In recent years, queer cinema has started gaining a larger audience. Love, Simon became a runaway hit in 2018, and films like Carol and The Danish Girl went on to become Oscar winners. But the genre has existed for much longer than just the last few years.

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In reality, LGBTQ films have been around for a very long time, but have largely remained indie films that travel the festival circuit. While the most notable queer films tend to be the Oscar-winning dramas, the reality is that there have been tons of hilarious, laugh-out-loud comedies as well.

Eating Out (2004)

Eating Out focuses on the most bizarre love triangle (or, quadrangle, to be precise) ever. Two roommates, one gay and one straight, both want to date another set of roommates - also one gay and one straight. But in order to get the girl (and guy) there ends up being a lot of lies, deceit, mischief, and some of the most offensive, inappropriate, and downright hilarious dialogue in cinematic history. The film became so popular that it spawned four sequels.

Hurricane Bianca (2016)

Hurricane Bianca stars Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio as a New York drag queen who becomes a teacher in a small conservative town in Texas. Del Rio, known for being an insult comic, brings her fierce and acerbic humor to the film, creating some truly laugh-out-loud moments.

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Joining Del Rio in the cast is fellow drag superstars RuPaul, William Belli, and Alyssa Edwards, alongside comedic legends Alan Cumming and Rachel Dratch. The movie proved to be so popular that, in 2018, it received a sequel, Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate.

D.E.B.S. (2004)

Based on the short film of the same name, D.E.B.S. is both a parody of, and homage to Charlie's Angels. In the film, the SAT is secretly used to determine which women would fit well in the espionage unit D.E.B.S. (Discipline, Energy, Beauty, Strength).

The plot follows a D.E.B.S. team as they spy on evil mastermind, Lucy Diamond. But little by little, one of the D.E.B.S. members begins falling in love with Lucy. The film was a failure upon release but has since gained a cult following and appreciation amongst LGBTQ audiences. It starred Jordana Brewster, Meagan Good, and Devon Aoki.

John Apple Jack (2013)

John, a promiscuous restaurant owner, has to come to terms with his selfish ways when he discovers that his childhood crush, Jack, now works for him and is about to get engaged to his sister. The film is about coming out, learning to love one's self, and taking responsibility for one's own actions.

One of the most powerful aspects of the movie is that it's able to address real problems within the gay community through a humorous lens, helping viewers recognize the problems, without feeling overwhelmed.

You Should Meet My Son! (2010)

A spinster, Rose, decides to help her conservative sister, Mae, find the perfect girl for her adult son, Brian until they discover Brian's roommate is actually his boyfriend. But after Brian gets dumped, Mae and Rose set out to find him the perfect man (albeit in all the wrong places). The sisters go on a wild ride through gay hookup apps, leather bars, and clubs filled with strippers, and along the way, they make lifelong friends. You Should Meet My Son! is hysterical and portrays the coolest mom and aunt audiences have ever seen.

Connie and Carla (2004)

Following Nia Vardalos' mega-hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, she released her movie, Connie and Carla, which starred her alongside Toni Collette. The two portray struggling lounge singers in Chicago who accidentally stumble upon a mob hit. After being chased, the girls flee town to West Hollywood where they go in disguise as drag performers.

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The entire movie is a play on the classic drag storyline of Some Like it Hot, but adds a new twist by making it women, dressed as men, who are supposed to be dressed as women.

Make the Yuletide Gay (2009)

Fans of Degrassi will recognize Adamo Ruggiero — famous for being one of TV's earliest out main characters — in this hilarious holiday film. At college, Olaf is out and proud, but when he visits home for Christmas, he goes back in the closet in fear of his parents. His plans get thrown out the window when his boyfriend, Nathan, decides to surprise him for Christmas and visit him at home. A talented cast, a lovable story, and a heaping dose of Christmas cheer make this an excellent LGBTQ and holiday film.

But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

When Megan's parents discover she's gay, they send her off to True Directions, a conversion therapy camp in the middle of nowhere. While there, Megan meets other LGBTQ kids and realizes she's not as weird or evil as her parents believe her to be. The movie is known for its subversive humor about gay stereotypes, religion, and the hypocrisy of so-called "moral leaders". The movie was also released to a good deal of controversy, initially and unfairly being rated NC-17 by the MPAA. The ratings battle was covered in the documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated.

CAMP (2003)

CAMP follows the summer adventures of a group of teenagers at drama camp. The movie musical is known for being not only an LGBTQ classic, but also a favorite of theater kids. In fact, the film's director, Todd Graff, based the movie off his own experience at the famous theater camp, Stagedoor Manor, located in New York.

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The film also served as a launching point for Anna Kendrick, who starred as Fritzi, a conniving and evil wannabe primadonna. Her character was both hilarious and terrifying. It was an early sign that Kendrick was destined for stardom.

Another Gay Movie (2006)

Another Gay Movie is an LGBTQ parody of the teen hit American Pie. The movie set out to bring the same level of raunchy humor that straight audiences enjoy into the realm of queer cinema. The storyline follows four friends who are determined to lose their virginity during the summer between high school and college. Along the way, mistakes are made, things get very messy, and the laughs only get bigger and bigger. It also served as an early role for Michael Carbonaro, best known for his hit TV show, The Carbonaro Effect.

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