Celebrating Valentine's Day with Our Favorite LGBTQ+ TV Couples

Cam and Mitchell ("Modern Family")

Most shows with LGBTQ+ couples depict the formative years of the relationship. "Modern Family" goes in the other direction with Cameron and Mitchell. This married couple is already years into their partnership. They bicker, have inside jokes, and raise a family like any middle-class American unit. "Modern Family" revolutionized queer storytelling on network TV by recognizing that these two men live in a non-heteronormative household. Still, the plot lines aren't obsessed with the characters being gay. Sexuality is a part of the discussion, but it's integrated into the themes and overarching stories of the series with subtlety.

Susan and Carol ("Friends")

"Friends" gets criticized a lot for not aging well. Jokes about masculinity, gender roles, and queer people sometimes take center stage at the wrong time. Still, the lesbian relationship between Susan and Carol might deserve more adulation than it receives. Ross's ex-wife, Carol, and her partner, Susan, joined in loving matrimony in one of the very first LGBTQ+ weddings ever put to screen. Despite some cringeworthy, outdated jokes about Ross turning Carol gay, the series was brave for representing lesbians at a time when it simply wasn't shown on TV.

Wilhelm and Simon ("Young Royals")

"Young Royals" is the best queer show that many people may not have heard about. This Swedish drama has transfixed viewers to the screen with the electric chemistry built between Prince Wilhelm and Simon. Their love often gets muddled with confusion and political strife as Wilhelm must figure out whether he's obligated to his country or to his heart. Simon's patience with Wilhelm makes him even more likable, and the couple are ready to conclude their romance story with the third and final season of the show on Netflix this coming March!

Rue and Jules ("Euphoria")

"Euphoria" may not be everyone's cup of tea. The infamous HBO drama utilizes a few too many nudity shots and drug binge scenes, but the LGBTQ+ themes underneath the mess of mature content make for compelling romance. Rue and Jules are two teenage girls inundated with intense mental health problems and drug addiction (for Rue), while Jules grapples with transphobia. Zendaya and Hunter Schafer ground this pairing with a genuine, tender touch that brings their scenes to a crescendo of emotional fireworks.