List of LGBT characters in modern written fiction

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

This is a list of LGBT characters in modern written fiction. The historical concept and definition of sexual orientation varies and has changed greatly over time; for example the word "gay" wasn't used to describe sexual orientation until the mid 20th century. A number of different classification schemes have been used to describe sexual orientation since the mid-19th century, and scholars have often defined the term 'sexual orientation' in divergent ways. Indeed, several studies have found that much of the research about sexual orientation has failed to define the term at all, making it difficult to reconcile the results of different studies. However, most definitions include a psychological component (such as the direction of an individual's erotic desire) and/or a behavioral component (which focuses on the sex of the individual's sexual partner/s). Some prefer to simply follow an individual's self-definition or identity. See homosexuality and bisexuality for criteria that have traditionally denoted lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

In a historical sense, literature as we understand it is a fairly new innovation, and the current concept of homosexuality is even fresher from the cultural oven. It's no great surprise, then, that gay literature — or even gay characters in literature — are so relatively new as to still be shiny. Nonetheless, there are gay characters that broke barriers and became cultural touchstones... —Kilian Meloy

Items listed here must have verifiable third-party sources commenting on the sexuality of the character(s) in question, and additional explanation may be necessary. Additionally, only notable/significant characters from a given work (which may have multiple LGBT characters) need to be listed here.

1800s

Work	Year	Author	Character name(s)	Notes	References
Carmilla	1872	Sheridan Le Fanu	Carmilla	Lesbian. Carmilla is considered the first lesbian vampire story.
Père Goriot Illusions perdues Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes	1835 1837-43 1838-47	Honoré de Balzac	Jacques Collin a.k.a. Vautrin a.k.a. Trompe-la-Mort	Gay. Appears in a total of five novels of Balzac's La Comédie humaine, two are cameo appearances; often considered the first openly homosexual character in French literature.
The Picture of Dorian Gray	1890	Oscar Wilde	Basil Hallward	Gay
The Picture of Dorian Gray	1890	Oscar Wilde	Dorian Gray	Bisexual
The Sins of the Cities of the Plain	1881	Anonymous	Jack Saul	Gay. Jack is a male prostitute for other men, and also crossdresses; Sins is one of the earliest pieces of English-language pornography to explicitly and near-exclusively concern homosexuality.
Teleny, or The Reverse of the Medal	1893	Anonymous; attributed to Oscar Wilde	René Teleny Camille de Grieux	Gay. Teleny and de Grieux engage in a passionate sexual/romantic affair; Teleny is one of the earliest pieces of English-language pornography to explicitly and near-exclusively concern homosexuality.

