When I was in middle school, my favorite TV show was “Glee.” This is important because I don’t think that my coming-to-terms about my sexuality would have been as smooth without the show’s LGBT representation among a few of the main characters. Positive LGBT representation will always be important because it gives our community something to which we can relate, especially with the industry and its stories dominated by heterosexuality and heteronormativity.
The coming-out arcs in plots are also extremely vital, mainly because they show the characters realizing and coming to terms with their sexuality. These scenes are everything from heartbreaking to inspiring to relatable, but above everything, they give us women-loving-women the best representation in the media.
1. Callie Torres, "Grey's Anatomy"
“Jesus is my savior, daddy, not you! And Jesus would be ashamed of you for judging me! He would be ashamed of you for turning your back on me. He would be ashamed.”
When Callie reveals to her religious father that she is dating a girl, he doesn’t respond well. He begins to recite Bible passages to her, to which she retaliates with her own. This scene is very powerful in the way that she stands up for herself, and it’s also emotionally moving.
2. Emily Fields, "Pretty Little Liars"
Emily’s family is strict, and her biggest fear is how she will be perceived in their eyes when they learn that she is gay. As someone who comes from a homophobic family, watching a young high school character struggling to come out to her parents was something that I could relate to on a very personal level. This scene helped me find comfort in the fact that I wasn’t alone, and that a character on one of the most popular shows on television battled with the same problems as I did.
3. Santana Lopez, "Glee"
I’ve watched this scene so many times that it’s practically etched into my memory. I can recite it forward and backward because I used to watch it whenever I needed a good cry. In this scene, Santana comes to terms with her feelings for her best friend—feelings that she formerly struggled with. Naya Rivera does a brilliant job making the viewers feel every single emotion and word on such a deep level. You can hear the desperation in her words as she begs to Brittany, “Please say you love me back. Please.” And your heart breaks along with hers when her best friend does not respond in the way she wanted.
4. Alex Danvers, "Supergirl"
The way that the writers handled Alex’s sexuality and coming out scene were brilliant, and make this a close contender for my absolute favorite coming out scene. It’s so raw, down-to-earth, and realistic, as Alex is hit with the realization that she could never find the missing pieces to her love life because she was not looking in the right gender. I could not be more excited for what the writers have in store for this character—especially because they confirmed that her relationship with Maggie will be endgame, normal, and that neither of them will get shot.
5. Carmen, "The L Word"
On "The L Word," heterosexual characters are the minority. Most of the characters have long since come to terms with their sexualities, so this is the only “coming out” scene on the entire show. Here, Carmen reveals at a large family gathering that her “friend” Shane is actually her girlfriend. Unfortunately for her, this news is not received well.
6. Korra and Asami, "The Legend of Korra"
This is not a real “coming out” scene. Neither Korra nor Asami ever explicitly say, “I’m gay,” “I like girls,” or even, “I like you.” Perhaps this is because "Legend of Korra" was a kids show on Nickelodeon—nevertheless, that didn’t stop the writers from making the main character canonically bisexual and in a relationship with one of the other main characters. As they hold hands and walk into the light at the very end, it’s clear that the two are entering a relationship that goes deeper than the platonic levels—and the writers have confirmed it themselves. I watched the show from the beginning and watched the finale live, and I was so endlessly shocked and proud when I witnessed this happen live. I never imagined that a Nickelodeon show would be brave enough to break the boundaries, take a risk, and include LGBT representation. And I couldn’t be happier about this.
