How do I begin to describe the experience of crawling through the desert of my broken mind in search of queer characters for this month’s streaming guide, I suppose I could begin by calling it difficult, while also educational! When there’s nothing big to center the guide around, I am forced to look deeply into every single show in the entire universe in search of a bit lesbian character and it turns out many of them have been here all along! But often in ways that are kind of ambiguous, not important enough for us to know about it until this month’s research… and in most cases, I can’t figure out if they’re gonna do anything else gay in the future. One can only pray.
That said, September is a month with some good stuff coming your way in general, even though that stuff is not centered on queer women, including stuff with gay male characters and stuff starring queer female actors. Normally I wouldn’t even mention this stuff but… desperate times! There’s gonna be three (3) Ryan Murphy projects such as horror show Grotesquerie, starring out actors Neicy Nash-Betts and Micaela Diamond, which debuts September 25th on FX. Will anybody be lesbians? Hard to say. Gay genius Brian Jordan Alvarez‘s comedy English Teacher debuts September 2 on FX (Alvarez stars, and his character is gay). Zachary Quinto is starring in a new NBC medical drama (I watched a few screeners and didn’t love it… but it’s a win to have a gay male lead character on network TV) called Brilliant Minds. Bisexual Batwoman Javica Leslie is back on the small screen in the new sitcom High Potential, and Laverne Cox stars in the adaptation of Scott Westerfield’s Uglies. Disney+’s Agatha All Along is doing the thing where they appear in queer press talking about how “queer audiences” will love the show despite it not actually having an actual queer character, but it feels like it’ll probably be popular with you guys.
Anyhow, let’s get into the few small moments for queer audiences this month. Once again the award goes to Prime Video for doing the least!
New, Gay and Streaming on Netflix in September 2024
Selling Sunset // Season 8 // September 6
Queer real estate queen Crishell Stause returns for a season in which we are told that “the luxury real estate market is in crisis,” which is probably the least compelling crisis I’ve considered in my lifetime. But I imagine Crishell’s wife G-Flip will pop up.
Nobody Wants This // Season One // September 25
This show was so charming and witty and delightful and full of talent that I didn’t even care that the lesbian character barley shows up at all! Kristen Bell is Joanne, who hosts a podcast about her chaotic sex and dating life with her sister Morgan. At a dinner party hosted by her lesbian friend Ashley (Sherry Cola), she meets Noah (Adam Brody), a rabbi, with whom she develops immediate banter and connection — but will it be enough to overcome the perils of being a gentile dating a rabbi? Tovah Feldshuh is Noah’s Mom, Timothy Simons (Jonah from Veep) is his brother, D’Arcy Carden is another friend of Joanne’s. I really enjoyed this, especially ’cause so many shows focused on Jewish families or communities exited for a minute and now they don’t anymore. (e.g., Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Transparent, Broad City, The Marvelous Miss Maisel)
Will & Harper (2024) // September 27
Will Ferrell’s close friend Harper, a longtime writer for Saturday Night Live, comes out as a trans woman to Ferrell and then the twosome take a road trip together, meeting trans people in American small towns, talking about her life and her experiences, and face-timing Kristin Wiig to write them an inspirational theme song.
Hulu’s Queer Stuff for September 2024
The Great North // Season 4B // Fox // September 1
Did you know that Jane Lynch is a lesbian in this adult animated series? I did not and now I do
Tell Me Lies // Season 2 // Hulu // September 5
In Season One of this twisted and pretty mid thriller set in a small private college and centered on a toxic relationship between a heterosexual girl and a heterosexual man, it seemed that Pippa (best friend of lead character Lucy) was exploring her sexuality a bit with Lucy’s lesbian roommate, Charlie. In Season Two, the twists keep twisting and Pippa is involved in a very unexpected queer relationship.
The Old Man // Season Two Premiere // FX // September 13
This revenge action-thriller was apparently a huge hit in 2022 and I didn’t notice a thing! Jeff Bridges is Dan Chase, a former CIA operative forced out of hiding when a former adversary hunts him down for revenge. Season One ended with gay character “Emily Chase” (Alia Shawkat) being kidnapped by terrorists in Afghanistan, and in Season Two, three men including Chase, all claiming her as their daughter, set off to recover her.
Child Star (2024) // Hulu // September 17th
Directed by bisexual star Demi Lovato, this documentary will explore the challenges and rewards of growing up in the spotlight including conversations with queer former child stars including Raven-Symoné, JoJo Siwa, Alyson Stoner and Drew Barrymore.
9-1-1: Lone Star // Season 5 Premiere // Fox // September 23
Main 9-1-1 dispatcher, Grace, leaves the show, meaning Owen (Rob Lowe) has to make a “difficult decision” after Marjan (Natacha Karam) and Paul (trans actor Brian Michael Smith) both apply to take her spot.
Social Studies // Series Premiere // FX // September 27
It seems impossible that this “character-driven series offering intimate access” to the lives and phones of L.A. Teenagers which “promises an urgent journey into the coming of age of digital natives” will not contain any queer humans. It’s directed by Lauren Greenfield (Generation Wealth, The Queen of Versailles, Thin), who tends to exclusively explore topics I’m specifically interested in so I will indeed be checking it out.
9-1-1 // Season 8 Premiere // ABC // September 27th
Finally, we will get the long-awaited episode in which 22 million killer bees descend upon Los Angeles!
Grey’s Anatomy // Season 21 Premiere // ABC // September 27th
Queer actor Natalie Morales is joining the recurring cast this season after last season’s guest run as Dr. Monica Beltran, a new pediatric surgeon at Grey Sloan going through a messy divorce and being a potential love interest for Winston (Anthony Hill) and Amelia (Caterina Scorsone).
