Remember there was a time when LGBTQ characters were the ones with side roles? The time when the stereotypical gay character who showed up in a recurring order for providing a comedic relief? Or the time when they were the central character and their sexuality would be discriminated and the intimate scenes would be not visible? Yes, we can admit that we don’t really miss those days. A lot of such characters have paved their way for the positive queer representation nowadays.
Netflix has made a reputation for itself with its diverse storytelling, which extends to its lineup of queer TV offerings. The streaming platform has given a voice to LGBTQ characters on the small screen and introduced us to more modern aspects in normalizing the LGBTQ community. If you’re going rewatch a classic or you are looking for something original, there are a bunch of good shows to binge-watch. Here are the top six LGBTQ shows currently streaming on Netflix.
Sex Education
2 seasons, 16 episodes | IMDb: 8.3/10
This British teen comedy-drama is committed on portraying LGBTQ community with goes on with the exploration of the cringe-worthy, taboo-associated topics with sex, just not in animated visuals. The series presents a mother-son duo helping each other on their way through those uncomfortable “talks.” The mother played by the terrific Gillian Anderson just happens to be a sex therapist named Dr Jean Milburn and her son, Otis (Asa Butterfield). Otis’ best friend Eric portrayed by the scene-stealing Ncuti Gatwa is a young gay man who belongs to a strict Nigerian family struggling to find love. Even with the darker material, the show manages to give us a hopeful, hilarious look into the reality of queer relationships, in all their forms. Plus, Anderson’s comedic timing is spot-on.
Sense8
2 seasons, 24 episodes | IMDb: 8.4/10
Sense8 is Wachowskis’ underappreciated sci-fi series which establishes its characters through at least one profoundly moving moment in every episode. Sense8 is a series with a rich portrayal of brilliant ideas, and, though they’re not always executed with perfect logic, the chemistry between the characters is undeniable. It is a journey throughout the series which makes us feel and experience their ups and downs, their confusion and heartbreak, and, most of all, their love. The Wachowskis’ presentation into television is at once romantic, life-affirming, and thought-provoking.
I Am Not Okay With This
1 season, 7 episodes | IMDb: 7.6/10
The Stranger Things team brings us another supernaturally charged look at adolescence and the LGBTQ community, this time starring Sharp Objects’ Sophia Lillis. Lillis portrays Sydney, a young woman whose father decides to commit suicide in her family’s basement, moves to an unpleasant town, loses her best friend to the obligatory “boy crazed” phase of teenage, and then begins manifesting her angst with increasingly volatile bouts with her self.
Pose
2 seasons, 16 episodes | IMDb: 8.5/10
Ryan Murphy’s fashionable ’80s drama imagines itself to be as the rise of ball culture in the world. Murphy emphasises on warring houses in the scene, painting a myriad of queer portraits about gays, lesbians, and trans warriors, guiding their own path amidst all the bigotry and hatred against the community in New York City. There are catfights, plenty of vogueing, but there’s also nuanced, heartfelt portrayals of figures who paved the way for the acceptance of this LGBTQ community.
Queer Eye
5 seasons, 36 episodes | IMDb: 8.5/10
Netflix’s one of the most successful reality television series just keeps on delivering its best about the LGBTQ community. Queer Eye features experts Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, and Karamo Brown as experts who help people get their lives fixed. No longer limited to just fixing up clueless straight men, the experts also provide help with personal grooming, home renovation, style, food, and life in general. They are also seen navigating issues of politics and identity. Queer Eye is well-intentioned, heartwarming, and a joy to watch.
The L Word
6 seasons, 70 episodes | IMDb – 7.6/10
The L Word is a TV drama series that portrays the lives of a group of highly fashionable lesbians and their friends, family, and lovers in West Hollywood, California. As presented with the notions of the LGBTQ community, there are more than enough of love triangles, betrayals, heartbreaks, and unexpected flings that will keep you hooked with this series. The show is a refreshing portrayal of queer women living life, laughing, loving, and making mistakes along the way.
Stay tuned to The Hollywood Tribune for latest updates on the other LGBTQ shows on Netflix and more news from Hollywood and Beyond.
