The Top 10 Gay, Bi, and Non-Labeled Boys of "Degrassi: The New Class"

 I'm not a big fan of soap operas, unless they involve aliens or zombies, so I never saw the various incarnations of of teen angst in the closeted-Toronto Degrassi High. In case you are interested, they were: The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979-86): Degrassi Junior High (1987-89), Degrassi High (1989-91), and Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2015).  The most recent rendition, Degrassi: The New Class (2016-2017), has popped up on Netflix.  I don't want to sit through every episode looking for the LGBTQ+ characters, but fortunately I found an article with a rundown of all the gay, bi, and "I don't believe in labels" boys, plus some heterosexual boys involved with lesbian, bisexual, and "I don't believe in labels" girls.

1. Jonah Haak (Ehrem Kassam, top left) is dating Grace, who is also dating Zoe, but is "not into labels."

2. Zig (Ricardo Hoyos) is in a polyamorous relationship with two girls, Esme and Frankie.

3.  Miles Hollingsworth III (Eric Osborne) is the school's Rich Kid (you couldn't tell from his name?). He starts out being "not into labels," but eventually comes out as bisexual, dating Tristan (#4), Lola, and Zoe, who is also dating Grace and "not into labels."

Zoe, by the way, also ends up dating Rasha, a Syrian refugee who is lesbian and Muslim. 

4. Tristan (Lyle Lettau) is fortunately "into labels": he starts out the series gay and fabulous.  His soap plots involve body-weight issues and worry over still being a virgin.  Eventually he loses his virginity to Miles (#3).  Then he dates Vijay (#7).

5. Hunter Hollingsworth (Spencer Macpherson), Miles' younger brother (#3), is a brooding introvert who started out dating Yael, who was "struggling with gender."  The writers did some research, and decided to make Yael nonbinary.  

6. Since coming out as nonbinary, Yael has dated a girl and a boy, Baaz Nahir (Amir Nageria). who is also interested in Grace (who, as you recall, is interested in Jonah and Zoe).

7. Vijay (Dante Scott) is gay, best friends with Yael, and dating Tristan (#4).  

8. Saad Al-Maliki (Parham Rownaghi), an aloof, introverted student from the Middle East, is dating Lola, who has had relationships with Miles (#3) and several other boys.  

A heterosexual boy who is dating a heterosexual girl who dated a bisexual boy.  The gay connection is a little tangential, but at least he's an ally, probably.

9. Winston Chu is best friends with Miles (#3), and has dated Zoe, Frankie, and Lola (face it, every girl at Degrassi has dated every boy).  He has also expressed an interest in Rasha before realizing that she is a lesbian.

10. Tiny Bell (Richard Walters) is best friends with Zig and Grace, and has dated Shay and Lola.  Best friends with a girl who is not into labels.  Close enough.