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'Queer stories in period dramas aren't seen often – everyone was kissing'
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Meaningful LGBTQ+ representation in the period genre is few and far between, but Apple TV Plus' hit series The Buccaneers is determined to show 'queer people have always existed.'
The period drama with a modern twist – based on classic novelist Edith Wharton's unfinished novel of the same name – has returned for a second season after a popular first run.
The new episodes will expand on the LGBTQ+ representation we've seen so far, with lead star Josie Totah telling Metro just how much this storyline means to her in a new interview.
Set in the late 19th century, the show follows the antics of New York debutantes Conchita (Alisha Boe), Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag), Mabel (Josie), Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) and Nan (Kristine Froseth), who are shipped off to London to find husbands with good status.
The first season introduces the audience to Mabel, a single woman who's less interested in getting hitched to the most eligible bachelor and more interested in kissing beautiful women.
She meets Honoria (portrayed by Mia Threapleton) and the pair soon strike up a secret relationship, stealing quiet moments of intimacy among the highs and lows of their friends' romantic woes.
'It meant a lot because you don't really get to see those queer stories in the period [genre],' Josie explained.
'There's Portrait of a Lady On Fire, and Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan did Ammonite, but there's not a lot of them, so it's cool to do something that isn't done.'
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There has been a steady increase in how much LGBTQ+ representation we see in this genre on TV – especially when it comes to women.
Shows like Dickinson and Gentleman Jack have previously centred sapphic relationships, while Netflix's huge hit Bridgerton has promised a female love interest for Francesca (although her season likely won't be out for quite a few years yet).
The lives of LGBTQ+ people were a matter of public discourse in the late 19th century, an era defined by the works of gay playwright Oscar Wilde and his subsequent trial in 1895 for 'gross indecency' – an act that was passed in 1885.
As coined by Wilde's lover, it was the 'love that dares not speak its name'.
There are plenty of documented members of the LGBTQ+ community from this era, including Fanny Graham, 22, and Stella Boulton, 21, who were trans women persecuted by the law.
In fact, one of Queen Victoria's favourites, Princess Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh, was also known to be living with a female lover, her former governess, Lina, for several years in Germany.
This time period saw everything from drag balls to stunning queer literature.
However, it's an area ripe for the picking with a richness that is yet to be explored in its entirety on screen. It's a legacy Josie is thrilled to be building on.
She continued: 'For queer and gay people who existed back then, they should be seen as well. They were around. Everyone was kissing back then and it's cool to see.' More Trending
Her co-star Alisha Boe, who plays budding matchmaker Conchita, echoed: 'Queer and gay people have always existed.'
This two-season drama is based on real-life figure Anne Lister and is set in Halifax in 1832 who is determined to 'find herself a wife' when she meets the alluring Ann Walker.
Not only do we see Victorian lesbians living their best lives, but it is a great gateway into learning all about the actual Anne Lister's fascinating backstory.
Gentleman Jack is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Based on the real-life accounts of famed poet Emily Dickinson, this tongue-in-cheek Apple TV Plus series dares to imagine what exactly was going on between Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) and her sister-in-law Susan Gilbert (Ella Hunt).
Lifting from her corpus of work and private letters between the pair, as well as outside accounts of Emily's life, this offers a fun and fresh take on this historical figure's life.
Dickinson is available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
One of the earlier forms of LGBTQ+ representation in period TV dramas is Thomas Barrow's character in ITV series.
Although this starts off as an underexplored and often depressing, storyline, with six seasons and two movies (and a third on the way), we see his character go on a journey that ultimately makes it worth the watch.
Downton Abbey is available to stream on Netflix.
Based on the 1992 movie, the Amazon Prime series set in 1940s America follows an all-female baseball league and, needless to say, plenty of queer shenanigan's ensue.
The show is packed with LGBTQ+ relationships in all their shapes and forms as a ragtag baseball team attempts to make their mark on American history and live their true lives.
A League of Their Own is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
This pirate drama is set in the early 18th century and follows Captain Flint and his crew as they sail the dangerous seas.
Along the way, we encounter actual historical figures from the era and, as can be expected for a rambunctious group of seafarers, there's plenty of romance, with several LGBTQ+ relationships and characters taking centre stage.
Black Sails is available to stream on Amazon MGM Plus.
In the second season we check back in with Mabel and Honoria who must navigate the increased pressures of a heteronormative society and questions around what their futures look like – together and apart.
Set in the 1870s, the women must battle societal prejudice, messy love triangles and friendship dramas if they want to survive the high-stakes world of upper-class Victorian England.
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The Buccaneers season two episode one is out now with episodes airing every Wednesday. Season one is available to stream.
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