Streaming Streaming TV, Movies, & More The 18 Best LGBT Movies on Netflix Right Now (June 2021) Enjoy pride anytime with the best queer, trans, bisexual, lesbian, and gay films by Robert Earl Wells III Writer Robert Wells is a professional writer and amateur game developer. His specialties include web development, cryptocurrency, and cybersecurity. our editorial process LinkedIn Robert Earl Wells III Updated on June 02, 2021 Tweet Share Email Streaming TV, Movies, & More Netflix Hulu Disney+ Prime Video Apple TV+ Favorite Events There are so many LGBT movies on Netflix right now that it's impossible to watch them all in a month. That's why we put together a rundown of the best gay and lesbian movies on the streaming service. On this list, you'll find award-winning films, historical dramas, documentaries, and coming-of-age stories. 01 of 18 Funny Boy (2020): Best International Coming-of-Age LGBT Movie Netflix IMDb Rating: 6.2 Genre: Drama Starring: Brandon Ingram, Arush Nand, Nimmi Harasgama Director: Deepa Mehta TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 98 minutes In the years leading up to the 1983 Sri Lankan Civil War, a Tamil youth named Arjie (Arush Nand/Brandon Ingram) falls in love with a male classmate. Coming out as gay can be tough no matter where you are, but the stakes are especially high when you're a teenager growing up amid a warzone. Funny Boy doesn't delve too deep into the historical conflict that serves as the film's backdrop. If you're more interested in Sri Lankan history, you should read the novel it's based on by Shyam Selvadurai. Watch Funny Boy Now 02 of 18 Ride or Die (2021): Best LGBT Romantic Thriller Netflix IMDb Rating: 5.5 Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller Starring: Kiko Mizuhara, Honami Satô, Shinya Niiro Director: Ryuichi Hiroki TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 142 minutes When Rei (Kiko Mizuhara) discovers that her high school crush Nanae (Honami Satô) is trapped in an abusive marriage, she resolves to take out Nanae's husband Kotaro (Shinya Niiro) so that they can be together. Soon enough, Rei and Nanae both find themselves on the run from murder charges. Ride or Die is an adaptation of the Japanese manga series Gunjō by Ching Nakamura. Like the source material, the film is gratuitously violent and deals with morally dubious characters who you want to root for despite their shortcomings. Watch Ride or Die Now 03 of 18 Monsoon (2019): Best LGBT Immigrant Love Story Netflix IMDb Rating: 6.0 Genre: Drama, History, Romance Starring: Henry Golding, Parker Sawyers, David Tran Director: Hong Khaou TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 85 minutes The child of Vietnam War refugees, Kit (Henry Golding) travels from his home in Britain to Saigon for the first time in decades to honor his deceased parents. Unexpectedly, he meets and falls in love with Lewis (Parker Sawyers), the American son of a Vietnam War veteran. Monsoon offers a unique perspective on what it means to be a citizen of the world. The film won the prestigious Sundance Institute/Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award in 2014, which more than justifies its inclusion on this list. Watch Monsoon Now 04 of 18 Brokeback Mountain (2005): First Mainstream Gay Love Story Netflix IMDb Rating: 7.7 Genre: Drama, Romance Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams Director: Ang Lee Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 134 minutes Recently added to the United States National Film Registry for its historical significance, Brokeback Mountain was considered groundbreaking when it came out in 2005. The tragic love story about two shepherds torn apart by an unjust society was the first film featuring two mainstream male actors in a same-sex relationship. Brokeback Mountain may be a little hard to take seriously today due to its many parodies, but if you can look past all that, the film still holds up remarkably well, thanks largely to the believable chemistry between Ledger and Gyllenhaal. Just make sure to have some tissues on hand for the ending. Watch Brokeback Mountain Now 05 of 18 Laerte-se (2017): Best Later-in-Life Coming Out Story Netflix IMDb Rating: 6.9 Genre: Documentary Starring: Laerte Coutinho, Eliane Brum, Rafael Coutinho Director: Lygia Barbosa, Eliane Brum TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 100 minutes A well-known cartoonist in Brazil, Laerte Coutinho introduced herself to the world as a woman for the first time at age 58. Laerte-se documents Coutinho's life post-transition as she reflects on her career, her personal journey, and how people have reacted to her coming out. Later-in-life coming-out stories are unfortunately rare, so Laerte-se offers a refreshingly unique perspective on what it's like to transition when you've been a public figure for decades. There's no heavy-handed political messaging, but it might make you question some assumptions about gender. Watch Laerte-se Now 06 of 18 Pariah (2011): Best Black Lesbian Coming Out Story Netflix IMDb Rating: 7.2 Genre: Drama Starring: Adepero Oduye, Kim Wayans, Aasha Davis Director: Dee Ress Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 86 minutes Seventeen-year-old Lee (Adepero Oduye) is infatuated with her friend Laura, who openly identifies as a lesbian. When Lee starts adapting more masculine clothing into her wardrobe, her mom forbids her from seeing Laura, insisting that she hang out with the church-going neighbor girl instead. Pariah went under many critic's