Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Shows and Movies

LGBTQ+ movies and TV shows aren’t as uncommon as they once were. While a rare queer side character used to be what counted for representation on screen, we now have entire franchises dedicated to LGBTQ+ stories. And thank goodness for that, because there’s so much to keep us happily occupied.

Of course,  with so much content out there, we’re now faced with a welcome question: Where to begin? And what next?

Not to worry. As promised, we’re continuing our Pride Month series here at You Might Like — did you catch last week’s book recommendations? — by asking The Persistent's staff and contributors to share the queer content they’re consuming. Be prepared to experience a range of emotions, to be entertained, and maybe even learn a little something along the way.

Alice Wu's "The Half of It" (Netflix) stars Leah Lewis (now on the Matlock reboot) as Ellie Chu, a smart, but outcast teenager who's hired by a jock neighbor to write love letters to his crush — who also happens to be her crush. This charming, soulful, indie coming-of-age story is set in the Pacific Northwest and is drenched with texture, mood, and numerous other themes, like family, isolation, class, and friendship.
— E.B. Boyd, contributing writer

My fave queer TV series this year was everyone’s (or so it seemed in my LA ‘hood) was "Heated Rivalry." Although it was a sad story, which supported the unfortunate Tragic Gay trope, it was also a gloriously erotic one, featuring a love between two professional hockey players that started as a non-pathologized sex-only story, demonstrating that not all men give love only to get sex (whereas, the story goes), women give sex to get love.
— Meredith Maran, contributing writer

I'm a huge fan of "Deadloch" — a charmingly witty and dark crime series that starts out in a sleepy town in Tasmania while two scrappy (and ill-matched) female detectives try to solve a series of murders. There is ample LGBTQ+ representation, as the town of Deadloch seems disproportionately populated by sapphic women. It manages to avoid most of the classic lesbian cinema tropes and just presents a very broad spectrum of humans living their lives.
— Daniella Zalcman, contributing photographer

I’m going to reach back in time and recommend “My Beautiful Laundrette,” directed by Stephen Frears, which was likely one of the first queer movies I ever watched, in 1985, when I was fresh out of college. It stars a young and beautiful Daniel Day-Lewis as Johnny, a punk and gang member who goes in on a laundromat business with his Pakistani school friend Omar (played by Gordon Warnecke). Set in London during the Thatcher era, the movie is gritty, funny, pointed, political and hot as the sparks fly between these two unlikely lovers. It was considered groundbreaking for its portrayal of a gay, interracial relationship, but I also love it because of the vivid characters and because it brings me back to the ‘80s of my youth. You can stream it on Apple TV and Fandango at Home.
— Paula Derrow, features editor

I can’t stop watching "Yellowjackets." After a high school soccer team’s plane goes down in the Canadian Rockies, the group of teen girls must learn to survive in the wilderness. A split timeline shows their lives as adults after being rescued. I love watching queer women in situations where their queerness doesn’t steer the story, and this delivers, especially if you’re into horror.
— Han Goldstein, social media editor

We want to hear about your favorite LGBTQ+ movie, show, comedy special, or documentary! Send your pick to hello@thepersistent.com to be featured next week. We'll be back with more queer recommendations next Friday.