Paramount +’s Bisexual September 2024
Colin from Accounts // Season Two // September 26
In Season One of this Australian comedy, we saw Chiara catch feelings for Megan (Emma Harvie), despite being married with kids. In Season Two, one of the episode descriptions promises Megan having a “new girlfriend” and we also see her (clothes on) in bed with Chiara and Brett (who also liked Megan). So that’s exciting!
MGM+ Exists With Queers in September 2024
From // Season 3 Premiere // September 22 // MGM+
This supernatural horror series is often compared to Lost for its genre-blending and twisty narratives. Chloe Van Landschoot is (gay) Township doctor Kristi Miller, a former paramedic, who was separated from her fiancee (Kaelen Amara Ohm) when she got trapped in a nightmarish Middle American town plagued by evil creatures. When Season Three opens, Boyd is feeling the town slip away from him as the weather gets colder and the residents grow more desperate.
HBO Max Has Two Gay Movies This September 2024
I Saw the TV Glow (2024) // September 20
This horror-drama from trans director Jane Schoenbrun stars Justice Smith as Owen and Brigette Lundy-Paine as Maddie, two high school students drawn to each other over their mutual obsession with a fantasy TV show. For Owen, the attachment is informed by his yet-unnamed transness. Drew writes that I Saw The TV Glow “is about the art that shapes us, even if someday we grow beyond it. The film warns against looking at this art with dismissal or disdain.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2023) // HBO Max // September 20
“More whodunnit murder mystery than slasher,” Kayla writes of this film stacked with queer actors and characters, “Bodies Bodies Bodies is a comedy of errors in which destructive friendships have a deadly cost.”
Starz Kinda
Three Women // Limited Series Premiere // September 13
I read the non-fiction book by Lisa Taddeo on which this was based and honestly wasn’t a huge fan (although I loved her novel Animal), and also I remember even the minor queer aspects of this story being… less queer than I’d hoped. But, we are grasping for straws in September and this is one of them. Sloane, one of the three women followed in this exploration of sexuality through personal narrative, is a successful woman navigating an open marriage with her husband, which does include some sexual encounters with other women.
Heads up, and I apologize if I’m wrong, but I think you confused Brian Jordan Alvarez’s new show, English Teacher, with the show Social Studies in the second paragraph and then had Social Studies on the calendar list but not English Teacher. English Teacher comes out September 2nd on FX (so I’m assuming Hulu the next day) and I’m obviously very excited and thrilled for Brian!
thank you, it’s been fixed!
Is this list of lesbian romances of this month or heterosexual romances of this month?
Because almost all the works you mentioned (except From and 9-1-1 and Bodies Bodies Bodies) are essentially heterosexual. And it is not known whether they will have a queer romance or not.
However, please don’t predict. Because you usually don’t predict correctly like Fallout.
She mentions in the intro that there wasn’t much in terms of gay centric tv shows released this month
hmm, when i wrote about fallout, what i’d said was that i’d done research into the game as best i could, seen there were queer aspects of the game at some point, didn’t understand what to expect in the show, and so i asked y’all (the readers) to share your knowledge with me about it because I wasn’t sure what to expect! i didn’t predict or promise anything, I don’t think, I’d have no reason to do so. i spend about 30 hours on each of these guides, but i don’t and can’t know everything, and sci-fi/fantasy can be especially confusing. unfortunately prime video didn’t give us press screeners for Fallout (they’re usually pretty good about screeners), but I watched the entire series the day it came out so I could update the guide accordingly, in addition to using the info I got from all of you. (it did end up having a minor non-binary character, but like…. very minor)
as lex said, i’m open in the intro about exactly what we’re working with this month.
i think honestly the answers to your question for me is right there in the blurb for every show. i don’t think i oversold anything, i told you about the character and the size of their role. certainly if i was in charge of the teevee there would be a lot more sapphic romance going on! alas i am not i am just here with you
Why so sour darling?
Vi, why so sour?
Kaos! On Netflix. Don’t sleep on this show. A central character is trans (played by a trans actor) plus Greek gods, queer sex, good writing, & gay relationships. Worth a watch and a write up.
oh amazing!! thank you for the tip! i had wondered about that show but netflix didn’t release screeners until deep into the month. i will check it out!!
Made by Charlie Covell. The Fates are all NB/trans, including Suzy Izzard. The Furies are a group of motorcycle-riding dykes. Lots of very casual (but intentional) queer casting. I really enjoyed the show and am still thinking about it. Hoping for another season.
Of course, as far as I know, Kaos doesn’t have queer women.
That’s why it can’t be in this list.
Darling Riese,
Wonderful tip of yours, that Jane Lynch is in The Great North. I’m a big fan of hers since I saw her playing this lawyer character ‘Joyce’ in the L Word. Since then I’ve been watching all things where she’s in.
thank you!
Joe Locke’s character in Agatha All Along is gay. He’s playing “Teen”, widely speculated to be a known gay Marvel character, Billy Kaplan.
(There’s speculation about Aubrey Plaza’s character, Rio Vidal and Agatha potentially having been together in the past, but this is at least two queer actors in the cast and one confirmed queer character minimum)
This summer was really bad.
But it seems that a very good and busy autumn is waiting for us.
For example, I know that at least 3 very good series and a masterpiece are waiting for us in November.
Bad Sisters
Harley Quinn
The Sex Lives of College Girls
Arcane (Masterpiece)
But I wish some series were aired in summer. In this way, we had a better summer and autumn was not so crowded.