Best of LGBTQIA+ on Netflix

Remember when LGBTQ+ characters were the sidekick? The white gay character was stereotyped and appeared regularly for hilarious effect? We'll face it: those days aren't one of our favourites.

The pride month is over but we aren’t here just for rainbow-washing, so we compiled a list of the best of the Best of LGBTQIA+ movies and series to watch right away on Netflix.

1. ALEX STRANGELOVE

A senior in high school intends to give his virginity to his lover. When he meets an attractive and charming gay guy from the other side of town, things get complex, and he unintentionally embarks on a roller-coaster adventure of sexual identity.

Alex Strangelove's take on youthful sexuality is surprisingly insightful — and appropriately grownup — it is enlivened by clever humour and a brazenly progressive approach.

2. THE HALF OF IT

The romantic comedy "The Half of It," set in the imaginary tiny town of Squahamish, Washington, depicts the narrative of a love triangle involving three middle-class adolescents in their senior year of high school—one Asian female, one white male, and one Latina female—inspired by "Cyrano de Bergerac."

“The Half of It” is more about what the main characters learn about themselves when it comes to chasing love than it is about who gets the girl in the end. “The Half of It” provides a much-needed, hilarious boost to the LGBTQIA+ genre, which has been plagued by lacklustre and uninspired plots for years.

3. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

Sweety, a young Punjabi woman and closeted lesbian, on her quest for acceptance from her family is the subject of this wonderful Bollywood romantic comedy-drama. Sweety, who is in love with another woman but is forced to marry a guy by her family, has her fate ironically spared by a possible suitor who helps her come out by writing a romantic play about the two ladies.

This was a much-needed attempt from Bollywood to depict the LGBTQIA+ community for a change in a non-caricature format, and they definitely came through.

4. Atypical

Atypical, which follows the life of 18-year-old Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), who has autism spectrum disorder, has received acclaim for its revolutionary lead character throughout its three-season run. With Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Izzie (Fivel Stewart), the most shipped couple on television, the most recent season also debuted one of the most shipped couples on television right now.

Each of these characters has a backstory, and as those stories unfold, the series grows more engrossing and serious, probing the tensions that plague and often break up families like these.

5. Call Me by Your Name

Elio Perlman, a brilliant 17-year-old, is spending the summer of 1983 with his family at their 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy. Soon after, he meets Oliver, a dashing PhD student interning for Elio's father. Over the course of a summer that will change their lives forever, Elio and Oliver discover the intoxicating glory of blossoming desire among the sun-drenched magnificence of their surroundings.

Call Me by Your Name is a melancholic, intensely emotional depiction of first love, empathetically portrayed by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer.

PS: Don’t forget to catch the songs in the movie which helps transcends our emotions as the movie unfolds

6. Schitt’s Creek: Best Wishes, Warm Regards

And Of course we saved the best for the last! While the series itself is already great, this BTS documentary on the filming of Schitt's Creek's last season is a unique addition to the LGBTQ+ Netflix library, whether you're a Schitt's Creek fan looking for more content or are unfamiliar with the fictitious Rose family. The documentary provides informative viewpoints from a variety of cultural experts regarding the history and future of queer representation in media, with a focus on gay representation in the series and its impact on fans.

Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments below!