“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is my favorite show of all time. It is the first television show that I really followed week to week, up until the show’s series finale in 2003. While I was admittedly a little young for the show, they seemed to tackle difficult issues in a way that I could comprehend, and also have me the action sequences that I so craved as a middle school student.
One of the things that “Buffy” did way before it’s time was have a queer couple majorly featured on the show. In fact, the relationship between Willow and Tara was groundbreaking for the time, including the first same-sex kiss featured on prime time television at the time. What is even more impressive is how much creator Joss Whedon cared about this relationship- not using it as merely a ratings booster or to get straight male viewers into the show. In fact, the first time the couple kissed on screen was in Season 5 episode “The Body” when Willow was mourning the death of a family friend. Tara kissed her on screen to comfort her; a true expression of affection and love that was not sexualized in anyway.
I’ve written on this blog throughout the years about queer portrayals in shows like “Glee” and “Grey’s Anatomy”, but none have affected me, and television as a whole, like the first one represented in “Buffy”. To queer television followers: if you haven’t checked out the show before DO IT! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how accurately and respectfully queer folks are portrayed in the show.
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