Gay teens on TV: A timeline

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Representation of gay teens on TV through the years

Television has seen an uptick in LGBTQ+ characters, reflecting the diversity of the world around us. Gay teen characters (particularly boys) have taken different shape over the years, from role models to flawed humans to relationship goals. Each has been a portrayal of contemporary life for gay teens growing up in heteronormative societies. Ahead are some of the most notable gay male teen characters in television history, listed in chronological order.

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Billy Douglas — One Life to Live (introduced 1992)

Ryan Phillippe on 'One Life to Live'. ABC

Billy Douglas, network TV's first gay high schooler (played by a teenage Ryan Phillippe) came out to dispel rumors that he was being molested by the town's compassionate pastor. Shortly afterward, he left the area to attend Yale. "I would worry, 'What will the people at school think?'," Phillippe admitted years later to Men's Health, "And they fully shunned me in a lot of ways...but it ended up being an incredible experience and such a time of growth."

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Rickie Vasquez — My So-Called Life (1994–1995)

Wilson Cruz on 'My So-Called Life'. ABC/Getty Images

"I still receive emails and messages from people discovering the show," said Wilson Cruz, who played primetime's first gay teenager on My So-Called Life in 1994. "I have letters that I've kept. Tear-stained letters. It's as if there was this void, and, finally, I was able and willing to step into it. I was happy to do it. We never received a negative word [about Rickie]. Rickie was the heart and soul of that show. He was the most spiritual person, and he was the person who had the best view on sex. Period."

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Jack McPhee — Dawson's Creek (introduced 1999)

Initially introduced in Dawson's Creek's second season as a love interest for Katie Holmes' Joey Potter, Jack opened up about his sexuality that winter — and a year later, engaged in primetime TV's first onscreen romantic kiss between two men. According to creator Kevin Williamson, Kerr Smith had only minimal reservations when he first heard his character was coming out, "I asked, 'Is this a problem for you?' He said, 'Not if I get a juicy part. My biggest fear is that I'll have this coming out story, and then I'll just sort of gradually become the gay character in the background.' I said, 'Not with me, you won't.'"

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Marco Del Rossi — Degrassi: The Next Generation (introduced 2003)

Adamo Ruggiero on 'Degrassi: The Next Generation'. Everett Collection

School valedictorian Marco (Adamo Ruggiero) was the first of eight (and counting) major gay characters on the groundbreaking Canadian teen soap franchise, which was tackling gay plotlines as far back as the '80s and continued to represent various LGBTQ+ identities. Co-creator Linda Schuyler said, "There are some fundamental teen issues — issues of teen pregnancy, issues of sexuality. I never would have thought about doing a transgender character in the original Degrassi Junior High [one of the show's earlier incarnations]. When we started, there were no gay, lesbian, [or] bisexual clubs in school. Now you see them in small towns."

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Andrew Van de Kamp — Desperate Housewives (2004–2012)

Shawn Pyfrom on 'Desperate Housewives'. ABC

The scheming — and out — Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) defied network stereotyping with his bad-boy antics (running over the neighbor's mother; seducing his own mom's boyfriend) to be the quintessential Desperate Housewives character. "He's narcissistic, vain, and then gay. I like how it doesn't define him," Pyfrom said in 2007.

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Kenny — The War at Home (2005–2007)

The first out gay teen on a network family sitcom, neighbor Kenny (Rami Malek) came out during the Long Island-set comedy's second season, after which his Muslim parents shunned him and the Gold family took him in. Hilarity ensued (seriously!), as Fox wrung laughs from his first date, his first boyfriend, and his first dance — and even, sadly, his parents' abandonment.

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Justin Suarez — Ugly Betty (2006–2010)

Mark Indelicato on 'Ugly Betty'. Patrick Harbron/ABC

Justin's (Mark Indelicato) coming-out episode was four years in the making and was capped with an adorable same-sex teen kiss during the show's final season. "When I signed on to do Ugly Betty, I was 11 years old," said Indelicato. "I don't think they knew at the time what they wanted to do [with Justin]. It started off that he was going to be the funny, flamboyant, kind of questionable kid...I think we were all scared when the time really came. When we did the historic kissing scene, I was very nervous. I didn't know how it would be received."

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Calvin Owens — Greek (2007–2011)

Paul James on 'Greek'. Isabella Vosmikova/ABC Family

Out from the series' start — and to his parents before that — frat boy Calvin (Paul James) stood down his frat brothers' prejudices to ascend to the presidency of Omega Chi. "I definitely wanted to be ahead of the curve with Calvin," said Greek creator Patrick Sean Smith. "I wanted to see a gay character who wasn't victimized by his sexual orientation, somebody I wish I had when I was coming out to see that. It's a normal process."

