13 of the Most Supportive Moms of Queer Series Characters

Mother's Day is a time to celebrate motherhood. On television, mothers have traditionally been shown as caregivers and a nurturing presence in their child's life. For queer characters, the presence and support of a loving mother can not only help with their development. It can also help viewers better accept openly queer characters. This week's listicle highlights 13 of the most supportive moms of queer series characters. Leave a comment below if we missed any of your favorites. Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
 

 

Liz Thompson (No Good Nick)
Dedicated mom Liz (Melissa Joan Hart) provided loving support to both her children on the Netflix sitcom No Good Nick. When her high-strung son Jeremy (Kalama Epstein) had his coming out presentation ruined, leading to an emotional breakdown, Liz stepped in to calm him. She offered positive words of wisdom, assuring Jeremy that even though his plan failed, his coming out moment was still important and accepted.

 

Bobbie Spencer (General Hospital)
Bobbie (Jacklyn Zeman) and her husband Tony adopted Lucas, unaware of what the future would hold. After Lucas came out, Bobbie was a continued dedicated presence in his life, providing advice and support through his conflicts and challenges. She was at his side for his marriage and fatherhood, and when things crumbled on both fronts, Bobbie provided motherly support to help Lucas (Ryan Carnes) cope.

 

Maisy-May Lin (The Lake)
Maisy-May (Julia Stiles) shared an adversarial relationship with her gay stepbrother Justin, but it was never rooted in homophobia. Her dedicated role as mother to her genderqueer child Opal (Declan Whaley) illustrated her constant support and love for her queer child. Opal's often wise actions, beyond their young age, reflected an upbringing filled with trust, and open-mindedness setting Opal up for success.

 

Olivia Benson (Law & Order: SVU)
Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) has always been shown to be a caring investigator, an asset given her work in the Special Victims Unit. Her nurturing and protective demeanor carried over to her relationship with her adopted son Noah (Ryan Buggle). In Season 23, when Noah revealed to her that he was bisexual and defended a nonbinary classmate who was also being bullied, Olivia expressed pride and support.

 

Delilah Dixon (A Million Little Things)
Delilah's struggles as a mother were often highlighted by the loss of her husband. As a widowed mom, Delilah (Stephanie Szostak) often sought support from her friend group. But when her son Danny (Chance Hurstfield) came out, she took in that moment on her own. She also ensured that he knew his father's death was not because he feared Danny's sexuality, which had plagued Danny's mind since his father's suicide.

 

Georgina Hobart (The Politician)
Georgina (Gwyneth Paltrow) was not known to be a loving mother to her twin sons. However, when it came to her queer adopted son Payton (Ben Platt), she was often his champion. She bucked her life of privilege whenever it threatened Payton's life and goals. With Payton, Georgina was shown to be compassionate and sensitive, passing on to him a strength in one's convictions and protecting him at all costs.

 

Gwyn Morgan (9-1-1: Lone Star)
T.K. (Ronen Rubinstein) faced several challenges in his life, from addiction to life-threatening injuries. Through it all, he received care and support from his parents. Despite living out of state, Gwyn (Lisa Edelstein) was a loving presence for her son. Even after her death, her supportive bond with T.K. was on full display as he dreamed of her helping him work through his personal conflicts and relationship woes.

 

Azucena Muñoz (Élite)
Azucena (Elisabet Gelabert) was shown to be a stern presence as principal of Las Encinas. When her gay son Ander (Arón Piper) came out, she was shown to be a loving mother, even choosing to end her marriage when his father's toxic behavior focused on Ander's sexuality. Her supportive nature also extended to Ander's love Omar (Omar Ayuso), whom she took in after his coming out led to a rift with his family.

 

Nora Walker (Brothers & Sisters)
As a homemaker mom to five adult children, Nora (Sally Field) never shied away from getting involved in her children's lives, often passing on her motherly advice after their father's death. When it came to her gay son Kevin (Matthew Rhys), Nora was a constant presence in his life, helping him through challenges related to his love life, his career and his later journey to start a family with his husband Scotty.

 

Lena Adams Foster (The Fosters)
Lena (Sherri Saum) and her wife Stef were always shown to be supportive parents to their adopted children. Lena shared a special connection with her "favorite" son Jude (Hayden Byerly), providing him with the continuous support he needed as Jude navigated his sexuality and the challenges that came along with his coming of age. Lena focused on Jude's well-being, to ensure that his life always had a loving foundation.

 

Linda Eriksson (Young Royals)
Linda (Carmen Gloria Pérez) was always shown to be a calming presence in her gay son Simon's life. As Simon (Omar Rudberg) was drawn into public controversy due to his romance with Prince Wilhelm, Linda stood by him, attempting to protect him in the wake of the growing scandal. Her mix of loving support and stern mothering created a strong and realistic portrait of a caring mother putting her children first.

 

Sarah Nelson (Heartstopper)
For the first two seasons of Heartstopper, Nick's mother Sarah (Olivia Colman) was a constant supportive presence for him. Nick's journey of self-discovery was always influenced by his mother's positive advice related to his growing connection to Charlie. Her love for Nick (Kit Connor) always came first, as she helped protect him from conflicts with his brother and father after he came out as bisexual in a touching scene between mother and son.

 

Debbie Novotny (Queer as Folk)
In many ways, there's never been a more supportive fictional mom than Debbie Novotny (Sharon Gless). Her bold support of her gay son Michael (Hal Sparks) and his circle of queer friends was always unwaivering. She would become a mother figure to any queer person in need, providing blunt advice and support against a cruel world, leaving an enduring legacy in queer media as a shining example of uncondictional love.