Board 8 > The Mount Rushmore of: LGBT TV/Anime Characters (+ B8 Project TIEBREAKER)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Rules

1. You may vote up to 4 entries that fit the prompt.
2. No alts.
3. No deleting or editing posts; though, editing posts shortly after you post is fine.
4. If you change your vote, clearly indicate that you are changing a previous vote. Same for adding or subtracting picks.
5. In general, if there are two picks that can be considered the same product (i.e. Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle), I will combine them.
6. If a vote is vague, I will pick the first available choice that best matches the vote (i.e. "Mario" for Wii Games becomes Super Mario Galaxy).
7. I will post the parameters of each Rushmore topic. Other than that, feel free to vote however you like and based on any criteria that best fits the "Mount Rushmore" of that topic.
8. If a vote doesn't fit the topic, it will count as a blank vote.
9. You may nominate as much as you want and have an unlimited amount of seconds for established nominations.
10. Every Sunday, I'll post the schedule for next week. I will pick based on the number of nominations. Any ties will be determined by RNG.

Spreadsheet & Nominations

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aatA25pW6OsDn2RlAAGP1_GOGCMNvLLumAKckHOhtFk/edit?gid=1117984190#gid=1117984190

Last Topics Results

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f5807534.png

Great topic with lots of contenders and lots of shout-outs. There was a discussion midway if UOTY should be on the Rushmore. Well, you all will get a chance to decide, as it ties with Mercenaries for the last spot.

I also found this on the Board 8 Wiki while looking up some of these acronyms.

https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Board_8's_Top_50_Projects_Of_All_Time

Last 5 Rushmores

Fictional Alien Species: Xenomorph / Klingon / Wookie / Grey
Fictional Soldiers: Captain America / Solid Snake / John Rambo / Master Chief
Fictional Cats: Garfield / Tom / Hello Kitty / The Cat in the Hat
Crowdfunded Games: Undertale / Shovel Knight / Hollow Knight / Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Board 8 Projects: Guru / SMFFFC / Oracle / [TBD]

This Week's Rushmores

Friday: LGBT TV/Anime Characters
Saturday: Vacation Destinations
Sunday: Stupid Video Game Names

Next Themed Week: June 23 - 29: Generational Video Games (2nd Gen to 8th Gen)

Today's Parameters

You must pick someone under the LGBT umbrella that is from TV, including international TV.

The LGBT umbrella includes anything in the cultural minority for gender identity, sex, and sexuality. It includes, but is not limited to: gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, pansexual, asexual, non-binary, and intersex.

Characters do not have to be explicitly confirmed as LGBT. Implications or convincing fan theory is good enough.

If a character has a TV show and originates from another medium (like video game), focus on the TV portrayal.

Dramatized versions of real people are fine, but we're trying to focus on characters and not people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animated_series_with_LGBTQ_characters
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lesbian_characters_in_television
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gay_characters_in_television
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bisexual_characters_in_television
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_transgender_characters_in_television
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls075239492/
https://lgbtqia-characters.fandom.com/wiki/Category:TV_Series_Characters
https://lgbtqia-characters.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Anime_Characters

Korra (The Legend of Korra)

First one that comes to mind

Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Steve Carrington (Dynasty)
Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who)
Sophia Burset (Orange is the New Black)

Again, one for each letter (more or less, Jack is officially pan rather than bi) and these all feel right as general representatives of each. All were groundbreaking.

Is it possible to have a separate day for animation?

Does Kanji count?

Willow (Buffy)
Omar Little (The Wire)
Claire Bennet (Heroes)
Jules Vaughn (Euphoria)

letters I think

Going to make the case for Jack now also: this was an openly pansexual character who was introduced as such (not retconned in as it was in say Willows case) in a family show that was also the biggest thing on UK TV, who would then go on to lead a spinoff with millions of viewers. It was a true watershed moment to have such a prominent pansexual character from the start in a mainstream show like that. It was an important aspect of the character too, not just oh by the way theyre pansexual but also was done well.

Big_Bob posted...

Does Kanji count?

Why would he? Just because Persona 4 has an anime adaptation doesn't mean he stops being a video game character

Anyway

Captain Jack Harkness
Mr. 2 Bon Clay (One Piece)

LightningStrikes posted...

Going to make the case for Jack now also: this was an openly pansexual character who was introduced as such (not retconned in as it was in say Willows case) in a family show that was also the biggest thing on UK TV, who would then go on to lead a spinoff with millions of viewers. It was a true watershed moment to have such a prominent pansexual character from the start in a mainstream show like that. It was an important aspect of the character too, not just oh by the way theyre pansexual but also was done well.

ok

drop Claire
add Jack Harkness

why not even if I dont really have an attachment to Dr Who/Torchwood

Oh this is going to be a tough category for me. Do movies count or literally just TV? And if just TV, streaming is okay right?

