There are long-running TV dramas, and then there’s Grey’s Anatomy. ABC’s medical drama just aired the Grey’s Season 20 finale. Throughout the years the show has taken steps forward to being as inclusive as possible, including telling a number of LGBTQ+ stories revolving around both the patients and surgeons of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. This list is about the 10 most iconic queer Grey’s Anatomy characters from its decades on the air.
The series (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) has been on the air for a long time, so they’ve had varying successes in how they portrayed queer storylines. While some of the entries on this list weren’t pitch perfect in their portrayal, they’re iconic characters in Grey’s history. In no particular order, here are 10 of the biggest and most groundbreaking characters from the show’s tenure.
Callie Torres
I had to start with perhaps the most beloved LGBTQ+ character in Grey’s Anatomy history. Sara Ramirez broke new ground in television for portraying Callie as a strong bisexual woman, one who is unapologetic about her attraction to both men and women. While they portrayed a bisexual icon, Ramirez also came out as non-binary after leaving Grey’s and before appearing on …And Just Like That.
Callie was the heart of this show for her long tenure there. The episode where she stood in her truth as a queer woman and faced her father’s judgement was deeply moving, as was her relationship and eventual marriage to Arizona. And, Callie’s queerness made way for other LGBTQ+ characters to appear, especially as series regulars.
Levi Schmidt
Despite the years that fans spent watching Callie and Arizona’s relationship play out, it took a very long time before a queer man appeared as a main character. This changed with the entrance of Levi Schmidt, a.k.a. Glasses. Portrayed by Jake Borelli, he debuted in the 14th season as part of a new class of surgical interns.
Eventually, he connected with ortho resident Nico Kim, and the pair started an on again, off again relationship. While they never reached the level of fan shipping as Calzona, it was refreshing to finally see LGBTQ+ men in a relationship onscreen. Borelli has continued to portray Schmidt’s love life, although there are rumors he may be departing the show.
Casey Parker
A ton of surgical classes have come and gone throughout Grey’s Anatomy’s decades on the air, and not all of these new doctors got to stick around for the long haul amid Grey’s casting shakeups. Actor Alex Blue Davis portrayed surgical resident Casey Parker, who is the first transgender doctor in the show’s history.
Casey was a bit of a mystery during his time on Grey’s, with fans (and the other surgeons) having to earn his backstory throughout his 28 episodes. Despite interesting details like being a veteran and a hacker, he was written off after having a near death experience when a car crashed into Joe’s bar in Season 16, which was the last we heard of Davis’ character.
Erica Hahn
Before Arizona debuted, the show offered Callie another female love interest: Erica Hahn, portrayed by the great Brooke Smith. The pair of surgeons started a friendship which eventually blossomed into something romantic, serving as a sexual awakening for both of them.
While Arizona was endlessly perky, Hahn was a stern cardio God who truly only ever had a soft spot for Callie. After they had sex for the first time, Smith delivered a moving monologue about her character’s sexual awakening. Unfortunately, she was written out of the show shortly afterward, and we never really got to see Erica and Callie’s relationship reach closure. But, those of us watching the show during her time on it will always remember her impact.
Mika Yasuda
Yasuda was one of the new interns introduced in Season 19, and is my favorite of the bunch. Actress Midori Francis played her unapologetic ambition perfectly during her two seasons, as well as her growing attraction to Taryn Helm.
While many queer characters in Grey’s Anatomy struggle with their sexuality at first, Yasuda knew exactly who she was from day one. That includes what she was and was not willing to tolerate. She and fellow intern Jules Millin nearly kissed in the Season 20 finale, so it should be fascinating to see what comes next for her.
Darren Covington
Long before Grey’s would introduce queer doctors with Schmidt and Kim, we were given queer men characters in the form of patients. Darren Covington (played by guest star Benny Ciaramello) was a patient involved in Derek and Meredith’s clinical trial back in Season 4.
Darren was in the U.S. Army during the time of “don’t ask don’t tell”, which is where he fell for his fellow soldier, Todd. Their love story is a tragic one, as Darren wasn’t able to live in his truth, especially in front of his father. After refusing to speak with Todd, Darren would die in surgery. While the two men’s kiss has become a bit of a meme on social media in recent years, their actual story is touching and sobering.
Arizona Robbins
Of course, one couldn’t make this list without one of the biggest queer characters in Grey’s Anatomy history: Arizona Robbins. Played by Jessica Capshaw (who recently returned as as guest star), Robbins is a brilliant pediatric surgeon and proud and out lesbian when we met her back in Season 5. Her chemistry with Callie is palpable from the start, and they’d end up eventually getting married and having a daughter together, albeit with Mark Sloan as the father.
Calzona is one of the show’s most beloved couples, considered one of the best lesbian couples in TV history. It was a huge shock when Arizona and April were written off Grey’s, although they’ve both since returned as guests. Arizona’s story was one that has, no doubt, inspired countless queer Grey’s Anatomy fans over the years.
Amelia Shepherd
Caterina Scorsone’s Amelia Shepherd started as a character on Private Practice, before making the pivot over to Grey’s Anatomy. She’s had a long and rough journey on the screen, thanks to her struggles with addiction, losing both her lover and Derek, as well as having a brain tumor. She has primarily had male romantic partners, but Amelia is very much a bisexual woman.
Fans got to see new sides to her romantic life when Amelia had a crush on Carina DeLuca, as well as her later relationship with Kai Bartley. They might have broken up, but her unapologetic portrayal of bisexuality stands out in the TV canon as a whole.
Donna Gibson
Trans actress and icon Alexandra Billings had a brief but memorable guest appearance on Grey’s Anatomy back in Season 3. She played Donna Gibson, a trans woman who was seeking treatment for a sex reassignment surgery by Sloan.
This plot line may have some misgendering and cringe moments now that the public knows more about the trans experience, but this portrayal was groundbreaking in many ways. It showed another sign of Sloan, who was caring and affirming to Donna throughout the episode. While future portrayals of trans characters on the show were somewhat problematic (Remember when Rachel Brosnahan played a trans man?), Billings’ casting offered an early example of proper representation.
Kai Bartley
Kai Bartley was played by Shrill actor E.R. Fightmaster throughout Grey’s Anatomy Seasons 18 and 19. The show once again made a big step towards representation, debuting the first non-binary surgeon on the long-running medical drama. What’s more, Fightmater also identifies as non-binary.
Kai was super charming throughout those two seasons on Grey‘s, and they and Amelia seemed to have excellent chemistry. But the pair would break up thanks to work and life complications, and we haven’t seen them back on the screen since. It’s too bad, because Kai would presumably be a big help with Amelia and Meredith’s latest work around Alzheimer’s.
Obviously, there have been a number of other characters that could have been included in this list. Hell, even Teddy was revealed to be queer late into her run on the show. But, these 10 left the most iconic legacy.
