30 Characters Showcasing Positive LGBT Representation on TV Right Now
16. The Leslie- Leslie Clark
I’ve found that the best queer representation comes from web series- shorter episodes and mostly found on YouTube. This might be because of the passion behind the creators. Or maybe it’s because the Internet provides a platform for much more complicated and controversial stories. Either way, I’m not ruling this one out.
Created and portrayed by Kate Johnson, The Leslie is a comedic web series that is showcasing Leslie Clark’s coming out story. It’s a collection of entertaining, amusing, and awkward situations that happened to Johnson herself, while she was coming out. The show nails authenticity, as it is truly depicting her own life.
She brings humor to heartbreak and vulnerability to confidence. Johnson plays with lesbian stereotypes a lot, knowing it’s something everyone has dealt with.
"“I think that’s the important thing to remember about stereotypes, even for us in the queer community- while they do exist, not everyone is them, and some people are one, but not all, and they manifest in different ways. That’s sort of what I wanted to explore with Leslie.”"
Stereotypes are harmful, and Johnson knows that, so she’s doing something about it. It’s first season just ended, and we’re all waiting for news of the second.