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List of LGBT characters in modern written fiction

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This is a List of LGBT characters in modern written fiction. The historical concept and definition of sexual orientation varies and has changed greatly over time; for example the word "gay" wasn't used to describe sexual orientation until the mid 20th century. A number of different classification schemes have been used to describe sexual orientation since the mid-19th century, and scholars have often defined the term 'sexual orientation' in divergent ways. Indeed, several studies have found that much of the research about sexual orientation has failed to define the term at all, making it difficult to reconcile the results of different studies.[1][2][3] However, most definitions include a psychological component (such as the direction of an individual's erotic desire) and/or a behavioural component (which focuses on the sex of the individual's sexual partner/s). Some prefer to simply follow an individual's self-definition or identity. See homosexuality and bisexuality for criteria that have traditionally denoted lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

Items listed here must have verifiable third-party sources commenting on the sexuality of the character(s) in question, and additional explanation may be necessary. Citing the work itself may be appropriate if an applicable quote is provided. Additionally, only notable/significant characters from a given work (which may have multiple LGBT characters) need to be listed here.

In a historical sense, literature as we understand it is a fairly new innovation, and the current concept of homosexuality is even fresher from the cultural oven. It's no great surprise, then, that gay literature ­­­­­­­­— or even gay characters in literature ­­­­— are so relatively new as to still be shiny. Nonetheless, there are gay characters that broke barriers and became cultural touchstones ...

— Kilian Meloy, "Influential Gay Characters in Literature"
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Alec Nightrunner series Lynn Flewelling Bisexual [4]
Alexander the Great Fire from Heaven
The Persian Boy 		Mary Renault Bisexual [5]
Armand The Vampire Chronicles Anne Rice Bisexual; In the novel The Vampire Armand, he is shown to have sexual relations with a number of people of both sexes, including Marius de Romanus and Bianca Solderini. [6]
Vanyel Ashkevron The Last Herald Mage trilogy Mercedes Lackey [7]
Nancy "Nan" Astley Tipping the Velvet Sarah Waters Lesbian; main character who has sexual/romantic relationships with three other women as well as other casual sexual encounters. [8]

B

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Bagoas The Persian Boy Mary Renault Gay [5]
Florence Banner Tipping the Velvet Sarah Waters Lesbian; has a sexual/romantic relationship with the main character. [9]
Mr. Benson Mr. Benson John Preston Gay [5]
Frank Berry The Hotel New Hampshire John Irving Identifies as gay. [10]
Molly Bolt Rubyfruit Jungle Rita Mae Brown Lesbian; main character who has numerous romantic and sexual relationships with other women. [11]
Dave Brandstetter Dave Brandstetter Mysteries Joseph Hansen [12]
Beebo Brinker The Beebo Brinker Chronicles Ann Bannon Lesbian [13]
Coach Harlan Brown The Front Runner Patricia Nell Warren Gay [5]
Kitty Butler Tipping the Velvet Sarah Waters Bisexual; has a sexual/romantic relationship with the main character as well as marrying a man. [9]

C

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Beth Ayers/Cullison The Beebo Brinker Chronicles Ann Bannon [13]
Jason Carrillo Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez gay [14]

D

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Anne Damer Life Mask Emma Donoghue Lesbian; has a sexual/romantic relationship with another woman. [15]
David Giovanni's Room James Baldwin Bisexual [5]
Selina Dawes Affinity Sarah Waters Lesbian; has a sexual/romantic relationship with another woman. [16]
Ennis del Mar Brokeback Mountain Annie Proulx Main character who has a long term sexual relationship with another man as well as being married to a woman. Critics have described him variously as gay, bisexual, or occasionally as a heterosexual. [17][18]
Paul Denton The Rules of Attraction Bret Easton Ellis Bisexual, falls in love with main character (a man) [19]
Sarah Dowling Patience and Sarah Isabel Miller [20]
Albus Dumbledore Harry Potter series JK Rowling Gay [21] [22] [23] [24]
Clive Durham Maurice E. M. Forster Gay [25]

F

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Lucy Farinelli Kay Scarpetta novels Patricia Cornwell Lesbian; niece of the main character. Has several romantic relationships with other women as well as many casual sexual encounters with other women. [26]
Simon Foster A Fairly Honourable Defeat Iris Murdoch Gay [27]

G

Dorian Gray was one of the first in a long list of hedonistic fellows whose homosexual tendencies secured a terrible fate.