1900s

Work	Year	Author	Character name(s)	Notes	References
Advise and Consent	1959	Allen Drury	Brigham Anderson	Bisexual. Married US senator Anderson is blackmailed over a secret wartime homosexual affair for which he is unapologetic.
Affinity	1999	Sarah Waters	Margaret Prior Selina Dawes	Lesbian
Alex Delaware series	1985-2014	Jonathan Kellerman	Milo Sturgis	Gay
Along the Journey River	1996	Carole LaFavor	Renee LaRoche	Lesbian
American Psycho	1991	Bret Easton Ellis	Luis Carruthers	Gay. In love with the male protagonist, but later marries Courtney.
Annie on My Mind	1982	Nancy Garden	Annie Kenyon Liza Winthrop	Lesbian
Arrows of the Queen	1987	Mercedes Lackey	Keren	Lesbian. Life bonded to Ylsa and then Sherrill.
The Beauty of Men	1996	Andrew Holleran	Lark Becker	Gay
The Beebo Brinker Chronicles	1957-60	Ann Bannon	Beebo Brinker Beth Ayers/Cullison Laura Landon	Lesbian
Blood of the Fold Temple of the Winds	1996 1997	Terry Goodkind	Berdine Raina	Lesbian. The two Mord-Sith are in a relationship with each other.
The Blue Place	1998	Nicola Griffith	Aud Torvingen	Lesbian
Boy Culture	1995	Matthew Rettenmund	X Andrew Joe	Gay. X (narrator's pseudonym) has sexual and romantic relationships with Andrew, Joe and other men.
Breakfast on Pluto	1998	Patrick McCabe	Patrick "Pussy" Braden	Transgender. Braden is an Irish trans woman.
Brideshead Revisited	1945	Evelyn Waugh	Sebastian Flyte Anthony Blanche	Gay
"Brokeback Mountain" (short story)	1997	Annie Proulx	Jack Twist Ennis del Mar	Gay. Jack and Ennis have a long term sexual and romantic relationship despite both being married to women and fathering children. Jack also has sexual relationships with other men and a woman, while Ennis does not. Critics have described both men as gay or variably Jack as bisexual and Ennis as heterosexual.
Captain Underpants series	1997-2015	Dav Pilkey	Harold Hutchins	Gay
The Charioteer	1953	Mary Renault	Laurie Odell Ralph Lanyon Andrew	Gay
Chocolates for Breakfast	1956	Pamela Moore	Courtney Farrell Barry Cabot	Bisexual. Courtney develops a crush on her female boarding school teacher, and later has a sexual relationship with Barry Cabot, her mother's bisexual friend who is in a relationship with a man.
The City and the Pillar	1946	Gore Vidal	Jim Willard Ronald Shaw Paul Sullivan	Gay
City of God: A Novel of the Borgias	1979	Cecelia Holland	Nicholas Dawson	Gay. Nicholas has "a penchant for other men", including the gruff but handsome Stefano Baglione, a heterosexual man who has sex with Nicholas for money.
The Confessions of Danny Slocum	1980	George Whitmore	Danny Slocum	Gay
Dancer from the Dance	1978	Andrew Holleran	Anthony Malone Andrew Sutherland	Gay
Dave Brandstetter Mysteries	1970–91	Joseph Hansen	Dave Brandstetter	Gay
Dune	1965	Frank Herbert	Vladimir Harkonnen	Gay. Harkonnen's sexual preference for men is implied in Dune and Children of Dune (1976), and presented more explicitly in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy (1999-2001) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Ethan of Athos	1986	Lois McMaster Bujold	Dr. Ethan Urquhart	Gay. Obstetrician Ethan is from a future society on the planet Ethos where male homosexuality is the norm and most inhabitants have never even seen a woman in person.
A Fairly Honourable Defeat	1970	Iris Murdoch	Simon Foster Axel Nillson	Gay
Fire from Heaven The Persian Boy	1969 1972	Mary Renault	Alexander the Great	Bisexual. Alexander is involved in a romantic sexual relationship with Hephaistion, and then the Persian slave Bagoas, but is also married three times and fathers a son.
Fire from Heaven The Persian Boy	1969 1972	Mary Renault	Hephaistion Bagoas	Gay. Both men are involved in romantic sexual relationships with Alexander the Great.
The Fire's Stone	1990	Tanya Huff	Darvish Shayrif Hakem	Bisexual
