16 Best Gay Movies To Watch During the Coronavirus

Here is our list of 16 of the best gay movies, mostly Netflix, that should keep you safe and entertained until the coronavirus is under control. Please feel free to add to this list in the comments below and share it.

#1 “Moonlight” (2016)

“Moonlight” made history in February 2017 by becoming the first LGBTQ film to ever win an Academy Award for Best Picture. Based on Tarell Alvin McCraney’s script “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” the film is a largely autobiographical story of a black, gay man coming of age while struggling with his sexual identity.

Where to watch: Netflix

#2 “Sense8” (2015-2018)

Created by the Wachowski sisters, writers and directors of “The Matrix” trilogy, this science-fiction drama series follows eight strangers who discover they are emotionally and mentally linked, but must contend with shadowy forces that appear bent on hunting them down for their unique abilities. Due in part to its representation of LGBTQ characters and themes, the show won the 2016 GLAAD award for Outstanding Drama Series.

Where to watch: Netflix

#3 “Glee” (2009-2015)

When “Glee” came on the scene in 2009, the full extent of its contributions to LGBTQ representation in television couldn’t have been anticipated. But throughout its six seasons, it never shied away from showing a wide spectrum of human sexuality through the prism of a high school glee club riddled with drama, competition, young love and a penchant for impromptu musical numbers.

Where to watch: Netflix

#4 “Queer as Folk” (2000-2005)

Based on the British show of the same name, this drama was the first on American television to center on the lives of LGBTQ people. It chronicles the lives of five gay men and a lesbian couple living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and through their stories explores some of the most relevant queer issues of its time.

Where to watch: Showtime Anytime

#5 “Birdcage” (1996)

Robin Williams and Nathan Lane star in this comedy about acceptance, family and the ties that bind us. Williams, who plays the owner of a Miami drag club called “The Birdcage,” is set to meet his son’s in-laws, but there’s a catch: He must pretend to be straight. The film is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving, and it remains a must-watch queer classic nearly 25 years after its release.

Where to watch: Prime Video

#6 “Philadelphia” (1993)

Tom Hanks won an Academy Award for his portrayal of an aggrieved lawyer seeking restitution from his old firm, which fired him after learning he had AIDS. The film shed light on the social and economic consequences of the public health crisis, and it even paid homage to those who fought against AIDS-related discrimination by featuring 50 extras who were once clients of the pioneering health clinic ActionAIDS.

Where to watch: Netflix

#7 “Paris Is Burning” (1990)

This classic documentary chronicles the New York City ballroom scene of the 1980s, and the “house” culture that, for many of the drag queens featured in the film, provided a sense of home, community and support at a time when hostility to drag and LGBTQ people had reached a fever pitch. It’s a moving snapshot of a moment in queer history, and a must-watch for any film buff.

Where to watch: Netflix

#8 “Holiday Heart” (2000)

After losing his police officer lover, Christian drag queen Holiday Heart (Ving Rhames) meets 12-year-old Niki (Jessika Quynn Reynolds) and her drug-addicted mother, Wanda (Alfre Woodard). Heart finds relief from heartache and a renewed sense of purpose when he steps in as a father figure to Niki and welcomes the two women into his life. But when Wanda becomes romantically involved with her drug dealer, Silas, it may endanger Niki and threaten to destroy the makeshift family.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

#9 “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013)

This film won Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto Oscars at the 2014 Academy Awards. But even more than being Oscar bait, it tells the important story of real-life mid-1980s electrician Ron Woodroof, who is diagnosed with AIDS and given 30 days to live. He smuggles unapproved therapies and drugs into the U.S., and with a fellow AIDS patient (Leto), he sells those treatments to other people in need of them.

Where to watch: Netflix

#10 “Alex Strangelove” (2018)

This starts out like any other teen movie: high schooler Alex Trulove (Daniel Doheny) wants to lose his virginity to his girlfriend. But this one has a twist. He ends up meeting Elliot (Antonio Marziale) and falling for him. This movie has all the teen movie maxims: a little angst, cute moments, and exploration of sexuality.

Where to watch: Netflix

#11 “A Single Man” (2009)

In this Tom Ford film, Colin Firth plays George Falconer, an English professor in Los Angeles in 1962. He is grieving the death of his partner, Jim, but Jim’s family won’t acknowledge him. George decides to end his life, but as he prepares to do so, he comes across several significant people from his past who might just convince him that there’s more to live for.

Where to watch: Netflix

#12 “The Cakemaker” (2018)

Thomas (Tim Kalkhof), a German pastry-maker, travels to Jerusalem to visit the wife of Oren, the man with whom he had an affair. Oren died in an accident in Israel, and his wife is not aware that Thomas was ever in the picture.

Where to watch: Netflix

#13 “Strike a Pose” (2016)

This Belgian-Dutch documentary follows the backup dancers who joined Madonna on her 1990 “Blonde Ambition” tour. They soon discover that they were gay icons. Twenty-five years after the tour, this is their story.

Where to watch: Netflix

#14 “God’s Own Country” (2017)

A young sheepfarmer named Johnny sees his life turned upside-down when his father hires a Romanian migrant worker, Gheorghe, with whom he falls in love.

Where to watch: Netflix

#15 “Milk” (2008)

Sean Penn plays gay rights activist Harvey Milk, who became the first openly gay elected official in California before he was shot by a fellow member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Where to watch: Netflix

#16 “Other People” (2016)

A gay man (Jesse Plemons) returns home to his conservative family to be with his cancer-stricken mom (Molly Shannon) in this sweetly comic semi-autobiographical film written and directed by Chris Kelly.

Where to watch: Netflix

Please feel free to add your movie pick in the comments below and share this post social media.