Exclusive: EastSiders creator Kit Williamson says queer TV "saved my life"
EastSiders creator Kit Williamson has revealed that queer TV saved his life when he was growing up, as it let him know he wasn't alone.
His American dark comedy web series, which started off on YouTube back in 2012 and is now also available to stream on Netflix, follows a gay couple struggling with infidelity and substance abuse – and it's shows like his own that he's extremely thankful for.
Related: 9 of the best LGBTQ+ series you can watch right now
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Kit opened up about his feelings towards LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream entertainment, and why it's so important for so many young fans within the community.
"I think a rising tide raises all ships," he said. "And I'm a huge supporter of pretty much anything queer that makes it to television. I am so grateful for it, because I know what it would have meant to me as a kid growing up gay in Mississippi, which, if your readers don't know, is the Southernmost Southern state [laughs]. Well, not literally – Florida goes further south. But we're the most stereotypically Southern state.
"I didn't know any gay people growing up. The first gay people that I ever encountered were characters on television. In many ways, I think it saved my life to just know I wasn't alone, and that eventually I could live a life like the one that I have now, with a husband and friends and a job that I love."
Related: The MCU has unveiled its first LGBTQ wedding – but there's a catch
He added: "I hope that we can be a part of – I believe that we are a part of this movement that has happened over the last decade towards increasing LGBTQ representation, and bringing it into the mainstream, but also still allowing for a diversity of voices."
Kit went on to stress the importance of there being more than just a few queer shows on TV, "because it's too much pressure to place" on those to represent an entire community.
Asked if he had a message for any LGBTQ+ fans, he said: "Know that you're not alone, and that everybody out there is as f**ked up and flawed and messy as you are. Nobody is perfect. No matter what you're going through, there's somebody else out there who can relate to you."
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter accounts.
You Might Also Like