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe	1987	Fannie Flagg	Idgie Threadgoode	Lesbian. Has a long-term romantic relationship with another woman, and sexual encounters with one other woman.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe	1987	Fannie Flagg	Ruth Jamison	Bisexual. Married to a man and bears his child but subsequently has long-term romantic relationship with another woman.
The Front Runner	1974	Patricia Nell Warren	Harlan Brown Billy Sive Vince Matti Jacques LaFont	Gay
Giovanni's Room	1956	James Baldwin	David Giovanni Jacques Guillaume	Gay
A God Against the Gods Return to Thebes	1976 1977	Allen Drury	Akhenaten Smenkhkara	Bisexual. Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten is married to Nefertiti, but his romance with his brother Smenkhkara contributes to his downfall.
Gut Symmetries	1997	Jeanette Winterson	Alluvia (Alice) Fairfax Stella	Bisexual. Alice has romantic and sexual relationships with both Stella and Stella's husband Jove.
Hallucinating Foucault	1996	Patricia Duncker	Paul Michel The Protagonist	Gay. Openly homosexual writer, said to have many male lovers, including relationship with male main character/narrator.
Happy Endings Are All Alike	1978	Sandra Scoppettone	Jaret Tyler Peggy Danziger	Lesbian
Harry Potter series	1997–2007	J. K. Rowling	Albus Dumbledore	Gay. Though not stated explicitly in the novels series, author Rowling said in interviews that the character is gay.
The Hotel New Hampshire	1981	John Irving	Frank Berry	Gay
The Hours	1998	Michael Cunningham	Richard Brown Louis Waters	Gay
The Hours	1998	Michael Cunningham	Clarissa Vaughan Sally	Lesbian
The Illusionist (Le rempart des Béguines)	1951	Françoise Mallet-Joris	Hélène Noris Tamara Soulerr	Bisexual. Tamara has a romantic relationship with both Hélène and her father; Hélène prefers men after the fair ends.
Invisible Life Just As I Am Abide With Me Any Way the Wind Blows	1991 1995 1999 2001	E. Lynn Harris	Raymond Tyler, Jr. Basil Henderson	Bisexual. Raymond is torn between his girlfriend Nicole and his married male lover; Basil leaves his fiancée Yancey at the altar and pursues a gay lifestyle.
Kay Scarpetta novels	1994-2003	Patricia Cornwell	Lucy Farinelli	Lesbian. Has romantic relationships and casual sexual encounters with other women.
Kiss of the Fur Queen	1998	Tompson Highway	Gabriel Okimasis	Gay. "As the story progresses the focus turns to Gabriel’s sexuality. As he confronts his homosexuality, in a time when this was not overly accepted, he descends into promiscuity and prostitution with constant flashbacks of the abuse he suffered at the hands of the priests. This part of the novel is so beautifully written but so hard to endure."
Kiss of the Spider Woman	1976	Manuel Puig	Luis Molina	Gay
The Last Herald Mage trilogy	1989–91	Mercedes Lackey	Vanyel Ashkevron Stefen	Gay. In the series, Vanyel has two sexual relationships, both with male partners.
Less Than Zero Imperial Bedrooms	1985 2010	Bret Easton Ellis	Clay	Bisexual
Lord John series	1998–2011	Diana Gabaldon	Lord John Grey	Gay. Lord John has sexual and romantic relationships with various men, though he has had sex with and married women to appease societal expectations of him.
Maurice	1913–14 (1971)	E. M. Forster	Maurice Hall Clive Durham Alec Scudder	Gay
The Men from the Boys Where the Boys Are Men Who Love Men	1997 2003 2007	William J. Mann	Jeff O'Brien Lloyd Griffith David Javitz Eduardo Henry Weiner Luke West	Gay
Mr. Benson	1983	John Preston	Mr. Benson	Gay
Myra Breckinridge	1968	Gore Vidal	Myra	Transgender
Nearly Roadkill	1996	Kate Bornstein and Caitlin Sullivan	Scratch, Winc	Transgender
The Nightrunner series	1996-2014	Lynn Flewelling	Seregil i Korit Alec i Amasa Ilar i Sontir	Bisexual. Seregil and Alec are committed lovers but both have had experiences with women in the past; Ilar is one of Seregil's former lovers.
