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10 LGBTQ+ shows you need to binge for Pride Month

These gay shows will help you understand more about yourself this June!

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Pride month is a time to celebrate who you are and what makes you special as an LGBTQ+ person. Not everyone gets the privilege of growing up in a supportive environment, and it often takes years for queer people to appreciate themselves even after coming out and sharing their sexuality with the world. Fortunately, media representation is really starting to pick up in the way of gay characters and storylines on TV. These LGBTQ shows are sure to warm your heart and help build confidence and community among queer folks all around the world. From coming-of-age shows to family sitcoms, the variety is sure to help anyone find a show they will be inspired by!

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Heartstopper (2022)

Heartstopper
tv-14
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Joe Locke, Kit Connor, William Gao
Created by
Alice Oseman
Watch on Netflix
One of the best romance shows on TV right now, this adaptation of the Alice Osman graphic novels is pure comfort food, but with substance. Nick and Charlie (Kit Connor and Joe Locke) are two curious and emotionally intelligent high-school-age boys who carefully navigate the confusing teenage love they are starting to feel bubbling toward the surface. With award-winning actress Olivia Coleman guest staring as Nick’s mother, you’re sure to be touched by this story. Sugary music and bright animations litter the senses throughout the series. The second season will premiere on Netflix in August of 2023.
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Young Royals (2021)

Young Royals
tv-ma
3 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Edvin Ryding, Omar Rudberg, Malte Gårdinger
Created by
Lars Beckung, Lisa Ambjörn, Camilla Holter
Watch on Netflix
This Swedish drama is the most underrated and overlooked show on this list by a wide margin. Young Royals isn’t afraid to tackle deep topics like classism and political homophobia, all while maintaining optimism for the future. Edvin Ryding and Omar Rudberg do an excellent job as two teenagers on opposite sides of the class divide, and they battle heteronormativity within the royal family of Sweden with a mature and inspiring sensibility. If subtitles are a bother, the English dub is a great alternative way of watching the show.

Sex Education (2019)

Sex Education
tv-ma
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa
Created by
Laurie Nunn
Watch on Netflix
We all know many people have sex on the brain every second they’re awake. Sex Education hones in on this honest human truth by discussing relatable topics between their teenage characters — the students of Moordale Secondary School. What starts out as the story of one particular student, Otis, trying to help others with their sexual issues turns into a much more ensemble venture. The show has several queer characters, such as Adam Groff (Connor Swindells), Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa), and Cal Bowman (Dua Saleh).

Euphoria (2019)

Euphoria
tv-ma
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Crime
Stars
Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney
Created by
Sam Levinson
Watch on HBO Max
Everyone has an opinion on HBO’s most risqué series, Euphoria. Creator Sam Levinson sometimes goes overboard in his depiction of adult themes and nudity, but the production values of the series are something to be in awe of. The vision behind the show is almost concrete and substantial, even if the execution of the ideas doesn’t pan out. Zendaya is the stand-out performer here, beautifully bringing life to the tragic and traumatic queer teenager, Rue Bennett. Drugs and sex are what people think about when Euphoria comes to mind, but the realism and attention to detail should also be at the forefront of your impressions.

Love, Victor (2020)

Love, Victor
tv-14
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Michael Cimino, George Sear, Anthony Turpel
Created by
Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger
Watch on Hulu
The most important attribute of this Love, Simon spinoff series is the way it paints LGBTQ+ Latino teens in a positive light. Too often gay TV shows focus on the white experience, so the diversity in Love, Victor is something we shouldn’t take for granted. Following Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino) in his journey toward coming out and then forming a positive romance with his crush, Benji (George Sear), the show takes a lot of tired tropes and breathes fresh life into them.

The Bisexual (2018)

The Bisexual
tv-ma
1 Season
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Desiree Akhavan, Maxine Peake, Brian Gleeson
Created by
Desiree Akhavan, Rowan Riley
Watch on Hulu
Many of the shows on this list are male-dominant simply because TV networks have dedicated much more programming to this demographic. This is why The Bisexual is such an important show to watch if you want a dose of same-sex female relationships. The show follows a woman named Leila who starts to discover she may be interested in dating men after previously believing she was a lesbian. Looking at the fluidity of sexuality from this angle, rather than the straight-to-queer one, is a refreshing and necessary one for all LGBTQ+ viewers. Unfortunately, the series only ran for one season and six episodes, but there’s plenty of great stuff packed into this small and mighty show.

Pose (2018)

Pose
tv-ma
3 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Billy Porter
Created by
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals
Watch on Hulu
Black and Latin representation is at an all-time high in this beautiful and haunting series about ball culture in 1980s New York. Important topics like trans rights and HIV are incorporated into the main plot of Pose. Billy Porter became the first gay black man to win an Emmy Award when he took home the trophy for his performance in 2018.

Modern Family (2009)

Modern Family
tv-pg
11 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen
Created by
Christopher Lloyd, Steven Levitan
Watch on Hulu

When Modern Family began on ABC in 2009, few people knew the series would become one of the most awarded sitcoms in history. This show was truly ahead of its time, showing the entire spectrum of American family life. The most revolutionary characters were Cameron and Mitchell, the gay couple portrayed with love, hilarity, and authenticity by Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The fact this show was able to represent gay couples with such normalcy rather than poking fun of or making LGBTQ+ people caricatures is still appreciated to this day.

Queer as Folk (1999)

Queer as Folk
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Aidan Gillen, Charlie Hunnam, Craig Kelly
Created by
Russell T Davies
Watch on Amazon
Queer as Folk is a great example of a show that needed a little time to become widely accepted by its target audience. Following the sexual exploits of three men, the show gives a broad example of the lifestyle choices queer people make on a daily basis. Some of these decisions aren’t smart, such as Aiden Gillen’s character, Stuart, sleeping with teenager Nathan (played by Charlie Hunnam). As the years have passed, viewers have come to understand the show as an important piece of queer media, one that was revolutionary and stands the test of time. There have been two reboots of the show, one as recent as 2022 on Peacock.

Schitt's Creek (2015)

Schitt's Creek
tv-14
6 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Levy
Created by
Eugene Levy, Dan Levy
Watch on Hulu

Schitt’s Creek is the ultimate comfort family sitcom that everyone needs in their life. Taking unlikable rich snobs like the Rose family and seeing how they evolve into better people after being knocked down a couple of class rungs is an ingenious idea executed very well. Those looking for LGBTQ+ representation will love David (Daniel Levy), the pansexual son of the family who is depicted with grace and accuracy. His relationship exploits help make it one of the best gay shows on any streaming service.

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Shawn Laib
Shawn Laib
Contributor
Shawn Laib is a freelance writer with publications such as Den of Geek, Quote.com, Edge Media Network, diaTribe, SUPERJUMP…
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