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Eric van der Woodsen — Gossip Girl (2007–2012)

Connor Paolo on 'Gossip Girl'. Giovanni Rufino/The CW

After being outed at the dinner table, sweet mousy Eric (Connor Paolo) admitted to getting physical with BFF Jenny's boyfriend in true Gossip Girl style. "The only sensitivity The CW had to Eric's story line was his age," claimed executive producer Stephanie Savage (who also worked on The O.C.). "They felt like a coming-out story was a late high school or college story, and Eric was 14. But our impression was kids these days are coming out much sooner."

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Marshall Gregson — United States of Tara (2009–2011)

Keir Gilchrist on 'United States of Tara'. Jordin Althaus/Showtime

Fourteen-year-old film lover Marshall (Keir Gilchrist) was wholly accepted by his mother (Toni Collette) — but not by one of her more gruff alters.

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Kurt Hummel — Glee (2009–2015)

Chris Colfer on 'Glee'. Michael Yarish/Fox

Within a year of Glee's launch, the season 1 supporting character managed to break out of the ensemble and take center stage with anti-bullying story lines, a new crush, more solos, and a Golden Globe win for the actor. "It's the first positive portrayal of a gay character, especially of a kid, without him being a punching bag, or a punch line, or an annoying sidekick,'' said Chris Colfer. "I realized after we filmed the first 13 episodes that the story line is much bigger than me. It's such a powerful, powerful statement."

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Griffin — The Secret Life of the American Teenager (introduced 2009)

Brando Eaton on 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager'. ABC Family

The Secret Life of the American Teenager's first gay character, Griffin (Brando Eaton), was also one of the kids who agreed to a high school chastity pact.

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Jesse — In Treatment season 3 (2010)

Dane DeHaan on 'In Treatment'. Paul Schiraldi/HBO

The show's third season introduced 16-year-old therapy patient Jesse (Dane DeHaan), who was comfortable with his sexuality but not with meeting his birth mother.

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Blaine Anderson — Glee (introduced 2010)

Darren Criss on 'Glee'. Justin Lubin/Fox

Kurt's journey to becoming a confident young gay man was helped by his self-assured crush (and future husband), Blaine (Darren Criss). "Blaine was never going to be Kurt's love interest at all. He was gonna be much more of a mentor character, but they had so much chemistry, and there was such an immediate outcry," claimed co-creator Ryan Murphy. "We all want to see Kurt happy," added Criss, "and like all great love stories, if you have two people that can be together, you've got to hold it up."

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Teddy Montgomery — 90210 (introduced 2009)

Trevor Donovan on '90210'. Jaimie Trueblood/THE CW

Producers originally wrote spoiled tennis pro Teddy (Trevor Donovan) as a dime-a-dozen hunky ladies' man. However, a year into his story, they realized that he had to be overcompensating for something — like a crush on his former roommate. "Things start to make sense as you learn his backstory," Donovan said of the switch, "You start to look at the way he lives his life and how he bounces around, never really having a solid girlfriend. It breaks down the stereotype. This is a little more shocking and realistic."

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Ian Gallagher — Shameless (2011–2021)

Cameron Monaghan on 'Shameless'. Showtime

Sometimes called the "anti-Kurt Hummel," Cameron Monaghan's tough and streetwise Ian (based on a character in the show's original British version) is in the Army ROTC and had an affair with his married male boss at a local grocery store. This was before he fell into an on-and-off relationship with his frenemy Mandy's older brother, Mickey (Noel Fisher), which later resulted in their marriage.

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Jude Foster — The Fosters (2013–2018)

Hayden Byerly on 'The Fosters'. Eric McCandless/Freeform via Getty Images

Freeform's pioneering show about a lesbian couple raising their family broke new grounds with its onscreen kiss between two 13-year-old boys, Jude (Hayden Byerly) and Connor (Gavin MacIntosh) — airing television's youngest same-sex kiss in history. —James Mercadante

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Kenny O'Neal — The Real O'Neals (2016–2017)

Noah Galvin on 'The Real O'Neals'. Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Loosely inspired by the childhood of gay activist Dan Savage, the ultimately short-lived Real O'Neals centered on a dysfunctional Irish Catholic family, starring Martha Plimpton and Jay R. Ferguson as the parents of three children. The real standout, though, was Noah Galvin as 16-year-old middle child Kenny, who came out as gay — to the horror of his traditional, religious mother. Through two seasons, the sitcom explored the ways in which Kenny navigated growing up, with Galvin humorously playing into his character's drive, becoming a trailblazer at his school while struggling in his love life. —Kevin Jacobsen

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Will Byers — Stranger Things (2016–present)

Noah Schnapp on 'Stranger Things'. Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix

When we first met Will (Noah Schnapp) in season 1, he was a 12-year-old whose main concerns were Dungeons & Dragons, his family and friends, and (oh, right!) getting the hell out of the Upside Down. However, thanks to the series' time jumps and puberty, Will evolved tremendously throughout Stranger Things — with the exception of his everlasting bowl cut — and one character development is his feelings for his best friend, Mike (Finn Wolfhard). The show has left subtle hints of Will's sexuality all over, especially in season 4, but Schnapp confirmed his character is gay, telling Variety that the series' creators "are writing this real character and this real journey and real struggle, and they're doing it so well." —J.M.

