9 Amazing And Accurate Movies And Shows To Watch If You Support The PRIDE

Pride month is once again among us. As such many platforms created specially curated lists of shows and movies. The list doesn’t simply include but highlights the LGBTQ+ community—such as HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. However, there are shows which they add for the simple fact that any member of it is part of the community.

Some shows on the list aren't an accurate representation of the community. Some over-dramatize certain aspects of the community. As such, this is a list of some of the more authentic representations of visibility for the community. 

Additionally, I understand that there are so many more examples out there that exist. This is a small collection to get you started. From there, the “suggested” will take you further. This list does not contain movies/shows based on a storyline of being queer.

Some are shows or movies about other things, but they include a good amount of representation. Notes aside, that there are some straight actors playing a member of the queer community. Earlier on taking on these roles meant something different than it does now. I am not defending the people who took these roles. Rather, understanding that they also took a risk accepting to play an openly gay character. 

What is representation? You may ask. After years of being stereotyped, representation in shows serves to reinforce the idea that no one group of people should be thought of as lesser-than for any reason. Representation in shows teaches everyone that anyone can fall in love, be a doctor, hero, policeman/woman, or anything else they dream to be. 

Here is a list of shows with good LGBTQ+ representation. 

1. Will & Grace 

Will & Grace was one of the first shows to really bring the LGBTQ+ representation to TV. It manages to avoid the stigmas or not play into stereotypes of the community. and especially during the ’90s. They showed the variation in the ways people viewed the community.

They didn’t solely play into the flamboyant stereotype. Instead, they demonstrated how like straight people gay people can have different personalities. This show normalized being gay. They did this by showing that people of the LGBTQ+ community aren't different. You can be gay and still like sports, you still have relationship problems, and you still deal with life. 

2. Love, Simon

This movie looks at the age where you realize you are gay lesbian or any other sexuality other than straight but now you must make the decision to come out. It helped people identify the issues that can arise with coming out. Such as telling your family, being the only or one of the only out people in a small town, and more importantly the issue of getting outed versus coming out. It shows the cruel realities that can go with coming out/ getting out.

Especially, in high school with the input people think they have in your life. Love, Simon is something so many people can relate to when coming out, not just during Pride. Choosing who and when you come out is one of the most important moments, so having that choice stripped from you is something that many LGBTQ+ people fear. Seeing Simon and how he dealt with the situation can be helpful in how to or not react. 

3. Love, Victor 

The show, set in the same town/high school as Love, Simon. It follows Victor, who has started to question his sexuality. After hearing about the legend of Creekwood that is Simon, he reaches out. From there he forms a mentorship of sorts messaging him as issues arise in his life.

It shows the urge to hide who you are knowing what your grandparents taught your parents. The show also deals with personal struggles. Struggles that come with realizing something that you know will cost you relationships. 

4. The Bold Type

This show might not focus on the character or relationship based in the LGBTQ+ community. Instead, it focuses on three main characters and the things that women deal with every day. The Bold Type, personally, is a severely underappreciated show.

It covers a lot of things Millennials and Gen Z deal with. It covers not only finding out you are gay, bi, but not having been in a place where you can realize your gay. The show demonstrates how one's upbringing can cause a certain lens on life. Even if that lens is not homophobic—you can come to think you are not queer until you are put in a particular situation.

This show manages to find an organic way to not only deal with figuring out the character's sexuality but also biphobia. And how even people in the community can sometimes have a negative reaction to bisexuals. 

5. Glee 

Many argue that this show should not be on the list. As there were a plethora of times where the show acted or said things offensive to the LGBTQ+ community. However, it is on this list for that reason as well as the way they handle those situations.

Either the consequences occurred for those characters. Or the characters saying the terrible things were a part of the community themselves. Making the things said were not out of disdain for the community. Rather something the character themselves had done.

This is not to say that there aren’t issues with the show and things that do not hold up from when the show aired. Yet, his show provided such an array from representation. It covered topics such as coming out, to finding acceptance versus rejection.

They also present the different reactions of the different identities. The show includes the abuse of one’s identity—allowing Unique to be Unique when it proved smart for the team.

One thing this show does well is turning the moments that were created to embarrass those who are a part of the community and turning them into something positive. While it might always be possible to dace with the person you love at prom when crowed as the Prom Queen, like Kurt, it's nice to see the good side win out occasionally. 

6. Booksmart 

Booksmart tells the story of two best friends on their last night as high schoolers. But it also tells the story of a girl traversing the confusing field that is dating at that age. Such as, having a crush on a girl and not knowing whether she likes girls.

But that also plays into the simple question of trying to figure out if the person you like, likes you back. As well as issues that arise with “firsts”—especially when you are drunk. It acts like other coming-of-age stories but includes the point of view of the LGBTQ+ community.

Movies like this are especially important as a way to normalize queer youth. They go through things the same way a straight person does. And as such should have the same representation as a straight person does. 

7. Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List 

This movie revolves around the story, of two friends. It gets convoluted when Ely kisses, then fall, for his best friend, Naomi’s, boyfriend. The amazing thing about this movie is it deals with several stigmas about being gay. Stigmas such as having gay parents can make you gay.

Because it focuses on a friendship as it falls apart it shows several more sides to straight/gay relationship. An example being and how they are like any other friendship. The betrayal of the friendship comes from something deeper than stealing the boyfriends Naomi wasn't 100% invested in. It comes from a personal place the both of them share. It doesn't even matter that it was a guy her boyfriend cheated on her with but that  

8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, doesn't come out as bisexual until the fourth season. Yet with the time left of the show, she made strides in the representation of the LGBTQ+ community. She and her girlfriend Tara the first same-sex couple shown in bed together.

They also are the first same-sex couple shows to have sex on TV. This show not only broke records but since they geared it towards teens that broke its own record. It was one thing to show gay content but to show it at what many did and still believe to be an “impressionable” age adds another layer of power.

This show did so much to normalize the queer community not for adults but for kids and teens showing them it's okay to be who you are. 

9. DC Comics shows

The DC shows, such as Arrow, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, don’t center around the fact that some of them are gay, lesbian, or anything else. They are vigilante shows and they remain vigilante shows. The only difference is they include members of the LGBTQ+ community.

This is important for representation. They don't break new ground for the community. But their inclusion of members of the community is in vital ways. Ways that demonstrate the inclusivity, the world needs to strive for. 

These shows altered how anyone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community gets seen. They also served to normalize anyone who identifies as queer, so much work still needs to get done. Representation still lacks in many areas of TV and the world. Additionally, there is exists a difference between representation and “token” characters. However, these are just a start and there still exist plenty more accurate and great shows and movies.