As Pride comes to an end, it's important to remember that honoring the idea behind Pride should be a goal all year long. One of the most critical issues facing not only the LGBTQ+ community but all marginalized communities is more representation onscreen.
A great way that television series have started to integrate this representation onscreen is by showing depictions of Pride celebrations onscreen. In addition, more shows across multiple genres have started to get in on the act, either by putting on virtual Pride parades or producing episodes taking place at some of the best-known Pride celebrations around the country.
Food Fetish
Here TV decided to feature a celebration of Pride in the second episode of their second season of popular lifestyle show Food Fetish. Aptly titled "Pride Edition," the episode focuses on celebrity chef Susan Feniger.
Audiences may recognize Feniger not only from her many successful restaurants in Los Angeles but also from her many guest spots on television. She was a contestant in the 2014 star chef entry of Cutthroat Kitchen, and she served as a guest judge this past April on Hell's Kitchen. She has also appeared on other fictional shows, such as Bones.
Feniger is an accomplished chef and restaurateur and a prominent member of the LGBTQ+ community, identifying as a lesbian. She serves as a board member for the LGBT Center of LA and is happily committed to being Liz Lachman's partner.
Paley Center's Salute To Pride
For the first time, the Paley Center decided to have an entire section dedicated to Pride this year. Though many special moments that highlight the advancements made over the past eight decades were shared for the entire month on their site, there is one that stands out in particular.
The PaleyImpact: Salute to LGBTQ+ Pride Achievements in Television is a panel that kicked off the whole celebration, featuring some of the most successful and popular members of the LGBTQ+ community from Hollywood and sports. The panel discussed the past and present and offered an outlook of what the future may look like in terms of onscreen representation in their respective fields.
Senior Prom
For those familiar with PBS, the name Independent Lens is synonymous with well-made short documentaries that tackle some of the most important social issues today, and their episode Senior Prom is no different. Part of the PBS Voices channel, Senior Prom takes audiences into the halls of Triangle Square, which is a retirement home full of elderly members of the community.
In the short, the cameras follow these truly remarkable groundbreaking activists as they work to put on their own prom. In the world these residents grew up in, it was illegal to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It was forbidden. They never had the prom that so many youths look back on fondly. As they plan their prom, they also look back at the movement's history, sharing stories from their lives fighting for civil rights and freedom.
Blue's Clues Parade
In a truly unique collaboration, Nickelodeon's long-running staple hit Blue's Clues, and You paired up with Nina West of RuPaul's Drag Race fame to produce a virtual Pride parade. In the parade, an animated version of West sings as an entire group of LGBTQ+ community members and allies marches by.
Though it has seen many conservative critiques, the virtual parade has also allowed many kids who do not see families who look like theirs often in entertainment an opportunity to do so in one of the longest-running and most well-known cartoons around. It is truly a beautiful step forward for LGBTQ+ representation in the world of today's children.
S-O-N Season 3
South of Nowhere was a teen drama that aired for three seasons on The N, which began its life as Noggin. Following the popular import from Canada, Degrassi: The Next Generation, the show focused on teen Spencer Carlin as she came to terms with her sexuality in the home of devout Catholics.
In the eighth episode of the final season, Spencer has come out and is excited to go to her first Pride parade. She wants her parents to come with her, but her mother, who did not have a good reaction to Spencer coming out, claims she has to work. Spencer doesn't buy it.
Spencer's ex, Ashley, who is trying to reconnect with her, also is initially unable to attend. But, in a twist of fate, both become available after Spencer leaves with her Dad. Burying the hatchet and working through their significant issues, the two end up surprising Spencer at Pride and make great strides in all of their relationships.
Queer As Folk Season 2
Queer as Folk was adapted from the British series of the same name and ran for five seasons on Showtime. Set in Pittsburgh, PA, the series was one of the first to show the lives of both men and women who belonged to the LGBTQ+ community.
Though the show skewed towards gay men - with only one lesbian couple in the mix - it was groundbreaking nonetheless. In the fourth episode of their second season, the main crew worked hard to overcome multiple obstacles that kept popping up to prevent them from attending Pittsburgh Pride. The issues range from a fight over an ex to fear of attending the first Pride, and it really gave every community member a chance to see themselves onscreen.
The L Word Season 2
Following the success of Queer As Folk, LGBTQ+ icon Ilene Chaiken headed up a creative team that decided to create a show that followed a group of lesbians living and loving in LA. "Loud & Proud" was the 11th episode in season two of The L Word, and the episode was quite unique for its time.
In "Loud & Proud," the gang is seen enjoying the many aspects offered by the LA Pride Parade. Among the joy, a lot of personal revelations occur to help the season's greater storyline. Additionally, it does a great job of portraying the many things often offered at Pride celebrations. The episode also shows the juxtaposition of people who have been to Pride multiple times, are at their first Pride, or are using the time to come out to loved ones.
Pose Season 2
Though it seems strange to have Pose on here since there hasn't been a full-on depiction of Pride on the show, there was a significant nod to Pride in the finale of the second season of FX's hit show, which sadly has come to an end after its third season.
Based on the Kiki house drag scene culture that existed very strongly in NYC in the 1980s - 90s, Pose is full of great characters - both loved and hated by the show's multitude of fans. The second season finale features the annual Mother's Day ball and the return of Blanca, one of the staples of the scene coming back from her hospital bed.
As she performs, the end of her lip-sync is accentuated by two flags - the flag of her chosen house family and the Philadelphia Pride Flag. Though it was introduced in 2017 by Amber Hikes, long after the show was set, it increased its visibility, making for a memorial moment on the show.
Pride Season 1
Another FX entry tops the list. Pride is a six-part docuseries directed by all LGBTQ+ directors, covering the civil rights struggles that the LGBTQ+ community has fought since the 1950s.
Episode two of the series is "1960s: Riots and Revolutions" and it focuses on the birth of the Pride movement. The episode really drives home that the fights that started it all - specifically the Stonewall Riots - were fought marginalized members of the community, such as queer and trans woman of color and young men of color.
The show documents how those POC community members were the ones in the front of the line, taking the brunt of the damage and making the most noise, refusing to lay down and hide who they were any longer.