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Kevin Keller — Riverdale (2017–2023)

Archie Comics' first openly gay character came to life on The CW's teen supernatural drama based on said comics. Kevin (Casey Cott) went from being Veronica's (Camila Mendes) G.B.F. in season 1 to later closing a deal with the Devil for fame and success in season 6. That's Riverdale for you! —J.M.

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Ander Muñoz and Omar Shanaa — Élite (2018–present)

Omar Ayuso and Arón Piper on 'Élite'. NIETE/NETFLIX

What started out as a low-profile drug deal became the sexy fan-favorite relationship between upper-class Ander (Arón Piper) and internally homophobic Omar (Omar Ayuso) — son of uncompromising Muslim parents — which was an on-again-off-again seesaw that rocked the star-crossed pair through multiple burdens. Whether it was Ander's cancer or another boy (Manu Rios' Patrick) stirring drama between them, the duo never failed to possess a chemistry that slayed way more than the murders that transpire most seasons. —J.M.

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Eric Effiong — Sex Education (2019–2023)

Ncuti Gatwa on 'Sex Education'. Sam Taylor/Netflix

The brazenly exuberant, vibrantly-dressed French horn player, Eric (played by Doctor Who's 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa), came out to his religious Nigerian/Ghanian family when he was just 13 years old. Otis' (Asa Butterfield) gay best friend may have busied himself with dicey situations — like hooking up with his homophobic bully, Adam (Connor Swindells) — but his unabashed spirit and celebration for all aspects of his queer and Black identity were so vital to see represented on teen TV. —J.M.

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Carlos Rodriguez and Seb Matthew-Smith — High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–2023)

Frankie A. Rodriguez and Joe Serafini on 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series'. Fred Hayes/Disney

This phenomenally queer show was what we've been looking for on Disney+. Choreographer Carlos (Frankie Rodriguez) convincing his drama teacher that Seb (Joe Serafini), the dazzling performer, would be better suited to play a gender-bending Sharpay Evans in their production of High School Musical was the start of something new. The pair became romantically (and musically) in tune with each other, forming an innocent, tender love that left viewers' hearts soarin' and flying. —J.M.

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Victor Salazar and Benji Campbell — Love, Victor (2020–2022)

Michael Cimino and George Sear on 'Love, Victor'. Greg Gayne/Hulu

Coming from a conservative Hispanic background, Victor (Michael Cimino) learned to navigate being a high school transfer student, coming out to his loved ones on his own terms, and forming multiple romances — especially with his handsome coffeehouse co-worker, Benji (George Sear). The small-screen spinoff series of Love, Simon wrapped up after three seasons, but Cimino says that he "would love to revisit Victor at some point." So, for now, we will be patiently waiting in Creekwood till that happens. —J.M.

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Vince Fuller and Ben Hallowell — Cruel Summer season 1 (2021)

Allius Barnes and Nathaniel Ashton on 'Cruel Summer'. Freeform

Like Mallory's (Olivia Holt) time spent trapped in a basement, loyal friend Vince (Allius Barnes) and football jock Ben (Nathaniel Ashton) locked their romance away on Freeform's YA "whodunnit" anthology. Cruel Summer may have ended the pair's rocky relationship on an uncertain note (which was cruel, indeed), but we still can't get over their intimate slow dance in an underground gay bar in the '90s because the moment felt like time finally stood still within a show loaded with time jumps. —J.M.

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Prince Wilhelm and Simon Eriksson — Young Royals (2021–present)

Edvin Ryding and Omar Rudberg on 'Young Royals'. Netflix

After being exiled to a reputable boarding school when a video of him assaulting someone went viral, Prince Wilhelm of Sweden (Edvin Ryding) was entranced by a non-boarding student on scholarship, Simon (Omar Rudberg), who sang the solo for the Hillershka choir's performance upon the prince's arrival. The two formed a clandestine romance that was later threatened by someone recording and leaking their private make-out session, endangering Wilhem's place on the throne. —J.M.

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Charlie Spring — Heartstopper (2022–present)

Kit Connor and Joe Locke on 'Heartstopper'. Netflix

Timid, unathletic Charlie (Joe Locke) instantly fell for the captain of the rugby team and his assigned seat buddy, Nick (Kit Connor) — who ultimately developed mutual feelings for Charlie. Charlie's endless blushy smiles are infectious, as Heartstopper epitomizes the pure innocence of first love, which is a rare feat in the queer canon of media. —J.M.