radars when it came out in 2011, but it won two awards from the African-American Film Critics Association (Best Independent Film and Best Breakthrough Performance for Oduye) as well as the Excellence in Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Watch Pariah Now 07 of 18 Alice Júnior (2019): Funniest Comedy About Coming Out in the Digital Age Netflix IMDb Rating: 6.9 Genre: Comedy Starring: Anna Celestino Mota, Emmanuel Rosset, Surya Amitrano Director: Josephine Mackerras TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 87 minutes Aspiring social media star Alice (Anna Celestino Mota) announces to the world that she is ready to experience her first kiss, but her plans are thwarted when she gets transferred to a rural religious school. Not to be deterred, Alice decides to document the bullying she faces in her new hometown on YouTube for everyone to see. Alice Júnior is technically a coming-of-age story, but that doesn't mean it's for kids. The humor is dark and irreverent, and the plot takes some unsavory turns near the end. Nonetheless, the tone of the movie is upbeat, and you can't help by laugh at Mota's performance as a social media-obsessed teen. Watch Alice Júnior Now 08 of 18 Tig (2015): Best Documentary About the Healing Power of Laughter Netflix IMDb Rating: 7.4 Genre: Documentary, Drama Starring: Tig Notaro, Stephanie Allynne, Sarah Silverman Director: Kristina Goolsby, Ashley York TV Rating: TV-14 Running Time: 95 minutes In this behind-the-scenes documentary, standup comic Tig Notaro opens up about her struggle with breast cancer while also trying to have a child with her fiancée. All the while, Tig never stops touring, determined to keep herself and other people laughing during her darkest hours. Tig is a testament to the healing powers of laughter and love. Notaro became an overnight sensation in 2012 when her standup set about her cancer diagnosis went viral on the web, but if you go in knowing nothing about her, you'll still likely be inspired by this biography. Watch Tig Now 09 of 18 So My Grandma's a Lesbian (2019): Cutest LGBT Family Dramedy Netflix IMDb Rating: 4.2 Genre: Comedy Starring: Rosa Maria Sardà, Verónica Forqué, Ingrid García Jonsson Director: Ángeles Reiné TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 94 minutes Eva (Ingrid García Jonsson) is stunned when her aunt Sofia (Verónica Forqué) announces her plans to marry a woman named Celia (Rosa Maria Sardà). Although happy for their engagement, Eva is determined to hide the news from her fiance's conservative family. Despite its sensationalistic title, So My Grandma's A Lesbian is a low-key family comedy that's more heartwarming than it is dramatic. It's perfect for when you're in the mood for something light-hearted and uplifting. Watch So My Grandma's a Lesbian Now 10 of 18 Carol (2015): Best 1950s Period Drama About a Forbidden Lesbian Romance Netflix IMDb Rating: 7.2 Genre: Drama, Romance Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson Director: Todd Haynes Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 118 minutes In 1952 New York, recently divorced Carol (Cate Blanchett) finds her passions reinvigorated after meeting a young photographer named Therese (Rooney Mara). When Carol's ex-husband learns about the affair, he threatens to invoke a "morality clause" to obtain full custody of their daughter. Much like director Todd Haynes's 2002 film Far From Heaven, Carol is simultaneously an homage to 1950s American filmmaking and a critique of 1950s American social mores. The movie earned literally hundreds of award nominations, and it won the 2015 Golden Tomato from Rotten Tomatoes for best romance movie. Watch Carol Now 11 of 18 Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall (2017): Best Gay Musical Documentary Netflix IMDb Rating: 6.7 Genre: Documentary Starring: Todrick Hall, Wayne Brady, Brittanie Brant Director: Katherine Fairfax Wright TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 100 minutes Behind the Curtain documents social media darling Todrick Hall's debut on the big stage as he produces his first very own musical, Straight Outta Oz, a semi-autobiographical story about growing up gay and Black in the American south. Viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at all aspects of the production and Hall's life. Even if you're not familiar with Hall's work, Behind the Curtain is worth watching if you're into musicals and stage performances. Director Katherine Fairfax Wright does a terrific job of capturing authentically heart-warming moments. The interactions between Hall and his mother are especially sweet. Watch Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall Now 12 of 18 Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty (2020): Funniest LGBT Standup Special Netflix IMDb Rating: 6.8 Genre: Comedy Starring: Fortune Feimster Director: Krysia Plonka TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 61 minutes In this hour-long standup special, Fortune Feimster reflects on her childhood growing up in North Carolina, including her mother's failed attempts to turn her into a debutant and celebrating her 18th birthday at Hooters. Feimster has been making audiences laugh for years, so you may have seen her on Last Comic Standing, Hulu's The Mindy Project, Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q, or the Netflix series The Standups. If you want something light and uplifting, Sweet & Salty should hit the spot. Watch Fortune Feimster: Sweet & Salty Now 13 of 18 Memories of