— Drew Banks, as quoted in "Influential Gay Characters in Literature"
Character name Book Author Details Reference
Giovanni Giovanni's Room James Baldwin Gay [5]
Nelson Glassman Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez Gay [14]
Dorian Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde Gay [5]

H

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Maurice Hall Maurice E. M. Forster Gay [28]
Basil Hallward The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde Gay [29]
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen Dune Frank Herbert Gay;[30] Harkonnen's sexual preference for men is implied in Dune and Children of Dune, and presented more explicitly in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. [31]
Basil Henderson Invisible Life
Just As I Am
Abide With Me 		E. Lynn Harris Bisexual [5] [32]

J

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Ruth Jamison Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Fannie Flagg Lesbian; main character who has long-term romantic relationship with another woman. [33]

K

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Annie Kenyon Annie on My Mind Nancy Garden Lesbian [34]
Joel Harrison Knox Other Voices, Other Rooms Truman Capote Gay [35]

L

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Laura Landon The Beebo Brinker Chronicles Ann Bannon [13]
Diana Leathaby Tipping the Velvet Sarah Waters Lesbian; has a sexual relationship with the main character and other women. [9]
Maud Lilly Fingersmith Sarah Waters Lesbian; main character who has a sexual/romantic relationship with another woman. [36]
Lestat de Lioncourt The Vampire Chronicles Anne Rice Though Lestat's sexual orientation is never implicitly specified, he is attracted to and has intense relationships with members of both sexes (though mostly men). Most notably, he shares a bed with Nicolas de Lenfent (while still human) and later falls "fatally in love" with Louis de Pointe du Lac. [6]

M

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Malone Dancer from the Dance Andrew Holleran Gay [37]
Dirk McDonald Baby Be-Bop, Weetzie Bat Francesca Lia Block Gay [38]
Kyle Meeks Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez Gay [14]
Christopher Metcalfe Now and Then William Corlett Gay; main character who has a sexual & romantic relationship as a boy with another boy at school. Later has sexual relationships with other men and eventually pursues a romantic relationship with another man. [39]

N

Character name Book Author Details Reference
The Narrator Written on the Body Jeanette Winterson Bisexual; main character of unspecified gender who has sexual/romantic relationships with men and women. Some reviewers describe the narrator as a lesbian. [40][41]
Alex Nilsson A Fairly Honourable Defeat Iris Murdoch Gay [27]

P

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Louis de Pointe du Lac The Vampire Chronicles Anne Rice Though his sexual orientation is never implicitly specified, Louis finds Lestat de Lioncourt attractive, and the two have some sexual relationship. [6]
Margaret Prior Affinity Sarah Waters Lesbian; main character who pursues a romantic relationship with another woman. [16]

S

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Danny Slocum The Confessions of Danny Slocum George Whitmore Gay [5]
Stefen The Last Herald Mage trilogy Mercedes Lackey Gay [7]

T

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Idgie Threadgoode Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Fannie Flagg Lesbian; main character who has long-term romantic relationship with another woman, and sexual encounters with one other woman. [33]
Sue Trinder Fingersmith Sarah Waters Lesbian; main character who has a romantic/sexual relationship with another woman. [36]
Jack Twist Brokeback Mountain Annie Proulx Main character who has a long term sexual relationship with another man as well as being married to a woman and having sexual relationships with other men. Critics have described him variously as gay or bisexual. [17][18]
Raymond Tyler Jr. Invisible Life
Just As I Am
Abide With Me 		E. Lynn Harris Bisexual [5] [42]

W

Character name Book Author Details Reference
Patience White Patience and Sarah Isabel Miller [20]
Liza Winthrop Annie on My Mind Nancy Garden Lesbian [34]

X

Character name Book Author Details Reference
X   (Narrator's pseudonym) Boy Culture Matthew Rettenmund Gay; has sexual and romantic relationships with Andrew, Joe and other men. [5]


