Chicago Fire Stars Who Are Proud Members Of The LGBTQIA Community

Despite the strides that have been made over the years, LGBTQIA representation in TV still leaves a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, there are many networks where queer actors get to deliver great work without having to sacrifice their identity. For example, Hallmark has several stars who are members of the LGBTQIA community, and so does NBC. In fact, you could consider NBC somewhat of a trailblazing network when it comes to queer representation. NBC's queer representation started in the '80's and led to the widely popular sitcom "Will and Grace." Even though Eric McCormack himself does not identify as queer, his existence as a popular gay character could be considered a stepping stone in prominent queer roles.

Since then, NBC has had a number of shows that feature queer actors, including "Quantum Leap," "Brilliant Minds," and "Chicago Fire." Specifically, "Chicago Fire" features three prominent LGBTQIA actors: Monica Raymond, Hanako Greensmith, and Daniel Kyri. Their presence in one of the more popular series on NBC serves as a beacon of hope for more queer representation in the future.

Monica Raymund played Gabriela Dawson on "Chicago Fire" for eight seasons before her character permanently moved away from Chicago to Puerto Rico. Raymund left "Chicago Fire" on good terms, citing her contract expiration as a jumping off point to pursue other roles. Although the character Gabriela Dawson is not presented as LGBTQIA, Raymond identifies as queer/bisexual. Raymond came out publicly in 2014 on Twitter. 

Speaking to the Advocate in 2021, Raymond talked about the process of filming sex scenes as a queer woman. She explained the importance of "creating safety and agency" on the set of "Hightown," a series that stars Raymund as an openly lesbian character. "I think that the female perspective is different. And specific enough, so much so that we're seeing a demand for women to direct sex scenes, to write sex scenes, [to] be the ones in charge of telling the story of an intimate scene." Based on this, you really get the sense that Raymond's identity as a queer woman is helping her bring much needed understanding, care, and authenticity to film and television.

In contrast to Monica Raymund, Daniel Kyri's character on "Chicago Fire," Darren Ritter, mirrors the actor's LGBTQIA identity. In fact, when the character Darren came out on screen, Kyri told People's World that the moment felt very special. "Watching the scene felt personal because it felt like I was the one coming out to the world on national television," said Kyri.

The response from "Chicago Fire" fans on social media appeared to be very positive. In contrast, the show's fandom has been dubbed the worst of the Chicago franchise. Kyri said he saw his role as a "step in the right direction" to more inclusivity of queer characters on TV. Kyri has held other queer roles, including a web series entitled "The T." He told NBC News that his experience exploring queerness on that series aided him in capturing the authenticity of being a Black gay man coming out in the blue collar environment of his character on "Chicago Fire." He added that he was "very proud to represent" the queer community and aid in changing the narrative around queer people to a more positive one.

Hanako Greensmith first took on the role of Violet Mikami in 2020 and became a series regular in 2021. Similar to Monica Raymond, Greensmith's character Violet is not stated to be openly queer. Nevertheless, Greensmith is unapologetically queer, and this is especially demonstrated through her Instagram. Specifically, Greensmith made a birthday tribute post about her girlfriend, Lex, in 2025, as well as a pride-themed collection of photos celebrating queer joy that same year.

Greensmith officially came out publicly on Instagram in June 2023. The post features Greensmith wearing a rainbow top and jewelry. The post is captioned "The signs were always there ... happy pride" with two queer flag emojis. The "Chicago Fire" actress has not talked about her LGBTQIA identity in any official press or publications, suggesting that Greensmith prefers privacy when it comes to her personal life. But you still get the sense from Instagram that she is a proud member of the queer community.