So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about gay male characters in urban fantasy, and honestly? We’ve come a long way from the days when the only queer representation was the tragic sidekick who died to motivate the straight hero. But we still have some work to do, you know?
I remember picking up my first urban fantasy novel with a gay protagonist back in college. It was one of those vampire romance things where the guy spent most of the book angsting about his sexuality while fighting demons. Don’t get me wrong, internal conflict is great for character development, but when that’s literally the only personality trait your gay character has, we’ve got a problem.
The thing is, being gay isn’t a personality. It’s just one aspect of who someone is, like being tall or having brown eyes or being obsessed with obscure 80s music. The best gay male protagonists I’ve encountered are the ones who feel like real people first, who happen to be gay, rather than walking stereotypes wrapped in leather jackets.
Take Magnus Bane from Cassandra Clare’s “The Mortal Instruments” series. Sure, he’s flamboyant and dramatic, but he’s also centuries old, incredibly powerful, and has this fascinating relationship with mortality and love. His sexuality informs his character but doesn’t define every single thing about him. Plus, his relationship with Alec actually develops over time instead of being insta-love, which – thank god – feels so much more authentic.
Then there’s Ronan Lynch from Maggie Stiefvater’s “The Raven Cycle.” I love how his sexuality unfolds gradually throughout the series. He’s not introduced as “the gay one” – he’s this complex, angry, dream-manipulating kid dealing with family trauma and his own dangerous powers. When his feelings for Adam surface, it feels organic to his character rather than tacked on for representation points.
Movies have been hit or miss on this front. I loved “The Old Guard” because Joe and Nicky’s relationship spans centuries, and their love story is epic without being tragic. They’re immortal warriors who’ve been together for almost a thousand years, and their dynamic feels lived-in and real. Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli had such natural chemistry that you completely bought their ancient love story.
But then you get films like some of the earlier superhero movies where gay characters were either villains coded with negative stereotypes or completely absent. It’s frustrating because urban fantasy is literally about hidden worlds and secret identities – metaphors that resonate deeply with queer experiences.
What I really want to see more of are gay male protagonists who get to be heroes of their own stories without their sexuality being either their greatest weakness or their most interesting trait. Give me the gay wizard who’s terrible at spell components but brilliant at strategy. The vampire hunter who’s been in a happy relationship for fifty years and whose biggest conflict is whether to adopt a hellhound puppy.
I think about characters like Simon Snow from Rainbow Rowell’s series – he’s awkward and powerful and sometimes makes terrible decisions, and his relationship with Baz is just one part of his larger journey. Or even going back to older works, Mercedes Lackey’s Vanyel from the “Last Herald-Mage” trilogy was groundbreaking for having a gay protagonist in epic fantasy back in the late 80s, even if some aspects feel dated now.
The urban fantasy genre has this amazing opportunity to explore queer experiences through metaphor – shapeshifters dealing with identity, magic users hiding their true nature, found families of supernatural beings. When writers really lean into those parallels without making them heavy-handed, the stories sing.
I’m seeing more authors getting this right lately. TJ Klune’s “The House in the Cerulean Sea” gave us Linus Baker, a caseworker for magical youth who finds love and family in the most unexpected place. The book is sweet without being saccharine, and Linus feels like a real person dealing with real problems, not a collection of gay stereotypes.
What excites me most is seeing younger writers who grew up with better representation creating even more nuanced characters. They’re writing gay male protagonists who are allowed to be funny, heroic, flawed, powerful, vulnerable – the full spectrum of human experience.
We’re moving beyond the era of tragic gays and stereotypical villains, and honestly, it’s about time. Give me more gay heroes who save the world, fall in love, adopt magical creatures, and occasionally burn dinner while trying to master ancient spells. That’s the kind of representation that feels real and meaningful.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on this rainy Tuesday afternoon. What do you think? Got any favorite gay male protagonists in urban fantasy I should check out?
Nick Michelson is 16 and he:
Can see ghosts
Reads Tarot cards
Gets visions of the future
May or may not have a crush on his best friend.
And ghosts come to him for help
…but some, for revenge
Read the book that began it all: Nick’s Awakening
