30 Characters Showcasing Positive LGBT Representation on TV Right Now

25. Empire- Tiana Brown

Tiana Brown (Serayah McNeill) is a bisexual character in Empire, a musical drama series on Fox. The show follows a hip-hop music company, Empire Entertainment, and the drama between the eccentric family that runs it. In its third season now, Empire has seen a fair share of LGBT characters but I believe Tiana’s is one of their best.

McNeill was signed as a series regular in the show’s second season and continues to be an excellent addition. Her story first began with Hakeem Lyon (Bryshere Y. Gray), a son of the Empire dynasty. They had a short-lived relationship, for publicity and to enhance her music career. It was later revealed that Tiana was in a relationship with a woman.

While the relationship between Tiana and her female lover didn’t last long, it’s important to note how her sexuality was revealed, and how she dealt with it. Yes, it was purposefully and viciously revealed. Yes, someone video taped her and her girlfriend making out and released it to the press. Yes, it was supposed to destroy her. But here’s the thing- it didn’t, and that’s what’s important here. Tiana embraced it completely, and didn’t let the public’s opinion bring her down.