Like, 20 years ago the idea of a genre show with a queer main character-- and explicitly and confirmatorily queer content that leaves no ambiguity on the subject-- would have made studio execs piss themselves laughing. The idea of straight, mainstream actors and directors crossing the once uncrossable divide between 'gay' and 'mainstream' to participate in and make high quality, non-ambigious and unabashedly queer content would have been absurd, because it would have been career ending. But now, at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century, we're seeing more LGBT characters on TV than ever before. And the biggest reaction from studios has been to acknowledge, for the first time, that we actually exist! And we're a market worth investing in! And the most overwhelming reaction from mainstream audiences, who have for so long shut us out because 'we don't appeal to everyone', is that it's actually totally fine, and not a big deal really. Honestly, i'll take that apathy over open hostility.

These past 3 years have made me feel increasingly validated for wanting and expecting queerness on my screen, and determined not to settle for the scraps LGBT folks have been force fed for the last 30 years. We deserve shows like our flag is black, gentleman jack, heartstopper, euphoria, sex education, vigil, killing eve, english scandal, tom swift, kinnporsche (and the entire renaissance occuring in the BL genre especially in Thailand rn), its a sin, every fuckin 2000s reboot thats in the pipeline, and every other wholesome, shitty, beautiful, problematic, heartbreaking, inspiring, entertaining queer show out there. And more.

Hi. If you’re like me and really mad that Netflix cancelled I Am Not Okay With This and want to watch something that’s enough like it to keep you at least a little satisfied, here are five shows! It should be noted that most of these shows have been cancelled too because capitalism sucks and streaming services are the worst. I will make a note of which ones were cancelled so you don’t have to get your hopes up, but they are all based on books/comic books so you can always check those out as well. Also check out the trigger warnings for these shows, they deal with some pretty heavy topics.

Impulse

Okay, I get it, YouTube Red, but no, really, this show is amazing and almost exactly like I am Not Okay with This. It’s about a girl named Henry Coles who has a history of seizures, and when she goes through a traumatic event, she finds that she has the ability to teleport, but she isn’t really all that skilled yet so she ends up blowing shit up, but with the help of her trusty sidekick Townes and her friend Jenna, she hopes she can get better. Townes reminds me a lot of Stan, and Jenna is a lot like Dina (although it should be stated that Henry is straight.) Henry is a lot like Sydney; they’re both angry, live with their single moms where their dads disappeared/died under sketchy circumstances, and they have a lot of trouble asking for help, and they’re not the most well liked people/characters. Note: this show was cancelled after season two and did end with a frustrating cliff hanger, but hey, one more season than ianowt!

The End of the F***ing World

Made by who I’m pretty sure is the same creator, this show isn’t as bad as it seems, I swear! It’s about James, who is pretty sure he’s a psychopath and becomes friends with our loveable and angsty Alyssa in order to kill her, but as they find themselves running away and adapting to their new life away from adults and responsibility, they’re not exactly who they expected them to be. It’s brilliantly written, it’s incredibly heartfelt, and this show ended on its own terms with a very satisfying conclusion. I know you may not be attracted to the idea of a guy getting with a girl under the pretense of murdering and torturing her, but I swear, give it a chance, and you won’t be disappointed.

Jessica Jones

While not revolving around teenagers, Jessica and Syd have something in common: they both have anger issues and have gone through trauma! You can see I have a pattern here, huh. Jessica Jones is the story of a private investigator (who also incidentally has powers) who has to deal with her trauma when her abuser comes strolling back into her life. This show sadly was cancelled after it’s third season, but I don’t think it ended on a cliffhanger.

The Magicians

The Magicians is about the character Quentin Coldwater discovering that magic really does exist and that the books he adored as a kid may not have been fiction. It tells the tale of Quentin going to Brakebills, a college for those with magic, and he and a group of others learning how to use their powers all the while trying to discern something mysterious and terrifying going on. This show is really dark, but it’s also campy and hilarious. It did get cancelled after five seasons, but I’m not sure if it ended with a cliffhanger as I never did watch the final season. My favorite thing about this show is the reality that magic isn’t all that it seems, and that it does come with a price. I can’t recommend this show enough.

Deadly Class