Now and Then	1995	William Corlett	Christopher Metcalfe	Gay. Main character has a sexual/romantic relationship as a boy with another boy at school; later has sexual and romantic relationships with other men.
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit	1985	Jeanette Winterson	Jeanette	Lesbian
Other Voices, Other Rooms	1948	Truman Capote	Joel Harrison Knox Randolph	Gay
The Passion	1987	Jeanette Winterson	Villanelle	Bisexual
Patience and Sarah	1969	Isabel Miller	Patience White Sarah Dowling	Lesbian
The Perks of Being a Wallflower	1999	Stephen Chbosky	Patrick	Gay. Has a secret relationship with closeted Brad.
The Price of Salt	1952	Patricia Highsmith	Carol Aird	Bisexual. Carol has a sexual/romantic relationship with another woman while married to a man.
The Price of Salt	1952	Patricia Highsmith	Therese Belivet	Lesbian. Has a sexual/romantic relationship with another woman.
Rubyfruit Jungle	1973	Rita Mae Brown	Molly Bolt	Lesbian. Has numerous romantic and sexual relationships with other women.
The Rules of Attraction	1987	Bret Easton Ellis	Paul Denton	Bisexual
A Single Man	1964	Christopher Isherwood	George	Gay
A Song of Ice and Fire	1991–2011	George R. R. Martin	Renly Baratheon Loras Tyrell	Gay. Never explicitly stated in the novels, but Renly's sexual/romantic relationship with Loras is hinted, and was later confirmed by author Martin; TV adaptation makes it clear that they are lovers.
Stone Butch Blues	1993	Leslie Feinberg	Jess Goldberg	Transgender
Tales of the City series	1978-2014	Armistead Maupin	Anna Madrigal Jake Greenleaf	Transgender. Original character Anna is a transgender woman, and Jake (introduced in 2007's Michael Tolliver Lives is a trans man.
Tales of the City series	1978-2014	Armistead Maupin	Michael "Mouse" Tolliver Jon Fielding Ben McKenna	Gay
Tales of the City series	1978-2014	Armistead Maupin	Beauchamp Day DeDe Halcyon Day Mona Ramsey	Bisexual
The Throne of Saturn	1971	Allen Drury	Pete Balkis	Gay. Astronaut Pete harbors unrequited romantic feelings for his commander, Conrad Trasker.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy	1974	John Le Carre	Bill Haydon	Bisexual. Has a girlfriend, a male lover, and also seduces Ann, the wife of George Smiley. Rumoured to be the lover of Jim Prideaux.
Tipping the Velvet	1998	Sarah Waters	Kitty Butler	Bisexual. Has a sexual/romantic relationship with the main character and marries a man.
Tipping the Velvet	1998	Sarah Waters	Nancy "Nan" Astley Florence Banner Diana Leathaby	Lesbian. Nan has sexual/romantic relationships with Florence and Diana; all three have also been with other women.
University series	1990-98	Allen Drury	North McAllister Amos Wilson and Joel	Gay. North is a "tormented homosexual trying to keep his secret, but recklessly in love"; Amos is protagonist Willie Wilson's gay son, and Joel is Amos' lover.
University series	1990-98	Allen Drury	René Suratt	Bisexual. René is protagonist Willie Wilson's nemesis, "a bisexual seducer of students".
The Vampire Chronicles	1976-2014	Anne Rice	Lestat de Lioncourt Louis de Pointe du Lac Armand Marius de Romanus David Talbot	Bisexual. Lestat, Armand and most of Rice's male vampires have intense sexual and emotional attractions and relationships with both sexes.
The Vampire Lestat	1985	Anne Rice	Nicolas de Lenfent	Gay. While human, Nicolas shares a romantic sexual relationship with Lestat de Lioncourt
A Village Affair	1989	Joanna Trollope	Clodagh Unwin	Lesbian
A Village Affair	1989	Joanna Trollope	Alice Meadows	Bisexual
Weetzie Bat Baby Be-Bop	1989 1995	Francesca Lia Block	Dirk McDonald Duck	Gay
The Well of Loneliness	1928	Radclyffe Hall	Stephen Gordon Valérie Seymour	Lesbian. The book was judged obscene and banned in the UK.
Written on the Body	1992	Jeanette Winterson	The Narrator	Bisexual. Narrator of unspecified gender who has sexual/romantic relationships with men and women. Some reviewers describe the narrator as a lesbian.

