Movies You Might Have Not Realized are Queer AF!

Credit: Fodors Travel Guide

Without question TONS of great queer cinema exists: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Birdcage, Moonlight, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Milk, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Out, Brokeback Mountain, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Fire Island, etc. There are also so many great queer characters that exist in our favorite movies: Lefour from BOTH Beauty and the Beasts, Damian from Mean Girls (and every gay BFF in a rom-com from the 90s-10s), Dumbledore, Velma Dinkley (in like every inception), Lamar Latrell (the only non-problematic thing from the first 4 Revenge of the Nerds) and just like the beat of a Cher song, the list goes on and on.

Now for a list of cinematic gems which are LGBTQ+ friendly (whether very allied or queer adjacent) that you may not have considered for the rainbow viewing room. Films that can create open discussions, your conservative cousin MIGHT be more comfortable watching, stepping stone to help yourself come out or more comfortably watch truly queer cinema.

Mrs. Doubtfire

Based in San Francisco and with Harvey Fierstein… need we say more? This movie also respectfully played big into the “cross-dressing zeitgeist of the 90s” and showcased the changing gender roles in society.

Credit: SFGate

Ladybugs

A comedically genius PG-13 Rodney Dangerfield flick about a boy (Matthew) opting to scheme into a championship by playing on an all-girls team under an alter-ego (Martha). It’s a lighthearted way to shut up the transphobia about “trans boys shouldn’t play on girls’ teams” and vice versa.

Credit: Youtube

Seed of Chucky

Even as murderous of a couple as Chucky and Tiffany tend to be, they’re much more supportive of their non-binary adopted child (Glen/Glenda) than most parents. This franchise also features a non-binary actor plus a gay leading character in the Chucky TV series.

Credit: Reddit

Victoria/Victoria

“Cross-dressing” was also big in the 80s but in this Julie Andrew’s cult classic the roles were reverse of Mrs. Doubtfire (WtM for work). While role reversal for a job was fairly seen throughout this decade (definitely a take on the STILL inequality of work) the era in which this is set – the 1920s – dressing in drag and being openly gay, as two characters are, would have been deemed a slight against humanity. Again, drag is normal, fun, old as time, a culture, and a job – it is not dangerous or grooming.

Credit: Decider.com

Strange World

This one isn’t even adjacent, it fully showcases queerness but just didn’t get the recognition, and barely makes the lists it deserves to be on. Hailed as the first Disney movie with an out-gay character named Ethan (played by gay comedian Jaboukie Young-White) whose storyline revolves around a crush on another male character.

Credit: IndieWire

Xena: Warrior Princess: A Friend in Need (The Director’s Cut)

It took until the sixth and final season for the show to turn Xena and Gabrielle’s friendship into something more romantic. Featuring a kiss between the two just a few episodes before the two-episode finale turned TV movie. The director’s cut allowed the producers to show much more of their emotional love than seen via the original airing on network television.

Credit: Kinorium

Saved

It’s like Juno meets But I’m a Cheerleader. Christain high-schooler gives up her virginity to her boyfriend who comes out as gay during their relationship. Also, McCauley Caulkin and Mandy Moore – you’ll enjoy watching this movie while home alone or with your own cuddle candy.

Credit: Letterboxd

Glass Onion(s)

While not the centerpiece, the main character Benoit Blanc (the dashing Daniel Craig) has an in-home male lover and the fact of his queerness is discussed as normally as the weather (or murder if you’ve seen the movie). Normal is the key here. Oh, plus Janelle Monae!

Credit: Netflix Queue

Honorable Mentions

Hellraiser – Openly gay horror legend Clive Barker gave us BDSM-style cenobites since day one (yes, BDSM is for all), gender and sexually fluid undertones in the entire franchise, and went full-out LGBTQ in the script for the 2022 remake.

• The Craft – Sometimes growing up queer/closeted means we have to have our “magical revenge” movies because, even today, Fairuza Balk’s famous line “We are the weirdos, mister” sometimes just helps. Shoot, the sequel, while not the best, is centered around LGBTQ issues.

• Pitch Perfect – The whole franchise is about competitive college acapella groups and the only unrealistic thing is that there are only a few LGBTQ characters throughout.

• Sleepaway Camp – Spoiler alert: the Killer is transgender and their father is in a same-sex relationship. A three-movie horror classic.

• Wendell and Wild – Jordan Peele did it again with a delightful movie featuring the first trans character in a stop-motion animated film (voiced by a trans actor).

• Hairspray – John Waters, drag, openly out cast members and creators, and, well, it’s a musical.

• Mad Max – LOTS of leather and Tina Turner.

When it comes down to it, Hollywood, theatre, acting…the arts in general, have always had a huge influence from the LGBTQ+ community. What matters most though, is representation – true representation. Let’s keep the LBGTrain cinema going, far from the days of gay characters being the butt of the joke (that’s not a pun), then passing the decades of queer best friends and secondary characters, pulling out of the station – in a very grateful manner – of mainstream movies featuring LGBTQ+ leading roles played by LGBTQ+ actors, and arriving at our final stop of queer-themed movies breaking the box offices multiple times a year. Choo choo!

Per usual, if you’d like to see more content like this you can join the BAS Patreon, tip your favorite queer movie watcher, and donate to Outfest – a nonprofit running multiple LGBTQ+ film festivals, filmmaker education and resource systems, and streaming platform.