deal, considering it began airing in 1994. Carol and Susan ended up getting married and working on a way to include Ross, who was the father of Carol’s child, in the relationship.

While some people felt that the couple became the target of homophobic jokes by the characters, the actress who played Carol said that the show’s goal was actually to make fun of the people who were against gay relationships.

14. White Josh and Darryl from Crazy Ex Girlfriend

The musical series Crazy Ex Girlfriend had a handful of LGBTQ+ representations, with 3 bisexual characters, one gay character, and one lesbian character all being present in the main and recurring cast. Darryl and White Josh started out as friends, with the latter being openly gay, but soon enough Darryl realized that he was having romantic feelings for the young man, which lead him to coming out as a bisexual, with the song Gettin’ Bi.

15. Megan and Graham from But I’m a Cheerleader

But I’m a Cheerleader is a satiric comedy released in 1999 about a lesbian getting sent off to a conversion camp for LGBTQ+ people, in order to make them straight. It basically turns into a dating club between the gay boys and lesbians, and the main character, Megan, ends up falling in love with the grumpy Graham. The cherry on top in this movie is that one of the leaders of the conversion camp, a self-proclaimed ex-homosexual, is played by RuPaul.

Who is your favorite on-screen LGBTQ+ couple? What first LGBTQ+ character do you remember seeing on TV or in a movie?