These days we can name a ton of same-sex couples that have graced our TV screens, including the recent phenomenon of Heated Rivalry. Back in the 1990s, LGBTQ+ representation in popular movies and TV was very thin. But, one series that was embraced by gay audiences was Xena: The Warrior Princess for the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle. There’s one way Universal Television said “no” to one thing about the opening titles that might feed into the romantic ambiguity.
Xena may have never officially been a TV show with a lesbian couple, but viewers were all in on the idea. And, now we know that the creators even played into the relationship between Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor’s characters. Xena and Gabrielle famously shared a kiss, co-parented Xena’s daughter and in the finale they decided they’d be together for eternity. But, there’s one line the studio wouldn’t let the TV show cross – they weren’t allowed to be featured side-by-side in the opening credits. Per creator Robert Tapert, when speaking to Entertainment Weekly:
