Open Post: Who Is The Best Gay Character In History?

Gay characters in pop culture hold a surprising amount of power in bridging the gap between the LGBTQ community center and the h8ers. I can never shake the fact that back in 2012 then Vice President Joe Biden actually cited the gay characters from the TV series Will & Grace as crucial in destigmatizing homosexuality for some conservative American households:

I think Will & Grace did more to educate the American public more than almost anything anybody has done so far. People fear that which is different. Now they're beginning to understand.

Plus in addition to helping punch through conservative barriers, gay TV and movie characters can be important in informing the identities of queer people themselves. We did an entire Open Post on this back in 2017, in which I divulged that Jack McPhee from Dawson's Creek was the man who helped me realize that, spoiler alert, I may or may not be gay.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself "Wow this open post sounds a lot like the one from 2017! Has His_Excellency run out of ideas and pretty much given up on his job and probably life in general?" Obviously. JK no! Today isn't about which gay character caused your awakening. It's about who you consider to be the best, most compelling, most well-rounded, most inspiring gay character in the history of TV and cinema.

You guys know that I'm on a True Blood tear, and I'd be lying if I said this post wasn't entirely inspired by Lafayette - played by Nelsan Ellis. He combines masculinity and feminity in a way that feels fresh and authentic. In fact Lafeyette is the most authentic character on True Blood, and throughout the seven seasons remains the heart and moral compass of the series, all while unapologetically fagatroning the house down boots.

It's actually my parents who really love Lafeyette's character, and while my dad has never said this to me, I think Lafeyette played a role in my dad thinking of himself as an ally.

Now, as you guys know, these Open Posts don't work if you don't open yourselves wide up for papa! So please please please head down to the comments and share who you think is the best gay character from movies or TV. There are literally no wrong answers, and I'm excited to see who you pick!