30 Characters Showcasing Positive LGBT Representation on TV Right Now

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12. Black Sails- Eleanor Guthrie

So Black Sails is great. It has good representation. It’s even being called TV’s Most Revolutionary Show.

By the looks of it, you’d think it’s a mix between pirates, deception, and defeat. But let’s talk about Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New), played by the nothing less than stunning Hannah New. She is the daughter of the wealthiest black marketeer in the Bahamas and the chief supplier of the pirate crews of New Providence Island.

She oversees the front end of the smuggling business, dealing with ruthless pirates, day after day. She’s built a tough skin and backs down to nobody. Her main relationship is with Charles (Zack McGowan) and is the show’s main heterosexual relationship, but is far from ordinary. Eleanor is queer and her power in this 1700s love story is anything but average. Afterellen asked New about her role in this show:

"“Some people might feel that by not defining her, it kind of draws away from her identifying with a particular group but I actually think that it’s a stronger move to be a fluid woman whose sexuality is completely her own and she’s in control of it and she doesn’t have to answer to anyone. It’s incredibly empowering. I can’t express how excited I am about it.”"