“It’s not like this was my choice. It’s just who I am.”
We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their favorite coming out scenes on TV. Here are some of the best.
1.
First, on Supergirl, when Alex told Kara that she had feelings for Maggie.
The CW
“I’ve never seen so much of myself in a character before. I cried when I watched Alex coming out and I finally realized ‘that’s me.'”
—RachRave, Twitter
2.
On Shameless, when Mickey came out to a bar filled with his friends and family, and then beat up his dad when he refused to accept his relationship with Ian.
Showtime
“He came out to his homophobic father in a bar full of people because he was tired of hiding and wanted to prove once and for all to the love of his life that he wanted to be with him. I loved this scene so much!”
—k4f241f077
3.
On Schitt’s Creek, when David explained his pansexuality to Stevie with this incredible wine metaphor.
CBC / Pop
“David describing pansexuality was the best explanation ever. It hit me so hard the first time I watched it.”
—amlysl
4.
On Brooklyn Nine-Nine, when Rosa came out to the Nine-Nine and talked about her crushes from Saved By the Bell.
NBC
“The fact that she actually used the word bisexual, which you don’t often hear on TV, was really powerful to me. I finally felt like there was a character who really represented my sexuality.”
—tamarag4468b9feb
5.
When Tess told Randall and Beth that she wanted to explore the possibility of liking girls on This Is Us.
NBC
“Watching a black queer kid just basically say ‘I don’t know but I want to explore this’ meant so much to me!”
—khloebare
6.
On Andi Mack, when Cyrus told Jonah that he was gay.
Disney Channel
“While he previously came out to Andi and Buffy, the moment I loved was when he said ‘I’m gay’ when coming out to Jonah. I honestly never thought I’d hear those words on Disney Channel.”
—rebekahr487aad405
7.
On Riverdale, when Cheryl heartbreakingly came out to Toni after seeing Love, Simon.
The CW
“I loved how emotional and romantic the scene was and Cheryl and Toni are such a cute couple.”
—msky13
8.
When Alec kissed Magnus in the middle of his own wedding on Shadowhunters.
Freeform
“This moment changed everything for me. It’s just a grand gesture, but just encapsulated how amazing Magnus and Alec’s relationship would be.”
—emmagee1023
9.
On Grey’s Anatomy, when Callie introduced her dad to Arizona for the first time.
ABC
“When she realized that she was bisexual, she owned it. She told her religious father off when he tried to ‘pray away the gay.’ She even told her mother off when she refused to accept that her wedding to a woman was a real one. I loved every second of her coming out journey.”
—swakshak
10.
On Dawson’s Creek, when Jack emotionally came out to his dad after he read his poem at school.
Warner Bros.
“Jack’s entire coming out episode was so emotional and it’s one of my favorites.”
—tomg4fc8ba766
11.
When Elena told Penelope that she felt more when she looked at Kristen Stewart than when she kissed a boy on One Day at a Time.
Netflix
“I was 16 years old when I watched this episode and I was really questioning my sexuality. Seeing a girl around my age going through the same problem and be accepted gave me so much hope.”
—reinalex
12.
When Petra admitted that she liked JR and wanted to be with her on Jane the Virgin.
The CW
“Petra putting her heart on the line and taking a leap to be with JR was the sweetest thing ever.”
—sammi_cheerleader101
13.
When Theo came out as trans to his dad on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Netflix
“All Theo’s friends were willing to use his correct name and pronouns from the very beginning and I loved that his dad took him to get a new haircut. Also, I appreciated how the show showcased the difficulties of transitioning and the insecurities Theo felt as a result.”
—samanthab46fff2ef7
14.
When Willow told Buffy that she liked Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Warner Bros.
“Willow coming out to Buffy changed everything for me. Similar to Willow, when I told my sister I was dating a woman, she had a lot of questions I couldn’t answer yet. I only knew that I was in love.”
—LizSnackHere, Twitter
15.
When Ellen told Susan (and the entire airport) that she was gay on Ellen.
ABC
“Ellen DeGeneres coming out on Ellen changed TV forever.”
—camsamjoe
16.
On Pretty Little Liars, when Emily came out to her dad while he was home.
Freeform
“Her coming out was so brave. She knew her parents wouldn’t approve but it was torturing her to keep the secret. I love how supportive her friends are too, especially Hanna.”
—opalsocean
17.
When Schmitt told Nico about how he finally felt seen after they kissed for the first time on Grey’s Anatomy.
