Thankfully, we've come a long way in terms of LGBTQ+ representation on our screens.
The choice of LGBTQ+ TV series available on demand just keeps growing and growing with each passing month, which is incredibly positive to see. Whilst our list of shows below is by no means extensive, these are our favourite picks when it comes to members of the community being placed front and centre.
'Schitt's Creek' (Netflix)
Billed as a drama with elements of comedy, 'Schitt's Creek' has remained a strong sitcom favourite in the entertinment.ie team. Spotlighting the ups and downs of the residents in a remote Canadian town, when the Rose family find themselves stuck there for an unknown amount of time, after being stripped of all of their worldly possessions (except for Moira's fabulous wig collection), they have no choice but to make the most of the worst situation imaginable. Creators Dan and Eugene Levy have been praised by fans for creating a gay icon (the aforementioned Moira) and for normalising non-heterosexual relationships.
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'Transparent' (Amazon Prime)
This multiple award-winning creation is one that might have passed you by without realising it and is quite a revolutionary series to behold. Centred around a dysfunctional family living in LA, the first series closely follows the journey of the patriarch (played by Jeffrey Tambor), who "comes out" to his family as transgender. Moira is divorced, Jewish, and middle-aged, and must find her identity in a world she has always felt lost in. Touching, dramatic, and witty, there's also a great cast which includes Judith Light, Kathryn Hahn, and Gaby Hoffmann.
'American Horror Story' (Netflix)
Ryan Murphy has been a proud advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, delivering year after year a TV series or documentary, either highlighting trailblazing figures from our past, or creating iconic new ones. His 'American Horror Story' series has always remained an integral cog to his never-ending wheel of colour (and terror), often spotlighting characters who are outcasts and shunned for being different. Another crucial Ryan Murphy series to watch is 'POSE' - but the final season won't arrive here until 2022.
'RuPaul's Drag Race' (Netflix/World of Wonder)
Yes, it's full of drama and sickening lipsyncs, but 'Drag Race' also features some of the strongest individuals out there. It's not easy getting up in front of the whole world, showcasing a craft that you may have spent years fine-tuning, only for it to potentially get read for filth. 'Drag Race' also has a lot of heart too. It gives the Queens a chance to show their vulnerable sides, the struggles of competing, and their oftentimes devastating real-life stories from home. Wholesome and fierce, it really is the definitive reality competition out there.
'It's A Sin' (Channel 4)
Created by Russell T. Davies, the series introduces us to a group of teenagers and 20-somethings who have all moved to the blistering lifestyle of London during the '80s. However, after their partying lifestyle begins to calm down, we see the cast having to deal with the AIDS epidemic - in a devastating way. If you haven't already seen the entirety of 'It's A Sin' at least once, then stop what you're doing right now and go watch it. We loved it so much that it appeared on our top TV shows of 2021 so far.
'Feel Good' (Netflix)
Comic Mae Martin's dramedy is a beautiful telling of how very real relationships can be. While dealing with her own personal addiction journey, Mae meets George (Charlotte Richie) while performing her stand-up routine, which is the beginning of the pair's tumultuous relationship together. Intimate and bittersweet, season two launched on Netflix recently, and both seasons currently have a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Lisa Kudrow and Adrian Lukis also star as Mae's worried parents.
'Love, Victor' (Disney+)
A sequel series following on from the coming-of-age movie 'Love, Simon', the Disney+ production concentrates on another high-school boy who is coming to terms with his sexuality. The series highlights the pressure members of the LGBTQ+ community face when their family, their school, and their friends seem like the last people they would ever want to "come out" to. In actual fact, sometimes the hardest person to come out to is yourself. Season two begins on Disney+ this Friday.
'The Umbrella Academy' (Netflix)
With Marvel and DC saturating the superhero genre ever since we can remember, and failing to feature hardly any queer people with powers, it was refreshing to see LGBTQ+ members front and centre in 'The Umbrella Academy' when the series launched on Netflix. Robert Sheehan's Klaus has the androgynous role down, while we're excited to see what direction Elliot Page's character Vanya takes in the upcoming season. Season three is currently filming, so expect the next instalment on our screens at some point in 2022.
'Looking' (Sky Comedy & NOW)
While being a critical success, it is unfortunate that 'Looking' was only warranted two seasons at HBO. Still, what we have is absolutely gold and deserves your undivided attention. The series follows the various dating lifestyles of three gay men living in San Francisco, and has, on a number of occasions been labelled the "gay" version of 'Sex and the City'. Isn't that enough to make you binge the series this Pride month? It should be.
'Sex Education' (Netflix)
Finally, if coming-of-age LGBTQ+ TV series are your thing, then 'Sex Education' is the modern pinnacle of the genre. Otis (Asa Butterfield) is a student at school who gives out paid sex advice to his teenage peers, whose range of troubles include everything imaginable under the sun. While he deals with his own rollercoaster love life, it's his best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) and his difficult relationship with his family, and his in-the-closet school mate, where the series shines; it demonstrates the inner struggle that can happen in real life. Plus, Gillian Anderson stars in the series as a sex therapist - so what's not to love?
