Pride month isn’t over yet!
Although LGBTQ+ representation in film is on the rise in recent years, it hasn’t always been up to par. For many years, queer characters were either non-existent or were tired and often offensive stereotypes. Luckily, we’re starting to see more — and better! — representation in movies. Sure, we’ve still got a ways to go, but cinema is finally starting to include LGBTQ+ characters in important roles.
So, if you’re looking for ways to celebrate Pride this year without fighting through crowds, how does a Netflix binge sound?
The Boys in the Band
The Boys in the Band started as an Off-Broadway play in 1968, which was revived for Broadway in 2018. Now adapted into a film, The Boys in the Band features the same cast as the critically-acclaimed Broadway play, and the exclusively openly gay cast features a few major names like Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, and Matt Bomer.
This film follows the experience of being a queer man in the 60s and the struggles that come along with it in a time when many people’s identities were erased from the public eye. During a birthday party in 1968 New York, a surprise guest and a game leave these gay friends coming to terms with buried truths and unspoken feelings.
The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
This animated film follows the Mitchells, a quirky and slightly dysfunctional family (aren’t they all?), as they embark on a road trip and end up trying to save the world from a robotic takeover. The family comes together to save each other and the planet from the electronic device uprising.
Although The Mitchells Vs. The Machines isn’t overtly about the LGBTQ+ community, it’s refreshing to see a family-oriented animated film that includes a confirmed LGBTQ+ character. Even mores o, it’s awesome to see that LGBTQ+ character in a main role, and not just in the background as a token friend.
Disclosure
For a proper introduction into the life of trans people, check out Disclosure: Trans Lives On Screen. It is a documentary that looks at Hollywood’s depiction of transgender people, and the impact those depictions have on the lives of transgender people and on American culture. Disclosure offers an intimate and hopeful look at the progress that the trans community has made in its journey to be visible and accepted. The film features names like Laverne Cox, Chaz Bono, Angelica Ross, and more.
What Keeps You Alive
Progress in representation means that LGBTQ people can be in horror films, too! What Keeps You Alive is a psychological horror about a recently married lesbian couple, Jackie and Julie. The pair are celebrating their first anniversary. They head out on a retreat to a remote forest cabin with a backdrop of majestic mountains and a still lake.
The trip quickly goes wrong as secrets are revealed and venomous betrayals engulf the couple. Jackie’s true intentions for the trip come to light, and Julie is left fighting for her life.
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson is a must-watch documentary. A lot of people know who Marsha P. Johnson is, most notably as the rumored thrower of the first brick at Stonewall and a pillar of the LGBTQ community.
However, most people know very little about her life. And many don’t know the story of her death, and how many believe it was unfairly ruled a suicide. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson details how she and Sylvia Rivera lived, how they started a movement, and how they died. The documentary also explores unanswered questions surrounding Marsha Johnson’s death.
