Game of Thrones: All 11 LGBTQ Characters in Shows and Books
Even though gender identity has only found itself becoming a big topic of discussion in recent years, we do know that even storylines that take place during medieval-like periods also had people who have different genders and identify as part of the LGBTQ society. After all, love is love, and there have been a good number of different LGBTQ characters who come from stories that take place in time periods that aren’t exactly too friendly toward people who are different.
Although it is set in a fictional universe, ‘Game of Thrones’ has its own fair share of LGBTQ characters, and it is actually worth noting that the people of Westeros and this fictional universe tend to be more open to homosexuality and other types of gender identity compared to the medieval people of our own universe. So, with that said, let’s look at all of the LBGTQ characters we’ve seen in ‘Game of Thrones.’
1. Brienne of Tarth
Identity: Gender-Nonconforming
Of course, we know that Brienne of Tarth is one of the most impressive characters in ‘Game of Thrones’ because she is a trailblazer in a society that tends to be patriarchal. Despite the fact that knights are male, Brienne worked her way up to become a knight herself, as her imposing size and incredible skills allowed her to become one of the finest fighters in all of Westeros.
We do know that Brienne herself prefers the company of males, as she did fall in love with Jamie Lannister. However, there are a lot of reasons to believe that Brienne is gender-nonconforming, as she believes that women can be just as strong as men and are more than capable of handling the same jobs that men can handle. She doesn’t mind being unwomanly in the eyes of people as long as she is able to fulfill her dream of becoming a true knight.
2. Yara Greyjoy
Identity: Lesbian
Of course, it goes without saying that there are a lot of people who love experimenting with different things in the world of ‘Game of Thrones,’ and Yara Greyjoy was one of them. Born as the only female child of Balon Greyjoy, Yara had to become manly as all but one of Balon’s male heirs died during his rebellion. As such, Yara was more than willing to be her father’s most trusted child, allowing her to take on missions that were commonly given to men.
But while Yara herself is manly in a lot of different ways, she was clearly lesbian during the events of the series, preferring the company of women. She even proposed to offer herself to Daenerys Targaryen in an alliance sealed with marriage, albeit failing to win the queen over.
3. Daenerys Targaryen
Identity: Bisexual
Even though Daenerys Targaryen has almost always been portrayed as a straight woman, the thing is that there have been scenes in both the series and the books that suggest that she could actually be bisexual. Of course, this is due to the fact that she has always been open about anyone and anything, especially when she is attracted to them.
The first person who comes into mind in relation to Daenerys and how she was attracted to them is Yara Greyjoy, who proposed to offer herself up to the Mother of Dragons. While Dany rejected the offer to marry Yara, it was clear that she was flirting with the possibility of sitting on the Iron Throne with another woman.
4. Arya Stark
Identity: Gender-Nonconforming
The original tomboy of the storyline, Arya Stark was never your typical girl throughout the series, as she was even mistaken for a boy during the earlier part. However, while she hardly showed any romantic affection toward a lot of different characters, she was attracted to Gendry as the two shared a passionate moment just hours before the Long Night.
However, the truth about Arya is that she has always been nonconforming in terms of her gender, as she doesn’t think that any person should be forced to conform to any gender standards. She doesn’t dress or act like a woman. Arya even followed a dream that no woman has ever even followed, becoming an explorer instead of choosing to serve as a lady right at the side of Gendry.
5. Oberyn Martell
Identity: Bisexual
Oberyn Martell, the second prince of Dorne, is one of the most interesting characters in all of ‘Game of Thrones.’ While he does have a lot of daughters with Ellaria Sand, one of the things that was clear about him was that he didn’t have a true preference when it came to romantic and sexual partners.
During the early part of his storyline in the series, he took a male as a sexual partner during one of his sexual adventures with Ellaria while they were both in King’s Landing. He explained that the people of Dorne don’t conform to the usual standards of love. Plainly speaking, they don’t care if a man loves another man, as the Dornish people have always been passionate about love and romance.
6. Ellaria Sand
Identity: Bisexual
While her storyline was initially tied with Oberyn’s storyline, Ellaria Sand eventually became one of the best characters in ‘Game of Thrones.’ She was Oberyn’s lover, as the two had children together. They were clearly attracted to one another but were willing to spice their romance up by introducing different lovers into the equation.
After Oberyn’s death, Ellaria took over Dorne and eventually formed an alliance with Daenerys Targaryen. The alliance with Dany allowed Ellaria to meet and fall for Yara Greyjoy. They both became romantic partners during the latter part of the series, as it was clear that Ellaria played both teams, just like Oberyn did.
7. Hodor
Identity: Asexual
Some of you may be surprised about the fact that we included the gentle giant Hodor in this list. But the truth is that those who are asexual are also members of the LGBTQ community. Of course, it was clear throughout the entire series that Hodor was asexual.
That’s because Hodor was never seemingly attracted to anyone during the entire storyline and was just a simpleton giant who did his job and was loyal to Bran and the rest of the Starks. It is also interesting to note that Kristian Nairn, the man who played Hodor, is gay in real life.
8. Renly Baratheon
Identity: Gay
Renly Baratheon was one of the first gay characters introduced in ‘Game of Thrones,’ although his sexual preferences were only rumored during the earlier part. However, after he declared himself king following the death of his older brother, Renly showed his true colors when he refused to touch his wife, Margaery Tyrell.
Of course, Margaery was quite aware of Renly’s preferences as she even told him that she was willing to call her brother, Loras Tyrell. That’s because Renly and Loras were in a relationship with one another, and this relationship started before Renly even declared himself king. And most of the people in court already had their suspicions in relation to Renly’s rumored relationship with Loras.
9. Loras Tyrell
Identity: Gay
Known as the Knight of Flowers, Loras Tyrell was one of the greatest swordsmen in all of Westeros and was also one of the most eligible bachelors in the realm due to his handsome looks and wealthy family. But while that may be true, no woman was able to gain his favor because he favored men.
Loras was clearly gay, as it was established during the earlier part of the story that he was in a relationship with Renly Baratheon. The two had secret meetings while they were staying in the Red Keep. After Renly’s death, Loras harbored a deep-seated hatred toward Brienne, whom he believed was the one who killed Renly.
10. Lord Varys
Identity: Asexual
Known as the Spider due to how cunning he is at weaving his web of spies, Lord Varys was one of the most important characters in the storyline as he used his influence and ability to gain information to his advantage. He was known for having a vast spy network all over the world, and he often used his spies to gain information regarding different events happening all over the world.
Varys, however, was a eunuch because a sorcerer cut his genitals when he was still just a child. This led to him becoming a character who seemingly had no sexual bone in his body whatsoever. As such, Varys was the very definition of being asexual throughout the entire series. Probably the only thing that turned him on was seeing a worthy monarch rising to the Iron Throne.
11. Olyvar
Sexuality: Gay
Though he was a minor character, Olyvar found himself in a lot of different interesting situations in ‘Game of Thrones’ as he was working as one of Littlefinger’s sex workers in King’s Landing. He went as far as seducing Loras Tyrell before he became the new head of Littlefinger’s brothel.
Olyvar found himself in an interesting spot during Oberyn Martell’s visit to King’s Landing because the prince of Dorne requested him to take part in his sexual adventures with Ellaria Sand, essentially becoming proof that Oberyn himself was bisexual.
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