FLASHBACK: Queer As Folk Ends After A Five-Season Run (August 7, 2005)

Today in 2SLGBTQI+ history…

The series finale of the US version of Queer as Folk aired on August 7, 2005, wrapping up its groundbreaking five-season run on Showtime. The final episode, titled “We Will Survive!” (Season 5, Episode 13), brought emotional closure to many of the characters’ journeys while acknowledging that life, love and the fight for LGBTQ+ rights continue beyond the final credits.

In the series finale, the characters faced a mix of heartbreak and hope in the aftermath of a bombing at Babylon nightclub. Brian (Gale Harold) and Justin (Randy Harrison) decided against marriage, choosing personal growth over compromise as Justin moved to New York. Michael (Hal Sparks) and Ben (Robert Gant) reaffirmed their commitment and adopted Hunter (Harris Allan), while Ted (Scott Lowell) embraced self-worth and new beginnings, Emmet (Peter Paige) seemed to have found his man, and Melanie (Peter Paige) and Lindsay (Thea Gill) relocated to Canada for a safer future with their children. The series closed with Brian dancing alone at the reopened Babylon – a powerful image of resilience, survival and the ongoing fight for queer joy.

Queer as Folk’s finale didn’t tie everything up with a bow…and that was the point. It honoured the complexity of queer lives and relationships, showcasing survival, resilience and hope in the face of adversity. Even today, that final dance at Babylon stands as one of TV’s most enduring LGBTQ+ images, and while the series finale marked the end of an era, the show has for the most part withstood the test of time. 

The original, groundbreaking Queer as Folk, created by Russell T Davies, had launched in 1999 in Britain. The North American adaptation of the series, an American-Canadian co-production, was created by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman’s Cowlip Productions, and ran from December 3, 2000, to August 7, 2005, helping put Showtime on the map. Although it was set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, much of the series was actually shot in Toronto.

Beloved by many, Queer as Folk sparked a fierce revolution for queer representation on the small screen in North America and remains a worthwhile revisit in 2025 – since, apparently, some things never change.