On this day in queerstory: queer family representation on TV

November 26 marks a day when queer lives confronted legal systems in deeply personal ways — from court fights over love and custody to discrimination rooted in faith and place. On this date, LGBTQ+ people challenged what “family” means under the law, raising questions about rights, recognition and belonging.

In 1978, ABC aired a television movie titled A Question of Love, and it remains a landmark in queer media history.

The film depicted a lesbian custody battle: one woman fought for the right to maintain a legal relationship with her daughter after separating from her partner. At a time when same-sex relationships were rarely represented on television — much less given the emotional gravity of parental rights — A Question of Love brought the complexities of queer family life to millions of viewers. The narrative challenged stereotypes and invited mainstream audiences to consider same-sex love as not just romantic, but deeply familial.

The legal terrain shifted again on November 26, 1990, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when the city’s civil rights commission made a powerful ruling: it found that Roman Catholic officials had violated anti-discrimination laws by evicting a queer group, Dignity, from using a church facility.

Dignity, a group of LGBTQ+ Catholics, had been holding services there — and when the church barred them, the commission ruled in their favor. The decision underscored how religious spaces, often seen as hostile to queer people, could also become arenas for legal contestation and inclusion. For members of Dignity and other queer people of faith, it was a recognition that their spiritual lives couldn’t be separated from their sexual or gender identities — that they deserved both sanctuary and respect.

These two November 26 moments highlight a core tension in queer history: the struggle for recognition not just in civic life, but in the most intimate spaces of love, family, and faith. When queer people challenge custody laws, they demand acknowledgment of their bonds as real and lasting. When they stand firm in places of worship, they insist that their presence is not a temporary concession, but a rightful claim.

Over time, these legal battles influenced broader conversations. The depiction of a lesbian mother on national TV helped humanize queer parenting in an era when many believed LGBT people couldn’t or wouldn’t raise children. The Minneapolis ruling lent real momentum to faith-based queer activism, showing that queer people could assert their rights even within institutions that had historically excluded them.

Despite these victories, the work on November 26 is far from done. Custody, discrimination, and faith remain contested for many LGBTQ+ families. Across the world, queer parents still battle for legal recognition; in many places, religious institutions continue to restrict access. The legal gains of past decades offer precedent — but they also remind us how fragile rights can be.

In remembering November 26, queer history acknowledges both legal progress and personal courage. It honors those who dared to define “family” on their own terms, who claimed spiritual spaces for queer belonging, and who insisted that love and identity deserve protection under the law.