If you missed part 1 you can find it here. This is part 2, focused on my picks in the realm of LGBTQ+ representation on television. This time I’m going to organize the list around different streaming platforms, so whichever you have, you can find options to watch there!
Netflix
Feel Good (Bi, Trans/Nonbinary)
Everyone should watch this show. The brainchild of Canadian British comedian Mae Martin, Feel Good is like a queer relationship Fleabag, but even better. It follows Mae’s relationship with George (the criminally underrated, at least in the US, Charlotte Ritchie) and all the turns and twists it holds. It’s hilarious and honest and played a huge role in my gender awakening. Martin also wrote a book that will appear later in the book guide. And with a total of 12 half-hour episodes, it’s very easy to find time to blast through it at whatever pace desired. Watch this show.
One Day at a Time (Lesbian, Nonbinary)
The last decade has brought a near endless string of reboots and this is easily one of the best of them. It keeps the Latin identity focus of the original show while updating the characters to modern times to engage with issues of gender and sexuality in the context of Catholic and Latin heritage. It’s really queer and really funny, and, with so many legacy sitcoms leaving Netflix for other streamers, it’s one of the best sitcoms left on Netflix.
She-Ra: Princesses of Power (all of the things!)
This is one of the two queerest shows on this entire list (they’re both, not at all coincidentally, “kids” shows). This show, a bright updating of the classic cartoon, is just really, really queer. Like every character in this thing defies typical expectations of gender presentation. It’s the kind of show that sends my heart soaring and gives me hope for the future. It’s an easygoing watch, kind of like Avatar: The Last Airbender, that even puts a nonbinary character on screen in the later seasons. It’s another show you should definitely watch.
BoJack Horseman (Gay, Ace)
Unlike these other shows, queer identity is not a huge part of BoJack Horseman, but I had to mention it because Todd is still the best ace character ever (also one of the only ones, but still). And I don’t think the show gets enough credit for how it deals with Herb being gay, how that scarred networks in the 90s, and how this plot would realistically play out exactly as it does in the show. I wanted to mention those two excellent characters, even if the show itself doesn’t often engage with queer identities.
I also want to mention Heartstopper. I have a few issues with it, but it’s well worth watching. Unlike many people, and Netflix algorithms, I can’t recommend Sex Education due to how it portrays asexuality (here’s one of many good articles out there on the subject).
A few other (probably) good options that I haven’t seen yet: First Kill, Sense8, The Haunting of Bly Manor
Max
Euphoria ONLY SEASON ONE (Trans)
As I’ve said often, and will keep saying, Euphoria season 2 was abysmal in many ways, chief among them the diminished role of Jules (Hunter Schafer). Her character was basically the only reason I got hooked on the show in the first place, so this made season 2 even worse. But season 1, especially the parts about Jules, are still pretty good. But, better yet, just watch the Schafer-directed special episode “Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob.”
Harley Quinn (Lesbian)
This is a great show featuring a great lesbian relationship between Harley and Ivy. I still need to get caught up on this, but this show is definitely one you should be watching. Apologies to any queer representation not mentioned here due to me not having gotten to that point of the show.
Rothaniel (Gay)
This is a stand-up special from Jerrod Carmichael, so may be more of a movie than a show, but definitely a must-watch regardless of which list it should have been on. In this special, which I badly need to rewatch, Carmichael discusses how he came to realize he was gay with particular focus on this identity in the context of his Black conservative family (he explores some similar ideas on occasion in The Carmichael Show, on Hulu, which is one of the best sitcoms of the 2010s and one you probably haven’t heard of). Rothaniel is one of the best works of queer media that came out last year.
The Other Two (Gay)
As the show often states, Cary Dubek (Drew Tarver) is gay. This show does a really good job addressing how this rarely “matters” in the context of liberal Hollywood, but also how it definitely does matter in liberal Hollywood’s faux progressive posturing, like when he hosts a show called “The Gay Minute.” The show does a good job satirizing the rainbow capitalist hypocrisy of the industry, while also just being a great show in the process.
A few other (probably) good options that I haven’t seen yet: I May Destroy You, Our Flag Means Death (I know, I really need to get to this one. I suspect this month is the time)
Hulu
Apparently, there’s not much on Hulu, though I should highlight the Hulu original movie Crush which is a queer teen delight, I also want to highlight the recent Jeopardy! Masters a 10-part event as two of the 6 contestants—Amy and Mattea—are queer. They, and the other 4, are all a delight to watch, and it really has been a wonderful event. Hulu also has Pose, and The L Word, both of which I need to watch more seriously.
Disney+
The Owl House (All of them)
As expected Disney is not as upfront about its queer properties as some other streamers, but The Owl House rises FAR above the level of mockable “gay moments” in things like Beauty and the Beast or Onward. Nope, this show is capital-Q queer. It’s centered on an acknowledged sapphic relationship (throughout season 2, at least). Raine is canonically non-binary, and many other characters are also coded queer. And this isn’t even to mention how Eda’s shame-filled past reflects the experience of being in the closet or how Amity’s family feels a lot like the unsupportive religious families of many queer people. I like to describe this show as Harry Potter for all the kids who grew up and now hate Rowling and her TERF bullshit, and I think that description is still spot on. It’s also EXCELLENT, clearing whatever expectation you might have in terms of quality. It’s one of the best and most delightfully and fully queer shows on this whole list.
I want to close out with one last slightly controversial head canon pick. “Head canon” is where viewers decide a character is queer, based on evidence in the show, without explicit confirmation. It’s especially useful for bisexual and ace-spec identities which often aren’t stated explicitly. My favorite head canon is for Bob’s Burgers. No one on Bob’s Burgers feels all that straight, but I think Gene is the most queer of them all. Specifically, I think Gene is some kind of trans/genderqueer/nonbinary individual that hasn’t realized it yet. And once you notice some of the things Gene says—seriously, he makes a joke related to his lack of breasts or presence of penis in practically every episode—you will, too. All the more reason to watch Bob’s Burgers.
So there you have a dozen or so great TV options, some of which are bit removed from the typical suggestions. I likewise have several that I’ve been needing to watch—Pose, Sense8, Our Flag Means Death, I May Destroy You—so hopefully I can get some of them watched this month.
Let me know what other queer TV shows I should watch. If I can get even one more person to watch The Owl House, it will all have been worth it. And if you want even more picks you can keep reading here for my book picks, or here for my music picks, or go back to here for my film selections. Hoot hoot and happy watching!