ABC
“While Schmitt and Nico had kissed already, Schmitt’s speech to him in the ambulance where he talked about being ‘seen’ for the first time was so important.”
—laurens4f3b2c772
18.
On Schitt’s Creek, when Patrick finally came out to his parents and told them how happy David makes him.
CBC / Pop
“So many queer stories are full of tragedy and darkness, and this brilliant comedy refuses to treat queerness as anything but normal.”
—amlysl
19.
When Kate told Luke she was a lesbian after kissing him on Everything Sucks.
Netflix
“When she finally admitted that she was a lesbian after kissing Luke, it was a perfect and relatable moment. And then, when Luke helped her be proud of who she is was beautiful to watch.”
—smokingkrillz
20.
When Steve and Nell caught Theo after she slept with one of Nell’s bridesmaids on The Haunting of Hill House.
Netflix
“Just the fact that her brother and sister catch her sleeping with a bridesmaid and she’s completely unfazed was brilliant. She’s a legend.”
—haleyh43c774f12
21.
On Master of None, when Denise came out to her mom, and her mom just didn’t want life to be harder for her.
Netflix
“The entire episode was so beautifully done. When Denise came out to her mom, it was so heartbreaking and it showed how hard it can be to come out and be accepted, especially as a person of color.”
—anabanana1234
22.
On Sense8, when Lito came out at the pride parade and brought Hernando on stage with him.
Netflix
“Lito giving a speech at São Paulo Pride and coming out to the world was emotional. He spoke from the heart and his self acceptance was so touching.”
—mbuyss
23.
When Kurt worked up the courage to come out to his dad on Glee.
Fox
“I loved that Burt acknowledged that he’d been homophobic in the past and that he had some work to do, while still being 100% supportive. It was definitely more relevant to my own experience than any ‘perfect’ response from a TV parent.”
—kayefayette
24.
On Wynonna Earp, when Waverly simply hinted to Wynonna that she liked girls.
SYFY
“It was such a simple moment between Waverly and Wynonna, but it made the biggest difference.”
—khushboo22
25.
On A Million Little Things, when Danny told his family that his crush was actually a boy.
ABC
“It was a great example of a young kid coming out to his family and finding pure love and acceptance. I was watching with my dad and began sobbing when I saw it because my own coming out as bi was so stressful.”
—cadieh2
26.
When Jude finally said the words “I’m gay” to Connor during the LGBT prom on The Fosters.
Freeform
“I love how Jude told Connor and made it clear that he wanted to be with him no matter what.”
—opalsocean
27.
On BoJack Horseman, when Todd told BoJack that he was asexual.
Netflix
“His ‘I might be nothing’ speech at the end of Season 3 along with when he came out to BoJack in Season 4 was wonderful to watch.”
—eliseh6
28.
On Glee, when Santana told her grandmother how much she loved Brittany.
Fox
“Her entire coming out storyline for several episodes was amazing and emotional to watch.”
—itsjustunacorn
29.
When Kat told Jane and Sutton that she kissed Adena on The Bold Type.
Freeform
“Queer POC representation is so important, and Kat’s journey has been groundbreaking on so many levels!”
—astracy
30.
When Mr. Ratburn married his husband on Arthur.
PBS
“He didn’t really have a quintessential coming out moment, which I think made it even more powerful. Coming out doesn’t have to be this huge dramatic moment or gesture but something that should be normalized and celebrated.”
—samanthawells513
31.
When Isak’s mom simply sent him a text about loving him after he came out on Skam.
NRK
“It was such a simple but beautiful moment and the sheer relief and joy on his face makes me cry every time.”
—baileyukulele
32.
On Degrassi, when Marco heartbreakingly came out to Spinner after going on a date with Hazel.
CTV
“Every episode that featured Marco coming out to a different person was so emotional.”
—rmadu13
33.
On Marvel’s Runaways, when Karolina kissed Nico for the first time at the school dance.
Hulu
“Despite everything going on in his life, Karolina decided to risk it all and tell Nico how she felt about her. It was so perfect and it’s amazing to see a lesbian superhero on screen.”
—singingdolphin
34.
When Grizz decided to come out to Gwen after she crawled into his tent on The Society:
Netflix
“The fact that he was planning on coming out in college, but then got stuck in town with all of his high school friends, and still felt comfortable owning his sexuality was amazing.”
—ktk8895
35.
And finally, when Daryl sang “Gettin’ Bi” on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
The CW
“Daryl singing about being bi was hands down one of the best moments on the show.”
—gracel40657a1e1
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