LGBTQIA+ TV Through the Decades
How has LGBTQIA+ representation evolved on screen? from chaste kisses making headlines, to teen Queer TV going mainstream...what does TV mean to LGBTQIA+ audiences and how has it shaped them? Taking a look at the history of LGBTQIA+ stories on screen, from early coded representation, through to the breakout of Queer as Folk, through to today's stories.
We look at whether Sci-Fi really offered a more hopeful Queer future, how we've told a history often hidden from us on screen, whether the sex really was scandalous, and how Queer Teen shows help Queer adults today. We also ask, where do we need Queer stories to go in order to represent us on the small screen.
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in LGBTQIA+ TV, although no prior knowledge of these topics is required.
What can I expect?
This course is taught through presentations (PowerPoint on shared screen) video clips and discussions. Discussion sections are optional, but allow participants to reflect on the material and their own experiences.
Joining via Zoom
This course will be held via Zoom. You need a computer/laptop or mobile phone to access the Zoom website, and a reliable internet connection.
You will need a computer or other device to connect with Zoom and a notebook/paper and pen/pencil, or digital equivalent.
Practical information
- You can choose to purchase either a full course ticket (£165/£87) or drop-in tickets (£29) for the individual classes.
- Online ticket sales will close two hours prior to the event starting.
- If sales have closed and you would still like to attend, to enquire about availability please contact our Box Office team via 020 73929200. If spaces remain we can arrange payment over the phone.
- These sessions are live only and will not be recorded. Attendees must join at the scheduled time, as recordings will not be made available after the event.
Need to Know
Meet the Tutor
Dr Emily Garside
Emily Garside is a writer and professional nerd based in Cardiff. She has a PhD in theatrical responses to the AIDS crisis and is a leading expert on LGBTQ+ theatre. Emily regularly writes for journals such as The Queer Review, American Theatre, and Wales Art Review. She published her first non-fiction book ‘Love That Journey For Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt's Creek’ in 2021 with 404ink. This was followed by ‘Angels in America at the British National Theatre’ in 2022 (McFarland). While 2023 sees ‘Seasons of Love, why Rent Matters’ (Applause), ‘Schitt’s Creek and the Rise of Queer TV’ (Applause), and ‘From Queer as Folk to It’s A Sin; Russell T Davies and Queer TV’ (Calon Books). She is also a journalist, a regular contributor for The Queer Review and has written for American Theatre, Slate, BBC, and The Stage. She also uses her research and lived experience to tell queer stories through fiction, having had several plays performed in London and nationally.
Course Overview
Week 1 - LGBTQIA+ Drama
Taking a brief look at the history of LGBTQIA+ representation, followed by a dive into the key ‘LGBTQIA dramas’ of recent decades. Through Tales of the City, Queer as Folk and The L Word to newer shows like Looking and Pose asking how the story of Queer communities is being told on the small screen.
Suggested viewing: Queer as Folk (UK), Tales of the City (original series), Pose.
Week 2 - Period Drama and LGBTQIA+ History
A look at fictional LGBTQIA+ folks in historically set dramas and dramas that tell our history as a community. From Downton Abbey’s Thomas the Butler to sapphic baseball players in A League of Their Own, we examine period dramas that offer insight into their respective eras. Parallel to these stories, like Ghosts and Our Flag Means Death, that take a comedic, but no less important, look at the past. Parallel to this, we examine shows that capture LGBTQIA+ history, from The Naked Civil Servant to It's a Sin.
Suggested viewing: Downton Abbey, Our Flag Means Death, A League of Their Own.
Week 3 - Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Boldy-going into Sci-Fi and fantasy we look at shows that balance the fantastical with the Queer. From the chequered history of Star Trek, through to the ‘woke’ New Doctor Who, reflecting on Sci-Fi as a refuge for Queerness in all forms. Alongside this, the world of fantasy, from sapphic adventures in Xena to disappointment in Buffy, to hope for new generations of both sci-fi and fantasy TV.
Suggested viewing: Doctor Who (2005 era), Star Trek Discovery, The Umbrella Academy
Week 4 - Comedy
From Ellen coming out to Schitt’s Creek’s happy ending a look through comedy with Gay being the ‘joke’ through to more authentic LGBTQIA+ representation where we laugh with not at the LGBTQIA+ characters. With a look at older references in shows like Golden Girls and Seinfeld, through to Will & Grace and the first ‘gay’ comedy, to Modern Family and Schitt’s Creek.
Suggested viewing: Schitts Creek, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Modern Family
Week 5 - Teen Shows
LGBTQIA+ teen shows have exploded in recent years, but LGBTQIA+ teens have also long formed the core of the representation of TV. A look at the journey from peripheral characters in shows like Byker Grove and Degrassi through to the Heartstopper generation.
Suggested viewing: Heartstopper, Love Victor, Heartbreak High
Week 6 - How Gay is TV?
A pulling together of the previous five weeks with a look at lesser-represented identities on screen, with a focus on Trans and Asexual stories as examples. Moving on to think about the kinds of ‘incidental’ representation that now exists on shows like Grey's Anatomy or 911. Ending with a reflection on how TV fandom, and fan communities (including things like fanfiction) have contributed to Queer identities over the decades. Ending with a discussion around ‘where next?’ for LGBTQIA+ TV.
Suggested viewing: Its a Sin, Lost Boys and Faeries, What it Feels like For a Girl
Dates and Times
LGBTQIA+ TV Through the Decades
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What We Do
