Best of the decade: What were the top 10 LGBTQ+ shows of the 2010s?

Sense8 (Netflix, 2015-2018)

While we’ve already mentioned Sense8 in another one of our other best of the decade lists, enough cannot be said about this groundbreaking show and its diverse cast. The Wachowski sisters took an idea about interconnectivity and acceptance and turned it into one of the most beautiful sci-fi masterpieces of the decade.

The show centers around eight individuals scattered across the globe, referred to as sensates, who are able to connect with each other telepathically to experience each other’s emotions, knowledge and skills. While everyone has their own personal stories going on, the sensates must unite to protect each other from a villainous government agency who is trying to capture and/or kill them.

The cast of characters include queer characters both on and off the screen. While the sensates are ultimately described as all being pansexual, there are a few standout examples. Trans actress Jamie Clayton plays trans hacktivist Nomi Marks, whose same-sex relationship with Freema Agyeman’s Amanita Caplan is one of the series’ central love stories. Spanish actor Miguel Angel Silvestre plays a closeted Spanish action movie star who struggles with coming out at the risk of losing his long-time lover. Brian J. Smith, who recently came out as gay, plays Chicago police officer Will Gorski. And, of course, the Wachowski sisters are both trans women themselves, with Lana transitioning just before the start of filming, while Lily transitioned mid-production.

The show tackled universal subjects such as politics, religion, identity, sexuality, and gender. It also incorporated the real life LGBTQ community, filming on location in two episodes during San Francisco Pride and Sao Paulo Pride. It was widely praised for its queer representation, winning a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2016 and being nominated in the same category in 2018 and 2019. The show was also nominated for several Emmy awards, primarily for it’s lush cinematography and production. To this day, it is one of the largest travesties in television history that this show was cancelled after only two seasons, though some of us hold out hope that one day our sensates will return.