Never mind. I played hard mode and tried to cover one each of L, G, B, and T, all television/anime only, no movies and I think I've got it:

Garnet (Steven Universe) [a physical manifestation of love between two lesbians/TV/western cartoon]
Stolas (Helluva Boss) [openly gay/YouTube/western cartoon]
Mako Mankanshoku (Kill la Kill) [openly bi/anime]
Sophia Burset (Orange is the New Black) [trans woman/live action tv]

I think that's fair, unbiased, and each character is iconic in their own way and beloved in their series' fanbase so they're all worthy of a spot.

I didn't want to include two western cartoons there, but given one is network and the other is indie I think their development processes are different enough that they can each get a spot.

If movies were allowed I'd certainly have given at least one Nimona character a spot

We did games a few weeks ago and movies too, Bitto divided it into categories since theres so many

Is it possible to have a separate day for animation?

I dont think I will start the topic over. Youre welcome to nominate Anime/Animation as its own medium.

Does Kanji count?

I suppose, but hes still basically a game character to me. The rule about accepting people from other mediums is more for major adaptation moves (and getting around things that technically had an origin in literature but are way more well known for TV).

Oh this is going to be a tough category for me. Do movies count or literally just TV? And if just TV, streaming is okay right?

Oh yeah, I basically consider streaming to be TV. Limited series are good too. Basically serialized visual-and-audio stuff in general. Movies was a few weeks ago and so were games.

Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell)
Sailor Neptune/Haruka Tenou (Sailor Moon)
Utena Tenjo (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Suletta Mercury (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury)

Some other options: Luz Noceda from The Owl House, someone from Stephen Universe, Korra.

Jodie Dallas (Soap)
Ellen Morgan (Ellen)
Will Truman (Will and Grace)
Sophia Burset (Orange is the New Black)

Lily Hoshikawa (Zombie Land Saga)
Will Truman (Will and Grace)
Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Sara Lance (Legends of Tomorrow)

Sophia Burset (Orange is the New Black)
Korra (The Legend of Korra)
Kurt Hummel (Glee)
Willow Rosenberg (Buffy)

MacArrowny posted...

Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell)
Sailor Neptune/Haruka Tenou (Sailor Moon)
Utena Tenjo (Revolutionary Girl Utena)
Suletta Mercury (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury)

Some other options: Luz Noceda from The Owl House, someone from Stephen Universe, Korra.

You make a clean case

Change Garnet (Steven Universe) to:

Luz Noceda (The Owl House) [openly bi/western network television], and

Change Mako Mankanshoku (Kill la Kill) to:

Utena Tenjo (Revolutionary Girl Utena) [heavily implied lesbian/anime]

While I like Garnet and Mako more as characters I can't deny that Luz and Utena did more for representation in their media as a whole, and this way I still get to keep my LGBT from each major medium nominations intact

Will Truman (Will and Grace)
Karolina Dean (Runaways)
Jadzia Dax (DS9)
Cho Hyun-ju (Squid Game 2)

If B8 Wiki is so great then why is it still hosted on Fandom.com?

Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who/Torchwood)
Jules Vaughn (Euphoria)
Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Omar Little (The Wire)

Sara Lance
Utena
Sailor Neptune

Will Truman (Will and Grace)
Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who/Torchwood)
Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Mr. 2 Bon Clay (One Piece)

Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Kaworu Nagisa (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Omar Little (The Wire)
Sophia Burset (Orange is the New Black)

Garnet (Steven Universe)
Will Truman (Will and Grace)
Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who)
Utena Tenjo (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Omar Little (The Wire)

Will Truman (Will and Grace)
Korra (The Legend of Korra)
Kurt Hummel (Glee)
Willow Rosenberg (Buffy)

Jack Harkness
Utena Tenjo
Luz Noceda
Sophia Burset

I'm a big time Doctor Who fan, and Jack was one of my first real experiences with an openly bi (actually pan) character. And I can't help but wonder if he played a part in me coming out.

I knew I had to include an anime character somehow. Sailor Moon is a bigger bias to me personally, but idk Utena feels more like the progenitor of queer anime, being the central character too.

I stll haven't watched the Owl House yet because I am Lazy even though I know I would like it, but I want a western cartoon rep.

Never watched OitNB either, but we definitely should be gunning for a trans character, and Sophia seems like the best fit.

Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

Abstain on the rest. Don't have enough knowledge about this topic to make a full four.

Omar Little (The Wire)
Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire: Slayer)
Jadzia Dax (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Sophia Burset (Orange is the New Black)

HM: Denise Bryson (Twin Peaks), Raymond Holt (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Jack Harkness (Doctor Who), Titus Andromedon (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Eric Effiong (Sex Education)

This was tough to narrow down.

Actually...

Remove Jadzia Dax.
Add David Rose (Schitt's Creek).

Will Truman (Will and Grace)
Jack Harkness (Doctor Who)
Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Garnet (Steven Universe)

Dax is a weird one for me because it's a quirk of the alien race.