New Netflix series ‘The Residence’ could help the U.S.A. envision a gay president

The prospect of a queer individual becoming President of the United States may currently seem distant. President Donald Trump secured the presidency last November, with his campaign partly fuelled by transphobia and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. Since assuming office, he has prioritised dismantling diversity initiatives and reversing rights and protections for trans individuals.

Amid a political environment that appears bleak for many queer individuals, a new Netflix series provides a hopeful fantasy. ‘The Residence,’ a mystery series from Shonda Rhimes’s Shondaland production company, follows eccentric detective Cordelia Cupp (played by Uzo Aduba) as she investigates a murder at the White House. Among the intriguing characters — and suspects — are President Perry Morgan (portrayed by Paul Fitzgerald) and his husband, First Gentleman Elliot Morgan (played by Barrett Foa), according to ‘LGBTQ Nation’.

In a recent interview with LGBTQ+ publication Gaety, Fitzgerald and Foa speculated that the series might be the first to portray a gay American president, although, as noted by the Daily Beast, AppleTV+’s ‘For All Mankind’ features a lesbian president played by Jodi Balfore.

“I love that I am part of one half of maybe the first queer presidency on television,” Foa remarked. “I’m queer and the guy playing the president is queer. So in real life, we have that great representation. It’s such a cool time for this to happen.”

“They wanted it grounded in reality,” Fitzgerald commented, expressing his appreciation that his character’s sexuality is not “foregrounded in any important way other than the fact that it’s just a reality.”

“No one’s like, ‘Let’s talk about how these people are gay,’” Foa explained. “You’re just like, no—that’s the setup of the show. And there’s something so natural about that. It doesn’t have to be a thing.”

However, the show’s straightforward portrayal of a gay President and First Gentleman holds significance. Fitzgerald told the Daily Beast, “TV plays a really important role in helping people see a future that they may not have otherwise seen.”

Reflecting on this, it wasn’t too long ago that then-Vice President Joe Biden credited NBC’s ‘Will & Grace’ for introducing a wide audience to queer characters on network TV, which contributed to increased public approval of LGBTQ+ individuals and the marriage equality movement.

In his interview with the Daily Beast, Fitzgerald suggested that witnessing a gay U.S.A. president in ‘The Residence’ might similarly help American viewers become accustomed to the idea of a queer individual in the White House.

“If Barrett and I representing this can enlarge the culture of imagination by seeing it mirrored in real life, it would be the proudest moment of my entire career,” he said.

Most refreshingly, ‘The Residence’ depicts Fitzgerald’s character as a competent leader with a genuine connection to LGBTQ+ culture, as shown in a scene where President Morgan is delighted to see gay icon Kylie Minogue perform at a state dinner in the White House.

“Ultimately, I want to represent that gay people are a multiplicity of things,” Fitzgerald told the Daily Beast. “We can be deadly serious and straight-acting, and we can also jump out of our f**king seat at Kylie Minogue.”