Best LGBTQ TV Shows On Netflix Right Now

With rainbow flags flying and pride parades marching down Main Street, it’s time to take a look at the best LGBTQ television shows on Netflix. Representation of gay and lesbian people in Hollywood has come a long way since the 1990s sitcom Will & Grace — and with the creative freedom Netflix offers, some of the best portrayals of LGBTQ characters can be found in the streaming service’s original shows. Netflix has also picked up or rebooted several outstanding cable series, creating a deep collection of comedies and dramas for people who want to show some pride.

Netflix’s best LGBTQ shows range from traditional sitcoms to sci-fi cult classics to coming-of-age stories. Many include a mix of drama and comedy as queer characters navigate day-to-day life. Often, the LGBTQ characters in these shows aren’t defined solely by their sexuality, but by their aspirations and pitfalls. The complex, well-rounded characters are a welcome addition to queer representation on-screen, which is too often entrenched in stereotypes.

In 2021, gay characters on-screen are nothing new. Several of Netflix’s best LGBTQ shows explore the oft-overlooked stories of other queer people, examining same-sex relationships between women, the challenges of identifying as bisexual, and the gray areas that come with being transgender or non-binary. Other shows look at the Black and Latinx LGBTQ communities, featuring people whose experiences are vastly different from those of white LGBT people. The best shows all have one thing in common — they don’t make any assumptions.

Sex Education

Sex Education, a British drama that premiered on Netflix in 2019, is the show every teenager needs to see. Frank and candid, the series doesn’t hesitate to dive into uncomfortable topics, shedding light on the mystery that is sex. Asa Butterfield stars as Otis Milburn, an insecure teenager who becomes an unofficial sex therapist for his fellow high-schoolers. Alongside his openly gay best friend Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa), Otis tackles issues of homophobia, masturbation, sexual performance, STDs, and lesser-known sexualities like pansexuality and asexuality.

Dear White People

Justin Simien’s Dear White People isn’t just a no-holds-barred commentary on racial politics, it’s also a realistic glimpse into the world of people who are discriminated against on multiple fronts. Based on Simien’s 2014 film of the same name, this is one of the few shows that includes LGBTQ characters of color, showing experiences beyond those of white gay men, as well as Dear White People boasting an impressive soundtrack. Throughout the series, Lionel Higgins (DeRon Horton), a school reporter plagued by social anxiety, struggles to learn how to live as a confident gay man. The show doesn’t limit itself to just one LGBTQ character, however. Kelsey Phillips (Nia Jervier) is also featured as a gay woman making her way through the world of college dating.

Feel Good

A surreal drama in the vein of HBO’s Euphoria, Netflix’s Feel Good follows a lesbian comedian as she embarks on a relationship with a woman new to same-sex relationships. In a classic TV trope, Mae (Mae Martin) struggles with dating the closeted George (Charlotte Ritchie). Another dimension is added to the Netflix series, however, when it’s revealed Mae is also a recovering heroin addict. The series, written by Martin, has a multitude of little moments that ring all too true — from the video chats between Mae and her mom (Lisa Kudrow) to a shopping trip at IKEA. Feel Good is a short but sweet watch, with two, six-episode seasons.

Orange Is the New Black

The 2013 drama that launched Netflix into mainstream popularity, Orange is the New Black, is also one of the few TV shows to star a bisexual character. Although the show spent years dancing around Piper’s sexuality, with many characters labeling her as “straight” or “lesbian” depending on her current relationship, the show finally dropped the word “bisexual” in OITNB’s final season. The way people perceive Piper’s sexuality is a struggle that many bisexual people can relate to. Piper has serious relationships with men and women, but most people want to box her into an inaccurate sexual identity. Plus, Orange is the New Black is an award-winning drama with a deep bench of compelling characters.

Schitt’s Creek

Starring one of the most popular gay couples on television, Schitt’s Creek is a tour-de-force sitcom that quickly accelerated to popularity over six seasons. Alongside his formerly wealthy family, David (Dan Levy) is featured as a spoiled art gallery owner struggling to rebuild his life in the tiny town of Schitt’s Creek. In season 3 of Schitt’s Creek, Patrick (Noah Reid) enters the picture as David’s love interest, with the two eventually building a long-lasting relationship. In a series of touching scenes, Patrick slowly gains confidence in himself and his sexuality (having had his first kiss with a man in his 30s), while David learns to settle down.

Sense8

Like many of the best TV programs representing the LGBTQ community, Sense8 isn’t a show about being gay. Instead, it’s a science-fiction adventure starring well-rounded LGBTQ characters. The biggest concern for transgender woman Nomi (Jamie Clayton) and her cisgender partner Amanita (Freema Agyeman) isn’t gender identity; it’s Nomi’s sudden psychic connection to seven strangers from across the globe. Still, seeing Nomi’s relationship on-screen is an inspiring sight for others who have similar experiences. Sense8 doesn’t ignore or single out Nomi’s sexuality — it makes her background part of a story about deep empathy for others.

