The Top 10 Gayest Shows on TV

Being the gayest television show can mean a lot of things – that there are memorable gay characters, gay story lines or even a camp value that’s appreciated despite the lack of the first two (think: Steel Magnolias – no gay characters, sure, but the diva factor will likely make it among the most gay-friendly TV movies when it debuts on Lifetime next Sunday). The list we came up with spans network and cable television, and features a whole lot of LGBT.

One show that we didn’t include on the list (yet), but has a lot of relatable moments, may be surprising. Breaking Amish doesn’t feature any openly gay characters and there are no gay relationships portrayed on this new TLC reality series, but the show follows five young people who leave their Amish and Mennonite communities to move to New York City. In the process, they must come to terms with a life they always wanted (but may not always be ready for) while they are shunned by their families who cut off all communication with them for setting out into the world. Sounds a lot like coming out, right? For any LGBT person who was raised with a strict religious upbringing, this is must-see TV.

Here’s our top 10:

1. RuPaul’s Drag Race: This is a no-brainer. Where else do you get to see a bunch of guys do their best to out-dress and perform in a cut-throat battle for ultimate supremacy? OK, but the WWF has much fewer spangles. Here’s the trailer for the new all-star season that kicks off Oct. 22 on Logo:

2. The New Normal: This one even out-gays Modern Family as the main plot line revolves around two well-heeled gay men who want to have a baby. One of the show’s highlights is an all-star turn by Ellen Barkin who plays a straight-talking, silver-tongued Southern great-grandmother who’s anything but warm and fuzzy. But her lines are ever-so thought provoking and quote-worthy, like, “I can’t think of anything else to do except to kill you. Now, unfortunately, I couldn’t live in prison without my Lean Cuisine so I’m open to other options.”

3. The Real L Word: After just wrapping up it’s second season (which went bicoastal with Sapphic story lines in L.A. and New York City), these women of Showtime aren’t afraid to do anything on the small screen. Anything. The most recent season even featured a big lesbian wedding and an openly bisexual character who (gasp) marries a man.

4. True Blood: God might hate fangs but gay audiences love this HBO show. And for good reason. Gorgeous vampires nip and bite at everything. Gender be damned.

5. Modern Family: Cam and Mitch steal the show every time on this NBC sitcom – and they do a great job of showing that their family is just as dysfunctional as any other. Now that’s what we call true equality on television.

6. Glee: They sing. They dance. They pair off in same-sex relationships – sometimes. While the buzz over this FOX sitcom may have died down since many of the longtime characters have graduated from the fictional high school, it’s still set the pace for many other gay-friendly shows that now share precious prime time air time. Here they are doing “Somebody That I Used to Know:”

7. Happy Endings: It’s nice to see a gay guy on a TV sitcom that doesn’t have to be the next Jack McFarland. Max isn’t singled out for his sexuality. He’s just one of the guys – who all tend to be a bit neurotic.

8. Smash: Sure, there are a few gay characters written into this show, but the real gay gem is the Broadway back story and the in-fighting that goes on behind the scenes. It’s a little like All About Eve meets Glee meets … Will & Grace?

9. Revenge: The smattering of gayish moments don’t compare to the over-the-top drama on this cliff-hanger of a show. It reminds us of the campy evening soaps of years past, like Knot’s Landing and Falcon Crest, thanks to the scheming characters and eyebrow-raising plot twists. We could all use some Emily Thorne in our hum-drum lives.

10. Political Animals: A former president and first lady (she’s now secretary of state – hm, where’s they get that idea?) must deal with life on the front lines and in the spotlight with a gay son. We hope they renew this one next season on USA. It doesn’t get anymore powerful than the White House. Here’s a sample of what you may have missed:

Did we forget anything? What’s your favorite (and gayest) show?