2000s

Work	Year	Author	Character name(s)	Notes	References
1Q84	2009-10	Haruki Murakami	Tamaru	Gay
The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy	2012	S. Bear Bergman and Suzy Malik	David/Daniela	Transgender
Almost Perfect	2009	Brian Katcher	Sage Hendrix	Transgender
The Art of Being Normal	2015	Lisa Williamson	David/Kate, Leo	Transgender
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children	2012	Kirstin Cronn-Mills	Gabe (Elizabeth)	Transgender
Being Emily	2012	Rachel Gold	Emily	Transgender
The Black Magician trilogy	2001–03	Trudi Canavan	Ambassador Dannyl Tayend of Tremmelin	Gay. Dannyl has relationship with his assistant, Tayend of Tremmelin, who is referred to in the novel as a "lad"
Boy Meets Boy	2003	David Levithan	Paul, Noah, Tony Kyle "Infinite Darlene"/Daryl Heisenberg	Gay. Paul and Noah are in love with each other and Tony is also gay; Paul's ex, Kyle, is bisexual and Daryl/Darlene is a cross-dresser.
The Butterfly and the Flame	2005	Dana De Young	Emily	Transgender
The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard (anthology)	2012	Tom Léger and Riley MacLeod (editors)	Various	Transgender
The Corrections	2001	Jonathan Franzen	Denise Lambert	Lesbian
Fever Crumb Series	2009-11	Philip Reeve	Fever Crumb	Bisexual. Fever first falls in love with the male Arlo Thursday, and later with the female Cluny Morvish.
Fingersmith	2002	Sarah Waters	Sue Trinder Maud Lilly	Lesbian. Sue and Maud have a sexual/romantic relationship with each other.
Fledgling	2005	Octavia Butler	Shori	Bisexual
Freakboy	2013	Kristin Elizabeth Clark	Brandon Angel	Transgender
Gay Pride and Prejudice	2012	Kate Christie	Elizabeth Bennett	Lesbian. Romantic relationships with Charlotte Lucas and Caroline Bingly.
Gemma Doyle Trilogy	2003-07	Libba Bray	Felicity Worthington	Lesbian
Geography Club	2003	Brent Hartinger	Russel Middlebrook	Gay
Geography Club	2003	Brent Hartinger	Min Wei	Bisexual
The Heroes of Olympus	2010-2014	Rick Riordan	Nico di Angelo	Gay. Nico sexuality was revealed in the 4th book The House of Hades. He originally had a crush on Percy Jackson. He now has a crush Will Solace which is implied to be mutual.
Holding Still For As Long As Possible	2009	Zoe Whittall	Josh	Transgender. Josh is a trans man.
I Am J	2011	Cris Beam	J	Transgender.
Just Girls	2014	Rachel Gold	Ella	Transgender
Kafka on the Shore	2002	Haruki Murakami	Oshima	Transgender/Gay
Keeping You a Secret	2003	Julie Anne Peters	Holland Jeager	Bisexual. Has relationships with both a male character and a female character.
Kushiel's Legacy series	2001-11	Jacqueline Carey	Phèdre nó Delaunay Moirin	Bisexual
Life Mask	2004	Emma Donoghue	Anne Damer	Lesbian
The Line of Beauty	2004	Alan Hollinghurst	Nick Guest Wani Ouradi Leo Charles	Gay
Lords of the Sith	2015	Paul S. Kemp	Moff Mors	Lesbian. First LGBT character in the Star Wars canon universe.
Luna	2004	Julie Anne Peters	Luna (Liam) O'Neill	Transgender. Luna is a young transgender female character.
Maxine Wore Black	2014	Nora Olsen	Maxine	Transgender
Millennium series	2005-07	Stieg Larsson	Lisbeth Salander	Bisexual
Parrotfish	2011	Ellen Wittlinger	Grady (Angela) Katz-McNair	Transgender
Rainbow Boys	2001	Alex Sánchez	Jason Carrillo Kyle Meeks Nelson Glassman	Gay
The Raven Cycle	2012-14	Maggie Stiefvater	Ronan Lynch	Gay. Ronan has been proven to have romantic feelings for Adam Parrish. Adam is implied to possibly reciprocate his feelings, and may be bisexual.
Roving Pack	2012	Sassafrass Lowrey	Click	Transgender
Run, Clarissa, Run	2012	Rachel Eliason	Clarissa	Transgender
A Safe Girl to Love	2014	Casey Plett	Various	Transgender
The Slap	2008	Christos Tsiolkas	Richie	Gay. Male main character who has a sexual attraction to Hector.
Trans-Sister Radio	2000	Chris Bohjalian	Dana Stevens	Transgender
Ukiah Oregon series	2001-04	Wen Spencer	Mom Jo & Mom Lara	Lesbian. Jo and Lara are in a committed relationship.
Where the Boys Are	2003	William J. Mann	Jeff O'Brien Lloyd Griffith	Gay
The Will of the Empress	2005	Tamora Pierce	Daja Kisubo Lark	Lesbian. Daja is the main character who begins a relationship with a woman; Lark is in a long-term lesbian relationship.

See also

• Gay literature
• Lesbian fiction
• Transgender publications