Around the turn of the millennium, queer representation on television took a leap forward. Shows like Queer as Folk and Will & Grace threw open a window into gay life — relationships, heartbreak, identity, all laid bare. For many queer viewers, it was the first time they saw their lives reflected in mainstream media in full color.
Back then, few networks dared to center a show around gay men. That risk made the payoff all the greater. Queer as Folk didn’t sanitize anything: it tackled HIV, addiction, complicated love, heartbreak, even sex scenes — all while refusing to treat its characters as caricatures.
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