There was a great judgment by the Supreme Court this week that inspired this list. It made me think about how rarely members of the LGBTQIA+ community are represented in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. They are popping up more in the media but it’s still so little. It’s especially hard to find books where the protagonist is homosexual. They are either a supporting character or their sexuality is implied. In some ways, this list was hard to compose. I had to think back on all my fictional crushes. Then I had to think back to which ones were LGBT. Ta-da! In no particular order, these are my picks for my top ten LGBT sci-fi and fantasy crushes.
1. Captain Jack Harkness (Torchwood, Doctor Who)
The man from the 51st century proved that love knows no gender or species. His romance with Ianto was one of the best on television.
2. Phèdre no Delaunay (Kushiel’s Legacy)
Art by Donato
Phèdre closely follows Blessed Elua’s decree of “Love as thou wilt” and loves men and women equally.
3. Nuriko (Fushigi Yûgi)
Nuriko alternately identifies as male and female. He wants to be the woman who loves Hotohori and the man who protects Miaka. Nuriko is a transgender character that anime didn’t make a mockery of.
4. H.G. Wells (Warehouse 13)
The writer of the world’s greatest science fiction turned out to be a woman on this show. H.G. is said to have both male and female lovers.
5. Lestat de Lioncourt (The Vampire Chronicles)
Lestat loved both men and women during his over 200 years of existence. From Louis to Mona, Lestat never sees gender when it comes to his passion.
6. Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Willow may have dated Oz but her heart was with Tara. Willow shook things up on the show, but it was in a good way.
7. Cecil & Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale)
Art by Psyche-Evan
I always think of these two as one being no matter if they are separate. Nightvale won over the podcast community with its gay protagonist Cecil and his love Carlos.
8. Lord John Grey (Outlander, Lord John Series)
Art by Kath-13
Lord John lives in a time when being homosexual was especially dangerous to one’s life. He marries a woman for convention but he truly loves men… especially Jamie Fraser.
9. Magnus Bane (The Mortal Instruments)
Magnus is close to Captain Jack in terms of sexuality. With Alec he defies prejudiced members of the Shadowhunter world who reject homosexuality.
10. Jenny Flint (Doctor Who)
Jenny loves Madame Vastra and that’s all that matters. Jenny defies not only the taboo of being with a woman but also the taboo of dating outside her species.
Lestat is in Interview with the Vampire. Just an observation…
@Melissa: Interview With A Vampire is the first book of The Vampire Chronicles.
Great list! Loved to see Nuriko on it.
@Melissa: Actually The Vampire Chronicles is the title of Anne Rice’s book series featuring vampires. It englobes Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned and many other books.
@Melissa:
Yes, he was. But he was in more of the Chronicles than that. Interview with a Vampire was a book form the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. He was also in The Vampire Lestat, which is book 2 in the series by the way; The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch the Devil, Merrick, blackwood farms, Blood Canticle, and Prince Lestat.
So, while your observation is correct, so it the statement of where he is from. He’s in most of the series. Some a books with him in the entirety of, some he plays a small part while the book is mainly about another character. It’s a wonderful read though. Much better than the movies.
How could this list leave out Bo from Lost Girl? Hottest bi character on tv in years!
@Mel: AMEN, Mel!
@Mel: Hi Mel. I don’t watch Lost Girl so I haven’t formed an attachment to her. These are my personal picks. But everyone ssays I should watch it. Glad to see you are passionate about her.
Re-Lord John Grey….just wanted to clarify a misconception (as a avid Outlander fan who loves Lord John) Lord John never married out of convention…he often refers to men who do and that he would remain a bachelor. What he did do is marry two women…both times honorable marriages out of his love for Jamie Frazer…his true north! He married Isobelle Dunsaney in order to be able to raise and care for Jamie’s son, William. He married Claire Frazer, when believing her husband and the love of his life to be drowned, to protect her from being taken prisoner as a traitor for acts of sedition as a Patriot. I am sure Lord John would be offended to have his marriages considered ‘for convention’….he is a very unconventional character. Thanks for letting me share…
@Frances: Well said, Frances. But it is “Fraser”, not “Frazer”.
@Frances: You are correct, Frances. I meant that a man like him was expected to marry a woman, whatever his personal reasons. It was convention in the eyes of society. But he was a nice and heroic man to marry Isobelle and Claire.
Yeah pretty accurate. Just the little detail that Lestat loved mona as a pupil but fell romantically in love with Rowan.
mandi Harris looks good too
11. Madame Vastra: same as above.
I’m so upset!! What about Vanyel from Mercedes Lackeys Heralds of Valdemar series????
@Marg MacDougall: Hi Marge. Vanyel isn’t on the list because I never the books. I will make a note to. These picks are mainly my favorite characters.
Lestat is ok, but Armand (Amadeo) seems (to me) one more “exemplary” example.. XD
Amadeo really loves (sexualy) man and woman… Lestat, I’m not sure..
Many characters in Lynn Flewelling’s works (espescially Nightrunner – the two main protagonists are both males and lovers)
Anne Rice litterally made vampirism a gender. Lestat has fallen in love with his own mother, and Louis had a vampire lover who was basically a 5 years old child, and I never found it weird. Because they are vampire, and that’s all it is.
You totally left out Cosima from Orphan Black!
How about Cosima (and Delphine) from ORPHAN BLACK? The #clonesbians and #Cophine ‘shippers are losing it on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit and Twitter over Delphine having been {SPOILER ALERT} shot in the season finale.
Don’t forget Sci Fi Channels Defiance star Stahma Tarr is Datak Tarr’s wife and a member of the Castithan alien species. She is a very sexual creature whose heart really belongs to Kenya Rosewater – one-time lover, now deceased – a human woman.
And Gareth David-Lloyd was with n. 1 (Captain Jack Harkness – Congrats for your well deserved number 1!!!!) and n.4 in Warehouse 13 with HG Wells (N.4 , very well!!!). I know there are only ten, I´ve had included Ianto Jones here. Never mind, good list.
I,m agree with the comment of Cpt. Harkness, his (epic) romance with Ianto Jones is the best of the show. Both are wonderful characters.