11 Great Things You Only Notice Rewatching Deadwood
3. Queer Spaces
Because it's less overt in a society that doesn't accept it, the show's LGBTQ representation is not as overt as its approach to race or sexism, which was far more prevalent at the time. Yet the show still finds time to showcase queer spaces in the margins of society.
Joanie and Jane are both afforded the opportunity to explore their sexuality before finding one another; with Joanie being a high-end prostitute and Jane having a very unconventional lifestyle for a woman in the era. But the show doesn't leave it at that.
Before Joanie and Jane get together, Cy makes it clear to one of his employees that he views homosexuality as one of the many sexual deviancies that he's willing to sell to somebody for the right price - while Al is implied to have had a relationship with a male actor when he was younger. The show manages to offer a well rounded approach to the queer experience despite allocating a modest amount of time to the subject.