Speaking about the representation of LGBTQIA+ on the big and small screen, it would be extremely unfair to miss out on one of the pioneers of it – Modern Family. The show started out in 2009, at a time when people were still familiarising themselves with the queer community. That included the writers of Modern Family themselves, who did not shy away from portraying the queer community in various different lights through the couple Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett. 

The latter is the son of Jay Pritchett, the patriarch of the family, which extends across four total extended families, coming together to form three nuclear families. One of them is the relationship between Cameron and Mitchell, lovingly known as Cam and Mitch. The two follow rather contrasting paths compared to the convention and stereotypes usually associated with gay men at the time. 

Cameron is shown as a rather flamboyant and energetic man from Missouri. Right off the bat, while it was rather lazy to show a gay man in a ‘drama queen’ light, his place of origin vastly contrasts his character. He is shown to have grown up on a farm around narrow-minded family members, with his mother taking a long time to come to terms with his sexuality. His grandmother, on the other hand, does not know it five seasons in. Further, during the initial seasons, they have shown Cam struggling with the idea of being a stay-at-home parent, especially when their friends often label him as the ‘mother’ in the relationship, he embraces it very well in later seasons, while also juggling several successful careers. He is shown as a music teacher, a passionate and triumphant American football coach, and also a part-time clown. Cam’s football coaching career, especially, fits very well into the narrative of the writers growing through the show and adapting a different path for an already risky representation. 

In contrast, Cam’s husband, Mitch, is a rather uptight individual who does not ‘let loose’ easily. The couple finds themselves at crossroads often, creating hilarious moments in the show. ModFam writers have done an excellent job at exploring the ‘opposites attract’ angle with the duo, especially showing Mitch struggling with his sexuality far more than Cam. Also, unlike Cam, Mitch does not have a job in the arts, but rather as an environment lawyer, which more than fits the bill for his sober personality. 

Another angle through which ModFam have done a terrific job – but predictable (now) – is showing Mitchell’s father, Jay, slowly coming to terms with his son’s sexuality, partner, and life. As an ‘old white cis man’, Jay did not approve of Mitch’s ‘choices’, and while supported him silently, he did not quite replicate the same emotions publicly, which often ended up in well-sought-out emotional scenarios. Eventually, though, Jay is able to find common ground through the help of Cam, his wife, Gloria Delgado, and his extended family. I cannot help but think how many families would often find themselves in the same boat, and how much Modern Family’s representation, and problem-solving scenarios would have helped them. 

I also find it interesting that one of the first sides of a queer relationship that is explored in the show is Mitch and Cam adopting a child. That too from Vietnam, opening the door to a completely different angle of diversity. The struggles of being in a homosexual relationship, especially as an unmarried couple for the most part – was also taken up by the writers. The duo are shown wrestling with the idea of not having a mother for their daughter – Lily Tucket-Pritchett, and balancing the judgement laid on them by society. 

ModFam obviously has its drawbacks in terms of representation. For a show called ‘Modern’ Family, it often shows women as stay-at-home mothers. Further, it fails to add enough depth of character to Mitch and Cam’s friend circle, almost all of whom are exclusively queer, with very similar personalities, that too. 

That said, for a show that started in 2009, I think Modern Family does an excellent job of representing the challenges the queer community faces on a daily basis – both small and big. It is also a show that has grown in terms of broadening ideas on the diversity front season after season. 

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Written by Udhav Arora (33766290)