The best LGBTQ+ TV to stream on Netflix right now
First Kill’s Juliette and Calliope. (Netflix)
We’re all painfully aware of the nasty trend involving LGBTQ+ series being cancelled, and Netflix is a streaming service that has been guilty of this.
It’s a horrible precedent that has led to LBGTQ+ characters and narratives being ended without a planned conclusion. Thankfully, there are some LGBTQ+ Netflix series that have been given a decent chance to shine.
Also, the TV industry as a whole is still a place where some of the most exciting queer narratives are given the space to blossom.
If you’re looking for a new show to start, a binge-watch for the weekend, or just to rewatch your favourite, here are some strong choices on Netflix to add to your watchlist right now (January 2024).
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Feel Good
Feel Good is a semi-autobiographical, British romantic comedy from comedian Mae Martin – but don’t expect to just be laughing through the two series.
The show sees Martin starring as a version of themselves, a Canadian comic in London, attempting to navigate both a new relationship and sobriety as a former drug addict.
Martin received a BAFTA for their performance in the show and they certainly deserved it!
Sex Education
After a spectacular four-series run, Sex Education has now come to an end… which means it’s the perfect time to watch again from the very beginning.
The star-studded sex-positive teen drama from the mind of Laurie Nunn has provided open and frank discussions of sex and sexuality to the masses.
Heartstopper
Since its premiere on Netflix, Alice Oseman’s adaptation of their graphic novel Heartstopper has become a lauded show celebrated for its LBGTQ+ diversity.
The show follows two students, introverted Charlie (Joe Locke) and rugby lad Nick (Kit Connor), as their friendship forges into a romance.
Softly portraying young queer love, Heartstopper is an easy, enjoyable and very sweet watch.
Young Royals
Many compare Heartstopper and Young Royals, but the latter is definitely an edgier portrayal of a gay high school romance.
Set in an elite Swedish boarding school, Young Royals charts the turbulent infatuation of Crown Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) and non-boarding student, Simon (Omar Rudberg).
As matters of the crown and the heart pull Wilhelm in different directions, he’s left to decide on his own what sort of life he wants to lead.
It’s a Sin
Russell T Davies’ It’s a Sin arrived in 2021, a show that feels as though it will define this era of LGBTQ+ TV with its marvellous performances, reverent emotion, and deft handling of queer history.
Starring the likes of Olly Alexander, Omari Douglas, and Callum Scott Howells, It’s a Sin chronicles the lives of a group of gay men and their friends from 1981 to 1991 as the HIV/AIDS crisis devastated their lives.
However, Davies’ show highlights the fierceness of queer generation who refused to hide in the shadows.
First Kill
Another victim of the streamer’s LGBTQ+ show cancellation, First Kill may have only had one season but it certainly deserved more.
Teenagers Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Calliope (Imani Lewis) are attracted to each other but there’s just one thing preventing their burgeoning romance: one is a vampire and the other is a vampire hunter.
Based on series creator V.E. Schwab’s short story, First Kill is a romantic drama with real bite.
Schitt’s Creek
Schitt’s Creek follows the incredibly wealthy Rose family thrown into chaos as they are left broke with nowhere to go but the rundown motel they had purchased as a joke.
The sitcom created by son and father duo Dan Levy and Eugene Levy became a quick hit and lasted for 80 episodes across six seasons.
With a heartwarming gay/pansexual romance between Patrick and David, hilarious family dynamics, and a few musical numbers, Schitt’s Creek should be at the top of your watchlist.
The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy follows a dysfunctional, estranged family who each have supernatural powers reuniting after their father’s death and discovering secrets that they are unable to ignore.
Teaming up, they become a group tasked with protecting the world. The show has also been monumental as it’s seen the transition of star Elliot Page.
The show’s writers worked with Page to change their character’s gender identity when Page came out as trans and non binary.
Elité
Finishing our list of LGBTQ+ shows to stream on Netflix is this Spanish teen drama, which follows three working-class students who enrol in a private school and clash with the wealthy students who seem to live a different life to them.
Then, introduce murder and the whole game of the social hierarchy is changed.
Netflix has now confirmed that the forthcoming eighth season will be the last, so catch up now ahead of the finale which is sure to be explosively dramatic.
To find out more and to stream these titles head to Netflix.