In one of the show’s best queer scenes, Nomi reaches out psychically to Lito, a closeted gay man living in Mexico City, and the inclusion of LGBTQ characters continues into season 2. Sense8 was created by the Wachowskis, both trans women, who are known for the landmark science fiction film The Matrix, as well as other genre classics V for Vendetta, Cloud Atlas, and Jupiter Ascending. Following the cancellation of Sense8 in 2017, Lilly Wachowski embarked on a new show, Work in Progress, a Showtime comedy available on Hulu and Amazon.

Glee

Ryan Murphy’s ultra-popular teen dramedy Glee took a huge step for LGBTQ rights when it put queer characters of all shapes and sizes in the spotlight. When the show premiered on Fox in 2009, it was during a time when gay marriage was illegal in much of the country and the fight for transgender rights was still in its infancy. Glee’s six-season run wasn’t the first show to star queer characters, but it marked a dramatic shift in how LGBTQ people were portrayed in television and film. The show didn’t include just one token gay character — it included characters of all orientations, showing that sexuality and gender identity is truly a spectrum.

Whether it’s Kurt’s daily confrontations with high school bullies, Brittany’s attempts to explain her bisexuality to others or Santana’s struggle to accept her attraction to women, Glee has something everyone can connect to. Throughout the show’s six seasons, Murphy develops a cast of characters who aren’t defined solely by their sexuality, but by their hopes, dreams and thoroughly teenage problems. The show is never afraid to touch on difficult topics — deftly exploring issues like internalized homophobia, gender identity, and sex and intimacy — but also never takes itself to0 seriously. With a wonderfully surreal sense of humor, Glee, like High School Musical, is an addictive musical journey that shows a more realistic world where LGBTQ people aren’t one in 100, but one in 20.

Pose

Glee-creator Ryan Murphy wasn’t satisfied with one groundbreaking show — in 2018, he created Pose. The award-winning drama follows Black and Latinx LGBTQ characters through New York City’s underground ballroom scene, a world of intense competition and self-expression. Focused on the experiences of transgender women, Pose highlights previously untold stories. The show also takes audiences into the heart of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s and 90s. With scathing indictments of transphobia and a nuanced exploration of conflicts within the LGBTQ community, Pose watchers won’t be disappointed and can be excited for Pose season three.

Queer Eye

During the five years Bravo’s hit reality show Queer Eye was on the air, it became more than just a makeover special. Now, Netflix’s 2018 reboot of the same name is relaunching the show’s legacy by helping people of all genders and orientations find a new style and a renewed confidence in themselves. The new “Fab Five” travel through America’s south and midwest to broaden people’s horizons and fight for acceptance.

Grace and Frankie

Grace and Frankie isn’t your typical sitcom. The Emmy-nominated show kicks off with two men coming out to their wives after decades of happy marriage. The unlucky divorcees, Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin), don’t like each other very much, but would rather hang out together than start over alone. The unlikely friendship that blooms between the two women is delightful to watch as they struggle with becoming single in their old age, explaining the situation to their children and finding a new way to talk to their former husbands.

Sam Waterston (best known for playing Jack McCoy on Law & Order) and Martin Sheen (President Bartlet in The West Wing) feature as the charming gay couple finally making their illicit romance official. With a cast of actors in their 80s, the show holds a unique place on television, addressing an audience of retirees often ignored by Hollywood without making the main characters appear stupid or senile. The way Grace and Frankie adjust to a changed a world is a refreshing and realistic look at how many seniors adapt to the modern age — with self-deprecating humor and wisdom.

One Day at a Time

A traditional sitcom tackling modern issues, One Day at a Time is a reimagination of the 1975 CBS series of the same name. In the new millennium, the Cuban-American family the Alvarezes face mental illness, homophobia and racism. Among the main cast is Isabella Gomez, who stars as lesbian teenager Elena. In what will hopefully become a pattern for modern TV, the show doesn’t gloss over Elena’s sexuality. Instead, audiences follow her through a difficult coming-out, familiar teenage angst about dating, and the challenge of explaining 21st-century sexuality and gender identity to her mother and grandparents. In another step forward for the LGBTQ community, the Netflix show also features a non-binary character named Syd who becomes a love interest for Elena.

About The Author

Jasmine Gallup
(115 Articles Published)

Jasmine Gallup is a writer for ScreenRant, covering fantasy, science fiction and superheroes. She’s worked as a freelance reporter since 2018.

By day, Jasmine writes for a small North Carolina newspaper near her hometown of Cary. By night, she explores the depths of film and television alongside her twin sister.

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