In recent years, the LGBTQ+ community is starting to see themselves more represented in both movies and television. This is a big deal since many people have gone their whole lives watching the stories of others being told or only seeing the gay best friend character or side character.
While there is still a long way to go in terms of representation, especially representation for people of color who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, it seems like Hollywood could be heading in the right direction.
Love, Victor Season 2 - Release Date: June 11, 2021
Love, Victor was the series sequel to the hit teen coming-of-age movie and book Love, Simon. The first season was a resounding success, mainly due to the fact the show covered a series of topics the original didn’t, such as being a person of color accepting their sexuality in a family of devout Catholics.
Season 2, which airs on June 11th, picks up where the series left off after Victor had his first real kiss with Benji and finally utter the words to his parents that he’s been holding back: I’m gay.
Benedetta - Release Date: July 9, 2021
Based on the true story of the catholic mystic, Benedetta Carlini, who was a nun in 17th century Italy, Benedetta “suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions,” so she eventually seeks out the help of another nun, who offers her companionship.
Eventually, this leads to something more and the two have a love affair. However, the church does not accept this with open arms. Benedetta, which was originally supposed to premiere at last year's Cannes, will premiere at this year's festival instead.
Jungle Cruise - Release Date: July 30, 2021
Disney has been trying to bring representation into their movies for a while, but has only gone as far as to have a female character casually mention that she has a wife or have two men gaze at each other from across a room.
However, in Jungle Cruise, based on the ride in Disney Parks, Disney has promised to step up their game by having one of the three main characters a gay man. Fans are hopeful that this is a step in the right direction for the studio and will open a door for more representation in their movies and shows.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie - Release Date: September 17, 2021
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which first started as a documentary and then a stage musical, is a story about 16-year-old Jamie who wants to be a drag queen. The movie follows Jamie as he deals with homophobia and gaining acceptance while on his journey of self-discovery.
Both the original documentary and musical are loved by fans and critics, so many are excited about the upcoming movie. Everybody Is Talking About Jamie was originally supposed to air in February 2021 until 20th Century Fox sold it to Amazon, which is planning on releasing it on September 17th, 2021.
Eternals - Release Date: November 5, 2021
Eternals is set to be a groundbreaking Marvel movie that is going to set the course for the future of the MCU for many reasons. Marvel has said they plan on stepping up their game for this movie and based on the trailer, fans are starting to believe them.
One of the main things that Marvel has promised is the first openly gay superhero with Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry, Fans are hopeful that this time around, the representation will go past a man mentioning a date with another man, like in Avengers: Endgame.
Heartstopper - No Official Release Date Yet
Netflix recently announced that they officially picked up and are adapting the graphic novel Heartstopper by Alice Osman. The series will follow high schoolers, Nick and Charlie, as they develop a friendship that leads to something more.
Covering a series of deep topics such as eating disorders, attempted assault, and self-harm, the graphic novels lead the way for the Netflix adaptation to have plenty to go off of. More recently, the cast was just announced and fans were thrilled to see that the trans character is actually being played by a trans actress.
Sex Education Season 3 - No Official Release Date Yet
Sex Education has quickly become a fan-favorite TV series on Netflix, bringing in a huge fanbase for the streamer. The first two seasons covered a variety of different topics and have been known to not shy away from anything and the show has been a constant source of representation for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Fans can't wait to see what will happen next in the series, with star Asa Butterfield recently teasing, "you lot aren't ready for season 3, trust me."
Euphoria Season 2 - No Official Release Date Yet
Euphoria was a hit as soon as it premiered, following the adventures of Zendaya’s Rue, recovering from drug addiction, who is falling in love with her new friend, Jules.
The show has been praised by fans and critics alike for not being afraid to cover topics like young Jules being forced into a psychiatric facility by her mom who doesn't accept her gender identity to Rue breaking down because her drug dealer refused to be the reason Rue has another overdose. While the series does not have a definitive release date, it was announced that they started filming and fans can expect it in either late 2021 or early 2022.
Bros - Release Date: August 12, 2022
Still in the early stage of production, this is the first romantic comedy starring two gay men falling for one another. While there is not much information on the movie itself, Billy Eicher has been cast as one of the leads along with being a co-writer for the movie.
This is a large step for Hollywood and fans are hoping that this will open the door for large studios to make movies about the LGBTQ+ community that aren’t heartbreaking or end on a sad note.
They Both Die At The End - No Official Release Date Yet
Based on the best-selling book by Adam Silvera, fans were thrilled to recently learn that HBO Max is moving forward with this adaptation in a limited series. Taking place in the near future, main characters and strangers, Mateo and Rufus, both get a call from Death-Cast, a company able to predict when someone will die, letting them both know they have 24 hours to live.
The two decide to make the most of their remaining time after a brief denial and eventually run into each other. While the story is notoriously heartbreaking, it also is a beautiful story about finding love when you least expect it from someone you otherwise may never have looked at twice.