Canada still has a long way to go in terms of representation on screen, but these queer characters are walking media down the right track
By: Rojhin Taebi
David Rose from Schitt’s Creek quickly flourished into a icon for queer people everywhere (Graphic by Sama Nemat Allah)
Queer communities have rarely had any solid representation on Canadian television or film. Whether they be entirely absent or hidden in carefully coded characters and themes, queerness doesn’t see the limelight nearly as often as it should. But in this article, we look back at eight queer characters and how their stories have impacted how we see queer identities in Canadian media today. CanCulture advises anyone who is interested in viewing these films to always check for trigger warnings beforehand.
David Rose - Schitt's Creek
Our top pick – which won’t surprise you – is Canadian actor Daniel Levy’s character, David Rose, from the appraised Canadian sitcom, Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020). Rose comes out as pansexual in season 1, episode 10 with the iconic line, “I like the wine, not the label.” Rose ends the show happily married to his business-partner-turned-romantic partner Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid) and stays in the rural Ontario town of Schitt's Creek that he eventually grew to love.
On queer representation in the show, Levy stated in a 2018 interview with Vulture, that homophobia would “never infiltrate Schitt’s Creek.” The show’s small-town community instead showed “love and tolerance,” towards David Rose as he became a permanent part of their community
Llewelyn Watts - Murdoch Mysteries
Murdoch Mysteries (2008 - present) has spanned 16 seasons, but it wasn’t until the introduction of Saskatchewanian, Daniel Maslany’s neurodivergent-coded character in season 10 that the beloved series shook off the tired “bury the gays” trope. Llewelyn Watts’ conflict with both his Jewish identity and his sexuality adds great depth to his character, whose eccentricities bring joy to any viewer.
The show illustrates the treatment of queer folks in early-1900s Canada–a time and space that was seldom conducive to safety for marginalized communities at large. This leads a heartbroken Watts to seek out “correctional treatment” for his homosexuality until he finds an accepting community of other “confirmed bachelors,” as well as allies in his friends and colleagues.
Fans appreciate the historical accuracy of the time, as well as how the writers are hinting at a happy ending for the character.
Sarah Manning, Cosima Niehaus, Tony Sawicki, Felix Dawkin - Orphan Black
Orphan Black (2013-2017) is a hit Canadian thriller television series about illegal human cloning that has been praised for its multiple queer-identifying characters. Sarah Manning, a bisexual or pansexual, Cosima Niehaus, a lesbian, and Tony Sawicki, a trans man—all played by Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany. The nuanced characters are loved by fans who feel the show understood that sexuality is only one important aspect of a whole individual.
In a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, actor Jordan Gavaris, who plays Felix Dawkin, a gay artist and sex worker on the show, stated that they “take that [positive queer rep] really seriously and it’s something we’re really proud to do as a show. We have a social responsibility to be inclusive.”
Laurence Alia - Laurence Anyways
French-Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan is revered among young filmmakers—queer and otherwise— for his breathtaking films on the human experience, which often centre the queer experience. Laurance Anyways (2012) is a film about novelist Laurence Alia, a newly-out lesbian transwoman in her mid-thirties, played by cis actor, Melvil Poupaud.
We follow her relationship with her lover, Fred Bellair (Suzanne Clément) which spans over a decade. The film begins with Alia coming out to Bellair and facing rejection, which is soon reconciled as Bellair becomes an affirming partner, encouraging Alia to dress femininely and learn how to apply makeup. The conflicts of prejudice and life separate and reunite the couple.
The film received international acclaim for compassionately depicting Alia’s complex but beautiful trans identity.
Zachary Beaulieu - C.R.A.Z.Y
C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) is a French-Canadian coming-of-age drama film that follows Zachary Beaulieu (Marc-André Grondin) as he navigates his Christian household and gay identity as a teenager, then adult, in the ‘60s and ‘70s in Quebec. The film centres on Beaulieu’s relationship with his homophobic father and brothers who reject Beaulieu’s sensitive nature, causing him to date women and stay in the closet for years until they reach reconciliation. Meanwhile, he uses wild, punk styles to express himself while listening to the great music hits of the era, including David Bowie, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones.
Zachary Beaulieu’s heartfelt and often comedically-sound story reached the heart of Canadians and international audiences upon release and, in 2015, Toronto International Film Festival critics ranked it among the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time.
Pauline “Paulie” - Lost and Delirious
Lost and Delirious is a 2001 Canadian drama film and one of many lesbian tragedy films that circulated in the early 2000s. The film is set in Toronto, Ontario, and follows the romantic relationship of two teenage girls, Pauline “Paulie” (Piper Perabo) and Victoria “Tori” (Jessica Paré) at an all-girls boarding school. As their relationship deepens, Paulie experiences internalized homophobia and denies her sexuality. Feeling pressured by her homophobic family, Tori begins dating a boy, causing a heartbroken Paulie to spiral into destructive behaviours.
The film’s tragic ending is shocking when compared to the more positive queer representation we have the privilege of enjoying today. Paulie’s story should serve as a reminder of the value of good representation and access to LGBTQ+ resources that can help young people explore their sexuality in a safe and affirming way.
Clint Star - Deep Inside Clint Star (1999)
The late Métis filmmaker and actor, Clint Alberta, portrays Clint Star, a pornographic actor who interviews his Métis community in Toronto. The documentary film works as a first-person video essay on how Indigenous youth view their “radical” sexuality, love and pain — and how those radical parts of life intertwine with their Indigenous identity amid centuries of abuse and oppression. The representation of sacred queer identities was well-received by Indigenous audiences, and the film serves as an inspiration for many young Indigenous filmmakers today.
Doug Harris - Winter Kept Us Warm (1965)
This comical yet tender film tells the story of upperclassman Doug Harris, played by John Longbow). Director, David Secter uses his own experience to create a tribute to the common gay experience of realising same-sex attraction to a friend. The story takes place at the University of Toronto in the winter time, following Harris as he develops feelings for outsider underclassman, Peter Saridan, played by Henry Tarvainen. The carefully coded homoerotic subtext was crucial to the overall film, as it would be another four years until homosexuality was decriminalised in Canada, and even longer before Canadian filmmakers would get the recognition they deserve. Even the actors didn’t realize they were making a gay love story until years later.
Harris and Saridan’s story is laced with boyish antics and a deep bond between the men. Jealousy reminds the viewers of the titular poem by E.S Elliot and that April is, indeed, the cruellest month. As new, queer Canadian films and filmmakers make their debut, Secter’s film should serve as a gentle reminder of the power and allure of a subtle embrace in wintertime.