17 LGBTQ+ Shows To Watch On Netflix This Pride Month

From classic TV picks to cult favourite series and more recent hits, we’re shining a spotlight on some of our favourite LGBTQI+ shows to watch on Netflix this Pride Month.

The entertainment industry has certainly come a long way in terms of representing LGBTQI+ individuals. We’re all for seeing more of their stories and experiences played out onscreen, and it’s about time for non-straight characters to take up more than a supporting role. Whether they make us laugh or cry, they instil complexity, strength and vulnerability into a show, making it all the more compelling and insightful. In celebration of Pride Month, we’ve spotlighted our favourite LGBTQI+ shows to binge on Netflix Hong Kong right now.

Read More: What To Watch This Month

Heartstopper

Adapted from the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman, British coming-of-age romcom Heartstopper tells the story of Charlie (Joe Locke), a gay schoolboy who falls in love with Nick (Kit Connor), the popular rugby player seated next to him in form class. The series received high acclaim for its representation of the LGBTQI+ community, including a transgender character played by a transgender actress! Set your reminders, season two is coming in August 2023.

XO, Kitty

Do you remember little Kitty Covey from “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”? Well, she’s off to Seoul, travelling across the world for true love (yes, they grow up so fast!) and new discoveries. The show has already garnered a fierce fan following, and we’ll save the rest for you to binge and find out without any spoilers — there are plot twists in store!

Read More: 15 LGBTQIA+ Books To Read This Pride Month

Special

Special is nothing short of just that. The show centres around a young gay man with cerebral palsy who decides to come out of the closet and finally go after the life he wants. The show is based on the memoir “I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves” by actor, director, comedian and LGBTQ activist Ryan O’Connell, who also stars in, writes and executive produces the series.

Atypical

While the show centres around autism, we couldn’t help but tune in for Sam’s sister Casey (who’s also bisexual in real life) and her personal growth in the show. Atypical is a heartwarming show that still addresses the realness of complicated relationships and going after what you truly want.

Halston

Starring Ewan McGregor as the titular lead, Halston tells the untold story of the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of the first American celebrity fashion designer who shot to fame when he designed the pillbox hat Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband John F. Kennedy’s presidential inauguration.

Read More: The 20 Best Documentaries On Netflix To Watch Now

Heartbreak High

A self-reboot of the 1994 series, teenage drama Heartbreak High isn’t just meant for the teens (is it ever?). The show doesn’t miss a note when it comes to quirky, unique characters that each have their own layer and sexual expression — it’s even been dubbed as the “ultra queer series”.

Eastsiders

Eastsiders follows on-and-off couple Thom (Van Hansis) and Cal (Kit Williamson) as they come to terms with their infidelity and substance abuse. The show also features RuPaul Drag Race star Willam, who received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor — marking the first time a drag queen has been nominated for an Emmy in an acting category.

Read More: “Know that who you are is valid”, Courtney Act On Her Drag Journey

Young Royals

This steamy Swedish teen drama is set at an elite boarding school where the Prince of Wilhelm of Sweden dives into a budding romance with a fellow student and all the drama that comes with it. Fans of Young Royals will be glad to hear that a third season is in the works.

Read More: Your Guide To Pronouns – What Are Gender Identity Terms & Why Are They Important?

Sex Education

Hailed as one of the most refreshing and unabashed (not to mention binge-able) coming-of-age teen shows out there, Sex Education is very much about, well, sex, but also has much more to offer than advice on the subject. By the end of its second season, the British comedy got really interesting, with nearly half of the main characters having exhibited some form of queerness.

Class

A Hindi official remake of Spanish show Elite, Class is set in a prestigious secondary school in Delhi and chronicles around three middle-class peers and their far wealthier classmates. The show spotlights numerous social issues, ranging from homophobia to casteism and income disparity in India.

Please Like Me

This Australian dramedy series, created and mostly written by Josh Thomas, touches on some sad and all-too-realistic issues that come with adulthood, tackling themes of mental illness, sexuality, family and relationships. Thomas also plays the main character, a 20-something-year-old who, after being dumped by his girlfriend, realises he is gay.

Queer Eye

We loved the OG Fab Five team from the 2003 series, but I think we can all agree that Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye has taken the series to a whole new level. Moving beyond just making over straight men, Johnathan, Tan, Karamo, Antoni and Bobby expand their specialised skills to better the lives of a diverse range of people in the communities they visit. Serving both comedic and tear-jerking moments, what really makes this show special is the heart the team put into what they do.

RuPaul’s Drag Race

With 15 seasons and a number of successful spin-offs under its belt, RuPaul’s Drag Race has become a beloved cult favourite. The sickening reality competition show, which by the finale sees one of the charismatic contestants crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar, combines the best of “America’s Next Top Model”, “Lip Sync Battle”, “Project Runway” and more. What’s not to love?

Read More: 10 Questions With Coco Pop, A Hong Kong Drag Queen

The Ultimatum: Queer Love

If you watched the previous season, Marry or Move On, you need to add the Queer Love edition to your list. Five long-term queer couples are put to the ultimate test to either tie the knot or move on and if this isn’t saucy reality TV, we don’t know what is!

BONDING

This dark and quirky comedy series follows Tiff (Zoe Levin), a psychology student by day and dominatrix by night, as she recruits her gay best friend from high school, Pete, to be her assistant. Their sexual high school history adds a layer of complexity to the relationship, ultimately offering more than the typical GBF trope ever did. Through their new business relationship, they form a more meaningful bond and, in the process, discover new aspects of themselves.

Tales of the City

This continuation of the 1993 miniseries of the same name (based on a series of novels by Armistead Maupin) follows the intersecting lives of several different queer San Franciscans. Set a couple of decades ahead of the original, the 2019 reboot drama touches on contemporary issues such as HIV prevention and treatment and has a more inclusive cast, including actors of colour, trans and gender-nonconforming actors and actors with disabilities.

Read More: What To Watch Next – The Best Shows Based On What You Already Love

Grace and Frankie

Grace and Frankie’s lives are completely turned upside down when their husbands announce they are leaving them — for each other. The former rivals are then forced to live together and gradually grow closer as they come to grips with their new reality. The sitcom, in which Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin play the title roles, has become the longest-running Netflix original with seven seasons and 94 episodes.

Editor’s Note: “Our Favourite LGBTQ+ Shows To Watch On Netflix This Pride Month” was most recently updated by Team Sassy in June 2023.