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B&B Pride: A Look Back At Bold And The Beautiful’s LGBTQ Characters

These characters changed lives on and off the soap.

Maya, Karen, and Danielle on The Bold and the Beautiful with the Soap Hub logo across the bottom.These fierce women made daytime history.
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Happy Pride Month, The Bold and the Beautiful! Let’s take a look back at the soap’s LGBTQ+ characters and storylines that made daytime history.

Better Late Than Never

Albeit a bit behind compared to its competitors, B&B introduced its first LGBTQ+ character in 2012 when Karen (Joanna Johnson) returned to LA and came out as a lesbian. Now happily married to Danielle (Crystal Chappell), she also revealed she had a daughter, who she named after her twin sister, Caroline (Joanna Johnson, who portrayed both twins). The storyline prompted Karen’s portrayer to publicly come out as gay that same year.

Maya Makes History

While transgender representation is much more seen across TV now, back in 2015, B&B made history when it introduced daytime’s first regular transgender character. After two years on the soap, Maya (ex-Karla Mosley, who had a lot to share about the pivotal storyline) revealed she was a transgender woman. Maya also became the first transgender bride to be married on a US soap.

What started out as a blackmail secret turned into a life-changing moment for both Maya and B&B when the storyline made headlines, getting a mostly positive reception from its dedicated viewers. Maya paved the way early on for characters like General Hospital’s Terry (Cassandra James) to shine on daytime.

Which LGBTQ+ character on B&B has been your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

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