See also

References

  1. ^ Shively, M.G. (1984). "Research on sexual orientation: definitions and methods". Journal of Homosexuality. vol. 9 (no. 2/3): pp. 127-137. doi:10.1300/J082v09n02_08. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |issue= has extra text (help); |pages= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Gerdes, L.C. (1988). The Developing Adult (Second Edition ed.). Durban: Butterworths; Austin, TX: Butterworth Legal Publishers. ISBN 0409101885. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  3. ^ Sell, Randall L. (1997). "Defining and Measuring Sexual Orientation: A Review: How do you define sexual orientation?". Archives of Sexual Behavior. vol. 26 (no. 6): pp. 643-658. Retrieved 2007-07-11. {{cite journal}}: |issue= has extra text (help); |pages= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Jamneck, Lynne (2005). "An Interview with Lynn Flewelling". Writing-World.com. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Meloy, Kilian (2007-09-24). ""Influential Gay Characters in Literature"". AfterElton.com. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  6. ^ a b c Haggerty, George E. (1998). "Anne Rice and the queering of culture". Novel: A Forum on Fiction. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  7. ^ a b Lackey, Mercedes (2005). "Ask Misty Archive - Valdemar". The World of Mercedes Lackey. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  8. ^ "Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters (review)". Powell's Books. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  9. ^ a b c "Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters (review)". Barnes & Noble.com. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  10. ^ "The Hotel New Hampshire Review". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
  11. ^ Day, Frances Ann (2000). Lesbian and Gay Voices: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Literature. Korea: Greenwood Press. p. 20. ISBN 0313311625.
  12. ^ Walker, Peter. "Dave Brandstetter". ThrillingDetective.com. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  13. ^ a b c Yndigoyen, Rose (2005-07-16), The Beebo Brinker Chronicles, retrieved 2007-07-22
  14. ^ a b c Emert, Toby (2002), "An Interview with Alex Sanchez, Author of Rainbow Boys", ALAN Review, retrieved 2007-10-10
  15. ^ "Life Mask by Emma Donoghue". BiblioFemme. Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  16. ^ a b Holcombe, Garan (2005). "Sarah Waters - Critical Perspective". ContemporaryWriters.com. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  17. ^ a b Phillips, Richard (2000). De-Centering Sexualities: Politics and Representations Beyond the Metropolis. Routledge. pp. 2–5. ISBN 0415194652. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ a b Rood, Karen Lane (2001). Understanding Annie Proulx. Univ of South Carolina Press. pp. 187–190. ISBN 1570034028.
  19. ^ Behling, Harold John (2002-07-03), "The Rules of Attraction's bleak originality shows character study", University Chronicle, retrieved 2007-10-06
  20. ^ a b Katz, Jonathan. "Writing and Publishing Patience and Sarah". Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  21. ^ JK Rowling says wizard Dumbledore is gay, Washington Post, 2007-10-20, retrieved 2007-10-20
  22. ^ "JK Rowling outs Dumbledore as gay". BBC News. 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  23. ^ Rowling dubs Dumbledore of 'Harry Potter' books as gay, retrieved 2007-10-20
  24. ^ "J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character". Yahoo! News. 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  25. ^ Hunter, Richard (2004). Plato's Symposium. Oxford University Press. p. 115. ISBN 0195160797.
  26. ^ Mizejewski, Linda (2004). Hardboiled and High Heeled: The Woman Detective in Popular Culture. Routledge. p. 26. ISBN 0415969719.
  27. ^ a b Grimshaw, Tammy (2005). Sexuality, Gender, And Power In Iris Murdoch's Fiction. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. p. 37. ISBN 0838640613.
  28. ^ Da Silva, Stephen (1998), "Transvaluing immaturity: reverse discourses of male homosexuality in E.M. Forster's posthumously published fiction", Criticism, retrieved 2007-10-06
  29. ^ Horan, Patrick M. (1997). The Importance of Being Paradoxical: Maternal Presence in the Works of Oscar Wilde. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. p. 88. ISBN 0838637337.
  30. ^ Though Harkonnen is the biological father of Lady Jessica, it is noted in Dune that this is because he "once permitted himself to be seduced."
  31. ^ Herbert, Frank. Dune. 'Why haven't you ever bought a Bene Gesserit, Uncle?' Feyd-Rautha asked. 'With a Truthsayer at your side —' 'You know my tastes!' the Baron snapped ... 'This old fool saw through the shielded needle you'd planted in that slave boy's thigh. Right where I'd put my hand on it, eh?'
  32. ^ Amazon.com Editorial review. "Abide With Me". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-10-12. Basil Henderson ... is regularly attending therapy ... although it doesn't seem to be helping him deal with ... his denial of his bisexuality ...
  33. ^ a b Greenhill/Tye (1998). Undisciplined Women: Tradition and Culture in Canada. McGill-Queen's Press. p. 143. ISBN 0773516158.
  34. ^ a b Day, Frances Ann (2000). Lesbian and Gay Voices: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Literature. Korea: Greenwood Press. p. 29. ISBN 0313311625.
  35. ^ Richards, Gary (2005). Lovers And Beloveds: Sexual Otherness In Southern Fiction, 1936-1961. LSU Press. p. 31. ISBN 0807130516.
  36. ^ a b Gilling, Tom (2002-02-24), "Our Mutual Attraction", The New York Times, retrieved 2007-07-07
  37. ^ Bergman, David (2004). The Violet Hour: The Violet Quill and the Making of Gay Culture. Columbia University Press. p. 78. ISBN 0231130503.
  38. ^ Day, Frances Ann (2000). Lesbian and Gay Voices: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Literature. Korea: Greenwood Press. p. 16. ISBN 0313311625.
  39. ^ Now and Then "Now and Then Review". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-07-09. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  40. ^ Stowers, Cath; Purvis, June (1995), (Hetero)sexual Politics - Journeying with Jeanette: Transgressive Travels in Winterson's Fiction, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 0748402950
  41. ^ Gilmore, Leigh (2001). The Limits of Autobiography: Trauma and Testimony. Cornell University Press. p. 127. ISBN 0801486742.
  42. ^ Amazon.com Editorial reviews. "Invisible Life". Amazon.com/Library Journal. Retrieved 2007-10-12.


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