Holding out for a hero: 8 queer firefighters from movies & TV who saved the day
Kristin Crowley, an accomplished first-responder who has been admirably leading the charge in containing the destructive Palisades Fire (despite what conservative homophobes are saying, wanting you to believe she was an under-qualified “DEI hire”).Though Chief Crowley was a first for LA, she’s not the only LGBTQ+ firefighter out there—far from it!
And, over the years, these brave individuals have inspired a short yet notable list of characters in film and television.In honor of our real-life heroes, check out a brief look at some of the queer firefighters in pop culture below.
And, for a handy guide to volunteer opportunities & mutual aid programs in LA in the wake of the devastating wildfires, head here.We’ve spilled a lot of ink covering how this frequently campy ABC (formerly Fox) procedural has gracefully handled firefighter protagonist Evan “Buck” Buckley’s (Oliver Stark) coming to terms with his bisexuality over the past two seasons, and it’s been surprisingly moving!
But he’s not the only one: lesbian firefighter Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds) has been a cornerstone of the series since the beginning, showing us how she balances her stressful job with being a wife (to Tracie Thoms’ Karen) and mother.But, in many ways, 9-1-1 was actually following the lead of its Texas-set spin-off in terms of groundbreaking queer representation.
