Happy Pride Month!
They say that art depicts life, and it’s the same with series and films. Some of us have no clue about life we don’t live or we haven’t lived. What is the best way to get that clue? Films and series. It may not exactly give you the whole picture, but you will get the idea.
Many folks from the LGBTQ+ community are not given the place and time to live their true selves until they come out. Coming out can be messy. But if there’s a model on whom they can emulate how they want to live, life would be interesting. Films and TV shows are where we get inspiration and motivation.
If you’re an LGBTQ+ trying to find a way to come out, or have already come out but is asking, “What now?”, perhaps you’re an ally who wants to be a better person for the members of the LGBTQ+ that you support, these 7 LGBTQ+ movies and series on Netflix can help you find your way.
1. The Half of It
Released in 2020, The Half of It was written and directed by Alice Wu. Starring Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, and Alexxis Lemire. A coming of age story, self-discovery, and understanding of love. The story revolves around three main characters. The football player, Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) hires Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), the friendless A+ student to write a love letter to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), the rich popular girl in their high school in Squahamish. A strong friendship was made but also a love triangle emerged. The show lightly tackled stories of immigrants, culture diversity, and acceptance for being LGBTQ+ from self and friends.
This is highly recommended because (1) no one died in the story; (2) there was no confrontation between parent and child when they came out; (3) there’s a cute kissing scene towards the end. Now available for streaming on Netflix.
2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Nine-nine! This cheer based on the title was made by Terry Crews himself to pump up his co-actors on the show and was rewritten into the series by the writers. Starring Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Andre Braugher, Joe Lo Truglio, Stephanie Beatriz, and Chelsea Peretti, the show is a police procedural comedy that follows a team of detectives in the fictional New York 99th precinct.
The show is widely praised for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters Rosa Diaz (Beatriz) and Captain Raymond Holt (Braugher). Not only does the show portray positive LGBTQ+ presence on the show, but they also tackle racism, diversity, and immigration stories. The show also received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. All six seasons are available on Netflix Philippines, Season 7 will be released on the platform on April 2021.
3. Daybreak
Who doesn’t love a good post-apocalyptic show? We may be living in uncertainty right now, which seems a bit apocalyptic in a way but watching series that helps you prepare for what they call sh*t hitting the fan situation is a bit calming.
Daybreak is a show where Mad Max meets Zombieland. The show is about a high schooler, Josh Wheeler played by Colin Ford and his quest to find his missing girlfriend in the city of Glendale, California. What makes this more amazing is the support character, Wesley Fists played by Austin Crute is gay and is a total bad-ass. They drove away from the stereotype that a gay character must be weak and helpless!
4. Elite
This Spanish teen show features gay characters Omar (Omar Ayuso) and Ander (Aron Piper) in a relationship that received numerous praises. The show follows teens who were sent to an elite boarding school after their previous school was destroyed. Being in the boarding school, they met students who were rich, obnoxious, and were dealing with high society secrets.
Not only does this series work around issues of the class divide, LGBTQ+ issues, but also peer pressure and religion. Available on Netflix.
5. Hollywood
This limited series with seven episodes, created by brilliant minds, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, was released in 2020. The show follows the lives of young aspiring actors and filmmakers trying to get their big break in a post-World War II setting.
Each character offers their prevue of Hollywood life. The series highlights racism, sexism, and homophobia while exposing elements that are still prevalent in today’s entertainment industry.
6. Pose
Starring MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Billy Porter, and Angel Bismark Curiel, Pose highlights the queer African-American and Latino communities of the ballroom scene of the1980s and the battle that the community faced with HIV. The show undertook the issues of racism, transphobia, homophobia, and discrimination while showcasing powerful dance moves in the ballroom.
The show made history by featuring the largest number of transgender actors in any scripted TV or online show. In 2019, Billy Porter who plays the character Pray Tell in the series is the first openly gay Black actor to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
7. Queer Eye
More than a decade after, 2018’s Queer Eye is a reboot from 2003’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Queer Eye not only focuses on straight men trying to get their lives together but gives help to people from different backgrounds. The series stars Jonathan Van Ness for hair and grooming, Antoni Porowski for home cooking, Bobby Berk for home design, Tan France for fashion and style, and Karamo Brown for culture and lifestyle.
This show not only teaches people about fashion, self-care, design, and cooking, but it also teaches its audience about acceptance and the power of confidence. If this show doesn’t make you want to get up and redesign your own life, who knows what else will.
