Another option is a time - travel fantasy. For example, a character could travel back in time to ancient civilizations like the Maya or the Roman Empire. They could experience the culture, architecture, and daily life of those times, and perhaps even change the course of history in some small way.
Rather than such inappropriate content, we can talk about first - time achievements in academic or sports. For example, the story of a student getting the first A in a difficult subject or an athlete winning the first medal.
Yes, there are many. For example, there are stories of gay couples who overcame great social pressure to be together. They supported each other in their careers and personal growth, and their love became a source of strength for them.
Another could be from some of the works that explore the early days of the gay rights movement. Stories of gay individuals facing discrimination, violence, and having to fight for basic rights. These are 'nasty' in terms of the treatment they received and 'brutal' in the fight they had to wage. For instance, there were accounts of gay men being physically assaulted just for being themselves.