Gay episodes of law and order svu

Law & Order: SVU Season 7 Episode 5 is a fan favorite because of the Fin subplot. Fin learned for the first time that his son, Ken, was gay — something that was initially hard for Fin to. SVU often handles LGBT+ characters very poorly, partly because it started airing way before same sex marriage was legalized.

A lot of the episodes with queer characters are incredibly dated and use outdated terminology. A rather grisly sex murder of a gay man brings the SVU squad in on a case that eventually leads to the outing of a famous football quarterback played by Bailey Chase. With the coming out of Jason Collins recently this episode takes on a new dimension when scene.

Learning Curve: Directed by Jonathan Herron. With Mariska Hargitay, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, Richard Belzer. As Fin tries to get justice after his gay son's fiancé is brutally beaten in a hate crime, SVU uncovers a scandal involving a teacher sexually abusing a student at a prep school. Often jokingly called “SUV,” Special Victims Unit is about the sexually oriented crimes in New York. And while it has Detective Munch (aka the center of the universe), it also had Alex Cabot and Olivia Benson, who had more chemistry than anyone else in the entire L&O universe.

In nearly 25 years, the NBC drama has only had two queer series regulars: Dr. George Huang and Katriona "Kat" Tamin. Huang's identity as a gay man was underutilized during his 12 years on the show, while Kat, a bisexual woman, was written out after just over two seasons. SVU has a reputation for affecting audiences , and while it's never shied away from discussing LGBTQ issues, it has struggled to incorporate the community fully into its world.

It felt unrealistic that the precinct wouldn't have a queer cop who could take on this task. SVU attempted to incorporate LGBTQ leads with Huang and Kat, but a noncommittal attitude to addressing the characters' sexuality kept them from becoming well-rounded people. Even after viewers learned Huang was gay, the writers provided few details about his personal life.

Viewers never met a boyfriend or learned about his past romantic relationships. When Huang moved away after Season 12, he left the series nearly as much of an enigma as when he arrived. Kat was treated only marginally better. As a detective, Kat was more seamlessly integrated into the criminal investigations than Huang, and her sexuality was revealed in her first year on the show.

SVU struggled to develop a story arc that would give her lasting momentum as a character, and Kat was abruptly axed from SVU in Parting ways with Kat not only cut short a promising representation of bisexual women in mainstream media, but it also stalled the progress SVU had made in LGBTQ inclusion. Bell is an out lesbian and the commanding officer of the Organized Crime Control Bureau. She is also a powerful character, who brings suspects to justice while juggling a complicated personal life involving her ex-wife and their infant son.

The Organized Crime writers have developed a relatable character with as much depth and development as the other detectives. Organized Crime also authentically incorporates Bell's queerness to add a nuanced perspective to the plot. Over the investigation, Bell bonds with Eric Geary , one of the victims and a fellow queer cop, who is fearful of the repercussions of being out on the job.

Their storyline culminates in a moment of unity in which they discuss the challenges of being an LGBTQ person in a traditionally conservative environment. SVU simply hasn't gotten there yet. Despite being a series known for its progressive storylines -- such as giving a greater voice to sexual assault survivors -- SVU falls behind many newer dramas in its depiction of LGBTQ people. Other crime procedurals have prioritized the stories of queer protagonists.

Found is one of the most inclusive series on network TV -- including the character of Dhan, a gay kidnapping survivor.

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SVU should learn from these shows and add more gay male, trans male or trans female perspectives to its main cast. SVU can continue its reputation as a forward-thinking series and expand the whole franchise by integrating gay men and trans characters into its regular ensemble. Here's why he left the show - and why he's been back.

The first is to expand the roles of queer characters who are already part of the show's canon. This option is perhaps the easiest because SVU often brings back former characters , and utilizing familiar faces allows the writers to save time by skipping introductions. Instead, they'd prioritize fleshing out previously underwritten aspects of existing characters. The second possibility is to borrow characters from Organized Crime.

As a younger woman of color, she'd also provide additional diversity in SVU 's detective lineup. Through him, the show can explore the challenges that a young, career-focused gay detective faces navigating a police department rooted in conservative mindsets.