Qmmunity: You Are What You Watch
What’s good and gay on TV these days?
By James Scott, Fri., Feb. 16, 2024
Why’s it so hard to find good, gay television? I’ve been pondering this lately due to depression-induced binging – aka I have almost finished the FULL series of Murder, She Wrote with no gay characters popping up even once. Okay, Harvey Fierstein is in one episode as a divorcé comic artist, but they keep dropping references to ex-wives as though he’s such a heterosexual he’s married multiple women. But the question still stands: What TV shows are out there for the modern adult queer?
Often I ask this and get buried in recs for, I'm sorry, children’s entertainment. I'm not above cartoons – in fact, I watch them all the time as an easy unwind after a long day of typing out gay event copy. Adventure Time is my favorite and does have my favorite 2D gays in it: Marceline and Princess Bubblegum. But sometimes I like to ingest media for adults, and then the well-written queer content grows thinner. Much of it is sanitized to please advertisers or weird studio heads who'd rather can a creative work than suffer it making less than $1 trillion. That just won't do: Real queer people have sex; they swear and spit; they have body hair; and they're – wait for it – problematic! Shiny Netflix-approved LGBTQ+ faces giving each other sexless hugs before extolling the virtues of "community" despite existing in a sort of studio-lot vacuum pales in comparison.
But never let it be said that I whine without also providing an alternative to my whining. There’s definitely shows out there that have queer characters and storylines that rip severely. My favorite right now is vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, which follows a household of swinging vamps who’ll have sex with anyone they like in Neew Yark Ci-tay. It’s also the show that introduced me to Harvey Guillén, who’s both hilarious and badass as gay vampire bodyguard Guillermo de la Cruz. I’m also a fan of recent remake series Dead Ringers, which features not one but TWO Rachel Weiszs as an uncomfortably close pair of twin birthing doctors. They’re gay; they’re in turtlenecks; and they are committing medical malpractice. We love to see it.
Got a show you’ve been vibing on that’s good, queer, and for grownups? Lemme know! I always need more TV to watch while I eat my spaghetti.
Oh, Buy the Way...
While V-Day’s done and gone, Kind Clinic still has on offer some merch that’ll show your love for high-quality LGBTQIA health care in Texas. Over on their Shopify, you can nab hats, shirts, hoodies, and stickers that bear cute phrases and Texas-inspired art. If the models in the photos look familiar, that’s because they’re local icons like Mother Natalie Lepore and DJ Lavender Thug.
Madly Involved
Friday 16, the Future Front House
Curated by Texan Mueni Loko Rudd, this exhibition highlights art from Black creators like Audrey Lyall, Moses Leonardo, Sacugar, and Big Linda. Opening night is this Friday, but the show runs through April 14.
“Not Going Nowhere” Dance Workshop
Saturday 17, ElectrikCity Dance Studio
Led by Legendary Father Akasha Juicy, this workshop will run you through ballroom and dance fundamentals, with movement exploration taught by Adrian J. Flores, house dance taught by Lashay Martin, and voguing taught by Father Akasha.
Electric Sunday
Sunday 18, Coconut Club
Party with Austin’s South Asian Queer club Khush ATX at this late-night mixer. Featuring multi-instrumentalist and DJ Mihir Chandan, Areesha Singh as DJ Reesh, tons of global house and techno, plus live performances by Khush ATX members.
