Queer As Folk (US) - Brian Kinney

Brian Kinney (Gale Harold)
Show: Queer As Folk
Year Introduced: 2000

Bio: As the show's anti-hero, Brian Kinney was something of an amoral jerk. Throughout the series, he was sexually promiscuous and often quite cold and uncaring. That wasn't all there was to him, however, and despite the fact that he would never admit it, he was often seen helping out his friends and sacrificing for their happiness. In the first episode of the show, he takes Justin Taylor home and takes his virginity before discovering the boy was underage. While, Brian usually never had sex with someone more than once, Justin fell for him and pursued him doggedly, and eventually Brian admitted that he loved Justin as well. While the two didn't end up together at the end of the series, they did profess their love for one another and exchanged rings as a sign that they would be together again.

Significance: Queer As Folk was the first American TV show to portrayed gay men as fully sexualized. Brian Kinney was voted by AfterElton readers as the Most Popular Gay TV Character of all time.