Queer as Folk (2000 - 2005)
Today’s featured post is about the 2000 American adaptation of the UK television series QUEER AS FOLK and was selected/written by QCA guest writer João Delfim (@circus_of_my_mind on Instagram).
QUEER AS FOLK
Television Series: 2000 - 2005. USA/Canada.
Developed by: Ron Cowen & Daniel Lipman
Based on: Queer as Folk (1999) by Russell T. Davies
Starring: Gale Harold, Randy Harrison, Scott Lowell, Peter Paige, Hal Sparks, Michelle Clunie, Thea Gill & Sharon Gless
“In other words, for Justin to live here with you, he has to deny who he is... and how he feels. Well, that's not love. That's hate.” Brian Kinney never held back when it came to standing up for his beliefs - and neither did the writers and creators of the American rendition of QUEER AS FOLK, a truly groundbreaking hit television series that ran for five powerful, prideful seasons.
Though these aired between 2000 and 2005, I only discovered this treasured legacy a few years ago. After watching the first few episodes, I couldn’t believe that such a thing had existed — an on-screen fiction in which all the main characters are gay, bringing to light a tremendous panoply of narratives related to the community, from the hardship of growing up marginalized to conveying a hopeful and radiant sense of belonging.
Justin Taylor’s (Harrison) coming-of-(gay)ge trajectory is extremely compelling, portrayed by a charismatic actor who identifies as a gay man. It seems impossible to even try to summarise the series’ main plot points. However, it’s important to note that it touches on same-sex marriage, the dangers represented by conservative politics, showcases diverse scenarios of coming to terms with one’s identity, amongst other capital turning points of the Queer journey. Though there is something to be said about the lack of diversity in the main cast, we should analyze this casting in its early 2000s timeline, while acknowledging the series was a remarkable triumph for Queer representation on American television in its time. From beginning to end, it is unapologetically Queer and has the merit of being upfront in its portrayal of desire and sexuality.
In its impressively long run, QUEER AS FOLK made me smile, laugh out loud, cry my eyes out, and feel a hundred other emotions. But, most of all, it kept me hopeful, helped affirm my profound belief that we matter as a community, and made me feel invigoratingly alive and proud.
You can find QUEER AS FOLK streaming through Paramount+, Fubo & PlutoTV (USA), for purchase on AppleTV (USA), and also available on DVD.
