Gay characters?

[jackfaire]

I have watched Will and Grace. I have watched Jeffery. I have watched many other movies and TV shows featuring gay characters. I can only relate to one.

Jack McPhee from Dawson's Creek. I am not a jock haven't been since junior high. He was a normal guy that happened to be gay. He didn't like to wear leather. He wasn't uber macho or uber feminine. He didn't fit any stereotype of being gay that I have seen.

He was just this guy that liked guys. Watching his character has given me more confidence and ability to embrace my sexuality than anything else. So seeing as I have yet to wade out into the dating world in which I find myself.

Which characters are more realistic for what is out there. Do you think there are more Jack McPhees or Jack McFarlands?

What characters can you look up to?

[smileyeagle1021]

In movies and TV there aren't many good gay characters (I do like Kurt in Glee... even if they did pander to the stereotypes a bit).
In books however there are several great characters in books, gay, bi, and even questioning (David Feintuch had a few, Ursula Leguinne even wrote a novel where every single person was by definition bisexual).
As for me, the character I looked up to was PT Seafort in The Seafort Saga series by David Feintuch... he was a character that I could look up to. He was a guy who was by no means a gay stereotype, not into leather or a muscle boy... just a run of the mill computer geek in a committed relationship with another run of the mill guys.

[Stormraven]

Well, I don't tend to really remember many gay (male) characters, but one I do recall readily is Vanyel Ashkevron from Mercedes (Misty) Lackey's Last Herald-Mage trilogy. Not everyone likes her work, but I think she does good characters.

Lesbians tend to stick better in my memory, but judging from the OP, I don't think that's what you're looking for.

[AdminAssistant]

You'll also find wonderful gay/lesbian characters in plays, and not just because so many playwrights are gay. Off the top of my head, Angels in America (which is about AIDS), Take Me Out, Stop Kiss...even Spring's Awakening (the play by Wedekind, not the emokid musical). There are many more examples I'm sure, but I'm just not super duper familiar with modern plays.

[gremcint]

2 main characters in Greek, a couple characters in Heroes, A couple of characters in Stargate Universe and Torchwood.

These are all characters that are homosexuals and it's treated as a normal thing for the most part.

[smileyeagle1021]

2 main characters in Greek, a couple characters in Heroes, A couple of characters in Stargate Universe and Torchwood.

These are all characters that are homosexuals and it's treated as a normal thing for the most part.

Wait, there are gay characters in SGU?
How did I miss that... I need to start hulu'ing the episodes again this weekend.

[jackfaire]

These are all characters that are homosexuals and it's treated as a normal thing for the most part.

As in no one bats an eye or as in they aren't stereotypes.

[NateSean]

The two assassins in Diamonds are Forever weren't that flamboyant in my opinion. In fact they seemed very comfortable with who they were.

Not exactly a recent reference, but considering this was the 60's/70's I thought they did a rather decent job of portraying those two.

In the British series Coupling there's a man named Howard who is gay and he's fairly cool about it. I especially like his speech about being gay. "I was the sperm in the back that shouted, no don't send me into that big scary cave! I was the only sperm that had to be chased by the egg."

I also like Eddy and Lafayette from True Blood.

[gremcint]

As in no one bats an eye or as in they aren't stereotypes.

They aren't stereotypes. In Greek the one guy is a black, smart, normal jock, and after some initial controversy when he comes out he gets accepted and he's treated as a normal 3 dimensional character. In torchwood they just are, they all are themselves and have relationships without being afraid. The same in the others, they are normal 3 dimensional people, while the Greek one was a bit of a storyline but they treated him like a real person.

The other gay person in Greek has an awesome coming out scene.
Guy: "Guys there's something I need to tell you."
Frat Brothers: *looks worried*
Guy: "Guys I'm gay"
Frat Brothers: *Look relieved*
Frat Brothers: "Oh, we thought you found out about Beaver hitting on your sister"
Beaver: "Well she didn't look 15"
Guy:"What?"

and they move on and drop it.

Wait, there are gay characters in SGU?

Yeah, one of the women, when she goes home with the whole body switch communication thing she goes home to her femalie life partner and they have dinner and kiss and stuff. (she is the Asian IOA member)

[jackfaire]

Cool. See that's good to hear. I take it as a good sign that yesterday I saw two guys holding each other at the bus stop and no one was freaking out about it.

[BlaqueKatt]

There are many more examples I'm sure, but I'm just not super duper familiar with modern plays.

how about Tom Collins in Rent? Professor at MIT falls in love with Angel(more "flamboyant" but very comfortable with who "she" is)-one of the straight female characters states "she'd give anything for a taste of what Angel had" Referring to the loving relationship between Tom and Angel.

Brian Keene wrote some really good zombie novels where the protagonist/"hero" just happened to be gay and divorced from his wife with whom he had a son before he accepted who he was.

City of the Dead and Dead Sea (story starts with the rising)

[AdminAssistant]

how about Tom Collins in Rent? Professor at MIT falls in love with Angel(more "flamboyant" but very comfortable with who "she" is)-one of the straight female characters states "she'd give anything for a taste of what Angel had" Referring to the loving relationship between Tom and Angel.

I was trying to keep out of the realm of musicals.

[BlaqueKatt]

I was trying to keep out of the realm of musicals.

why? It's the single most popular musical of the last 50 years, and it's not "stereotypical" for anyone to like musicals-heck "seasons of love" has all but replaced "Auld Lang Syne"(still a few holdouts, but not many) as a traditional new year's eve song-at least around here.

[AdminAssistant]

why? It's the single most popular musical of the last 50 years

I realize that this is OT, but...no. Les Mis, Phantom of the Opera, and/or Cats would easily have RENT beat in number of tickets sold and especially in net profits (since RENT tickets were deliberately priced lower). I would say that RENT is one of the most important musicals from the 90's, although there are some obvious weaknesses that would have been fixed had Jonathan Larson had lived long enough.

I have been to a lot of NYE parties with theatre junkies and have never heard Seasons of Love sang at midnight. I have, however, heard people break out in "La Vie Boheme" or "Happy New Year".

Back to the topic, I was simply offering some characters that fewer people would be familiar with. Of course, I thought of Angel, Tom Collins, Maureen, and Joanne, but decided...everybody knows RENT, right?

I might also suggest The Laramie Project as a powerful piece about homosexuality and homophobia.

[jackfaire]

but decided...everybody knows RENT, right?

I know of it but have never seen it.