a Teenager (2019): Best Spanish Language Gay Teen Romance Netflix IMDb Rating: 6.5 Genre: Drama Starring: Renato Quattordio, Thomas Lepera, Malena Narvay Director: Lucas Santa Ana TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 97 minutes Memories of a Teenager (Yo, Adolescente in Argentina) is about a teen boy named Zabo (Renato Quattordio) who struggles to deal with the death of his best friend Tomás (Thomás Lepera). Zabo starts a blog to help sort out his feelings, which leads to him coming to terms with his sexuality. Memories of a Teenager was a hit with South American critics and audiences before it landed on Netflix. English-speakers can now enjoy it too, as long as you don't mind reading subtitles. The movie is aimed at older teens and adults, but themes of self-harm might be triggering to some viewers. Watch Memories of a Teenager Now 14 of 18 Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate (2018): Best So-Bad-It's-Good Movie With Drag Queens Netflix IMDb Rating: 4.8 Genre: Comedy Starring: Rachel Dratch, Sally Jessy Raphael, Jason Bellini Director: Matt Kugelman TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 85 minutes If you're into B-movies by the likes of John Waters, you'll probably get a kick out of the Hurricane Bianca films. The second entry in the series, Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate, takes our titular heroine to Mother Russia, where she must join forces with her archnemesis Deborah Ward (Rachel Dratch) to save their comrades from a gulag. As you can probably guess, the humor is irreverent, and the plot gets downright silly at points. If you like From Russia With Hate, you can catch the original Hurricane Bianca movie on Hulu, and you'll be happy to know that a third Bianca film is rumored to be in the works. Watch Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate Now 15 of 18 The Prom (2020): Best LGBT-Themed Musical With an All-Star Cast Netflix IMDb Rating: 6.2 Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical Starring: Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman Director: Ryan Murphy TV Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 130 minutes An adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, The Prom is about a duo of down-on-their-luck actors who decide to take on a cause in hopes of revamping their public image. They hear about a small Indiana town where the local school board has canceled prom after teenager Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) expresses her intent to bring her girlfriend, which seems like the perfect test case. Meryl Streep shines as Dee Dee Allen, and the rest of the cast does a suitable job with the musical numbers. The whole thing is pretty campy, but it has an uplifting message, and the choreography is often mesmerizing. Watch The Prom Now 16 of 18 Transformer (2017): Best Film About a Transgender Athlete Netflix IMDb Rating: 7.5 Genre: Biography, Documentary Starring: Janae Marie Kroczaleski Director: Michael Del Monte TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 78 minutes Transformer documents the gender transition of former U.S. Marine and competitive bodybuilder Janae Kroc. This movie challenges preconceived notions about gender and serves as an inspiration to all competitive athletes. Transformer won audience awards at the 2017 Austin Film Festival, the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and the 2018 Queer North Film Festival. Editor Graham Withers was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Editing in a Documentary. Watch Transformer Now 17 of 18 Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019): Best LGBT Bollywood Movie Fox Star Studio IMDb Rating: 5.5 Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance Starring: Sonam Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao Director: Shelly Chopra Dhar TV Rating: TV-14 Running Time: 120 minutes Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, which roughly translates to "How I felt when I saw that girl," is a Hindi-language comedy about a young lesbian named Sweety (Sonam Kapoor) who is pressured into dating men by her conservative Indian family. When a charming playwright proposes to her, Sweety must choose between being true to herself or keeping others happy at her own expense. LGBT characters are still rare in Bollywood films, so it's exciting to see more diversity in the genre. Fans of Bollywood may recognize stars like Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla. Watch Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga Now 18 of 18 Moonlight (2016): Best Academy Award Winning LGBT Movie A24 IMDb Rating: 7.4 Genre: Drama Starring: Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Alex Hibbert Director: Barry Jenkins Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 111 minutes If you're in the mood for a gay-themed movie with a strong black lead, you can't go wrong with an Oscar winner. Moonlight is an emotional coming-of-age tale that covers three defining periods in the life of a gay African American man (played by Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex Hibbert). It's the first LGBT-themed film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and it's the first movie with an all-black cast to receive the honor. In fact, Moonlight is considered by some critics to be one of the best films of the century so far. Watch Moonlight Now Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. 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